Tesla Powerwall Mark II confirmed for 2016 launch by Elon Musk

Tesla Powerwall Mark II confirmed for 2016 launch by Elon Musk

Elon Musk is often referred to as a real-life Tony Stark, thanks to his billionaire status and the barrage of technological strides his company Tesla continues to make in an effort to make the world a better, greener place.

Last year saw the introduction of the Tesla Powerwall – a wall-mounted rechargeable lithium ion battery with the ability to power your entire home, powered entirely by solar energy.

And while the first version of the Powerwall has only recently gone to market, just like Tony Stark and his various armors, Musk is already working on a next-generation model of his zero-emission power solution

As reported by Electrek, Musk told attendees of an event for Tesla car owners in Paris that plans for a second version of the Powerwall are already on track for a 2016 launch.

Elon story short

"We are coming up with the version two of the Powerwall probably around July or August of this year, which will see further step changes in capabilities," said Musk.

Though Musk did not elaborate on what these changes are, he did reveal that Tesla's Gigafactory will now be producing its own battery cells, instead of using the ones manufactured by Panasonic the first time around.

"Moderate improvements" to the technology were teased, and it is expected that the second generation Powerwall will boast a longer lifecycle.

You can watch the full video of the Musk's talk in Paris below.

Stephen Lambrechts
Senior Journalist, Phones and Entertainment

Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar's Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He's obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible. 


He's also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he's most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.