Drive on Sunshine: Tesla to Introduce Clean Energy Charging

By Kevin Armstrong
Rendering of what Tesla's new 'Drive on Sunshine' feature may look like
Rendering of what Tesla's new 'Drive on Sunshine' feature may look like
Not a Tesla App

Tesla is getting ready to introduce a new feature that allows owners to charge their cars using surplus solar energy. If your home is generating more energy than it's using, this excess energy can be directed automatically to your car.

For owners of solar panels, there have been limited options when your panels are generating more energy than you're using. The system tops off your Powerwalls if you have them, but once those are full, the system sends any excess energy back to the grid.

However, if you have a Tesla, you'll soon be able to automatically start charging your vehicle whenever excess energy is being generated. This is according to new text-based information found in the latest Tesla app, according to Twitter user Tesla App iOS. Tesla is calling this new feature "Drive on Sunshine," which focuses on providing the cleanest charge possible for Tesla vehicles.

Tesla has already started updating their app with some details regarding this new feature. The feature will instruct users to plug in at home during daytime hours, to take advantage of the surplus clean energy their solar system produces.

How It Will Work

The Tesla app allows you to set a charging limit for your vehicle. However, once this new feature is enabled, you'll gain access to two charging sliders. The first slider will control how much your vehicle is charged, regardless of where the energy is coming from. You'll be guaranteed to have this amount of charge every night. However, you'll have access to a new slider that lets you set the maximum charge level, but only using your solar system's clean energy.

This will allow you to set your charging limit to a minimum amount every day, such as 60%. You could then set your solar limit to something much higher, such as 90%. This will allow your vehicle will charge up to this limit when your solar system is producing excess energy.

By setting charge limits and specifying the desired charging times and locations, Tesla owners can ensure that their vehicles are being fully charged before excess energy is sent to the grid.

Apple Inspired?

Last September, we pondered if Tesla could develop something similar to Apple's Clean Energy Charging. Apple optimized iPhone charging times by prioritizing clean energy sources from the grid. This approach aligns with Tesla's mission to create zero-emission vehicles that can charge using clean, renewable energy.

The app also lets users charge their vehicle's battery using available energy sources for regular daily driving needs while reserving a portion of the battery to be charged exclusively when surplus solar energy is available.

Explains Recent Powerwall Announcement

This new functionality enables Tesla owners to charge their cars using renewable solar energy, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels throughout the charging and driving experience.

Tesla's goal is to make EV ownership as sustainable as possible by minimizing the use of fossil fuels and promoting clean charging options. When a household generates more solar energy than it can consume, this excess power can be directed toward charging the vehicle. Tesla again began offering the Powerwall as a standalone product, allowing customers to purchase the battery storage system without requiring a solar array.

The Drive on Sunshine feature is a major step forward in Tesla's mission to make electric vehicle ownership as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. With this update, Tesla continues demonstrating its commitment to creating a cleaner, greener future for all.

Tesla's Q1 2025 Earnings Call: Top Investor Questions

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Like clockwork, it’s time for the opportunity to submit questions for Tesla’s Q1 2025 Earnings Call. Q1 has historically been difficult for Tesla and other auto manufacturers in general, but doom-and-gloom aside, there’s plenty more to be excited about, including upcoming improvements to FSD and the first phase of Tesla’s Robotaxi network.

Earnings Q1 2025 Questions

Tesla is gearing up for its Q1 2025 Earnings Call, providing an opportunity for shareholders to once again submit and vote on questions they want to be addressed during the event. Tesla has already announced the lower-than-expected delivery numbers for Q1 2025, and also held a Public All-Hands Meeting for the first time, so we’re interested to find out what answers to some of these questions during their Q&A session.

Most Popular Questions

When will FSD unsupervised be available for personal use on personally-owned cars?

Is Tesla still on track for releasing “more affordable models” this year? Or will you be focusing on simplified versions to enhance affordability, similar to the RWD Cybertruck?

Robotaxi still on track for this year?

How is Tesla positioning itself to flexibly adapt to global economic risks in the form of tariffs, political biases, etc.?

When do you expect Robotaxi to expand to all major US cities?

Regarding the Tesla Optimus pilot line, could you confirm if it is currently operational? If so, what is the current production rate of Optimus bots per week? Additionally, how might the recent tariffs impact the scalability of this production line moving forward?

Did Tesla experience any meaningful changes in order inflow rate in Q1 relating to all of the rumors of “brand damage”?

When will Tesla Insurance be available in all 50 states. I’m from Idaho, and I’m surrounded by states where it is available, but it isn’t available in my state.

How is the company planning to deal with the impact of Elon’s partnership with the current administration?

is there a possibility of a stock split if so what would it be

Can you provide more details on the plans for HW3 upgrade path for FSD?

When is Grok coming to Tesla vehicles? And will it be able to control anything in the car?

Submitting Your Own Questions

Questions and voting are conducted through Say, a third-party platform that validates share ownership. Once your ownership is verified, you can use your shares to vote, with your vote weight corresponding to the number of shares you hold. Submitting a question initially gives it votes equivalent to your number of shares.

Below, we also compiled a list of the top questions going into the Earnings Call, which takes place a week from today.

You can vote and submit your questions through Say right here.

Earnings Call

The Earnings Call itself will take place on April 22, at 5:30 PM EDT (2:30 PM PT). Links to the live stream will be made available closer to the event. A recap of the key points will also be provided as usual, so stay tuned for that in the hours after the call.

Tesla Reveals Q1 2025 Supercharger Vote Winners, Opens Voting for Q2

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

With Q1 2025 now behind us, another round of Tesla’s Supercharger Voting has wrapped up. The previous vote took place back in December, and we now get to see which locations came out on top.

It’s been an exciting year for Supercharging, with the launch of 325kW charging for the Cybertruck and the upcoming debut of 500kW-capable V4 Superchargers. Tesla has also been rolling out several quality-of-life improvements to improve the charging experience, such as faster Supercharger data and an upcoming virtual queue system when Superchargers are full.

Let’s take a look at the Q1 2025 winners of the Supercharger Vote:

North America

🇺🇸 Lake Wales, FL

🇺🇸 Henderson, NV

🇺🇸 Clarksville, TN

🇺🇸 Roswell, NM

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Decatur, IL

🇺🇸 McAlester, OK

Europe

🇬🇧 Bournemouth, United Kingdom

🇮🇹 Bari, Italy

🇵🇱 Wrocław, Poland

🇨🇿 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

Asia-Pacific

🇰🇷 Namyangju - South Korea

🇦🇺 Nicholls, Australia

Supercharger Voting Q2 2025

Another quarter means another round of Tesla's Supercharger Voting, giving Tesla owners the chance to influence where new Supercharger sites will be built. Following the Q1 2025 voting round, Tesla is now opening the polls for Q2 2025.

How to Vote

To participate in the Q2 2025 Supercharger Voting, visit the Tesla Supercharger Voting page and sign in to your Tesla account. You can vote for up to five different locations, with a limit of one vote per location, every three months. The most popular Superchargers are displayed on the leaderboard, and you can also suggest new locations for future voting cycles.

Tesla will announce the winners at the end of Q2.

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