Since Tesla started producing home battery packs and selling them through SolarCity in 2014, several other automakers, including Nissan and BMW, started also leveraging their electric vehicle battery pack technology for residential energy storage.
Now Mercedes-Benz is the latest to join the industry and it seems to be doing it in a more serious way than Nissan or BMW with a new partnership with Vivint Solar, the second biggest residential solar installer in the US after Tesla’s SolarCity.
Daimler unveiled its Mercedes-branded home battery pack last year, but this new deal with Vivint will enable them to distribute it more widely in the US.
Boris von Bormann, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas, commented on the announcement:
“As Mercedes-Benz electrifies its vehicle fleet, solar plus storage is essential to enable those vehicles to be powered by clean energy. With batteries featuring the best in automotive engineering from Mercedes-Benz, and high-quality solar energy systems from Vivint Solar, our solution allows customers to take the next step toward a sustainable energy future. The launch of our home battery system in Europe has been successful and we are thrilled to be working with Vivint Solar to bring a reliable and compelling solar plus storage offering to American homes.”
They released the picture seen above of a home with both a Vivint solar installation and a Mercedes home battery pack.
With both the Mercedes and the battery pack, it looks oddly similar to Tesla’s own advertising for solar and batteries:
Mercedes’ battery system is modular from 2.5 kWh to 20 kWh. Vivint says that pricing ranges from about $5,000 to $13,000 after installation.
In comparison, Tesla’s Powerwall 2 starts at about $7,000 installed, but it’s for 14 kWh. It can also be stacked for higher energy capacity.
Like Tesla, Mercedes offers a 10-year warranty on its residential battery packs.
Homeowners can use the battery packs to store solar energy in order to use at night or when grid rates are higher, or they can also use the system for backup energy in case of a power outage.
Vivint says that it will begin installations by the end of the quarter – starting in California.
Solar and energy storage prices are highly dependent on your market (electricity cost, gov incentives, etc.) and your property. We suggest to get quotes from more than one installer to make sure you get the best energy solution for your place. UnderstandSolar is a great free service to link you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates for free.
Featured Image: Mercedes-Benz Energy and Vivint Solar team up to bring automotive battery innovation to the U.S. residential solar market. (PRNewsfoto/Vivint Solar)
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