Cybertruck Becomes a Power Player on the Texas Grid

Tesla launches a Texas program that pays Cybertruck owners to send electricity from their vehicle batteries back into the power grid

9 Mar 2026

Tesla has begun allowing Cybertruck owners in Texas to export electricity from their vehicles back to the power grid, marking the company’s first vehicle-to-grid programme in the US.

The initiative, called Powershare Grid Support, launched in February 2026 and is open to selected owners in the Houston and Dallas metropolitan areas. When electricity demand rises, enrolled Cybertrucks can automatically discharge energy from their batteries to support the grid. Participants receive credits on their electricity bills in return.

The programme operates with two large Texas utilities, CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. Owners must install Tesla’s Powershare home charging equipment and enrol in the company’s Electric Drive energy plan through the Tesla mobile app. Drivers can set limits on how much power their vehicle exports, ensuring sufficient battery capacity remains for daily driving and home use. Tesla says participation during the early adopter phase does not affect the Cybertruck warranty.

Texas offers a favourable testing ground. Its electricity network, managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), operates largely independently from other US grids and has faced several weather-related supply shortages in recent years.

Tesla has already been expanding a network of “virtual power plants” in the state using its stationary home batteries. Adding Cybertrucks could significantly increase that capacity. Each vehicle carries a battery of about 123 kilowatt hours, roughly equivalent to the storage capacity of nine Tesla Powerwall units.

Energy analysts say electric vehicle batteries could become a distributed energy resource for utilities. Vehicles connected to home chargers can respond to grid stress within milliseconds, faster than conventional gas-fired peaker plants used to manage short-term demand spikes.

Industry forecasts suggest the global vehicle-to-grid market could reach $11.25bn by 2033, growing at an annual rate of about 18.5 per cent. Utilities see such programmes as a way to reduce investment in new generation capacity by drawing on privately owned batteries.

Tesla plans to expand the programme to California next, where three large investor-owned utilities are expected to participate. For now, access remains invitation-only while the company evaluates early performance and grid response.