Tesla Energy said on X on 6 November 2026 that Smart Charging with a Powerwall and a Wall Connector is now compatible with any electric car, as part of Tesla Home in the Tesla app. The feature plans charging around solar production, household goals and driving needs. Until now Tesla's support page spoke only of "your Tesla vehicle or other supported EV" without saying which other cars counted.

Two modes, set by the Powerwall

Smart Charging arrived with Powerwall and Wall Connector firmware 26.34 in October; owners first reported it on 7 October. The charging mode follows the Powerwall's operating mode:

  • In Savings mode, Low-Cost Charging picks the cheapest hours from the rate plan and the solar forecast.
  • In Self-Powered mode, Charge on Solar sends surplus solar to the car instead of exporting it to the grid.

The owner sets a charging target in kWh and a departure time. In Charge on Solar the system can still pull energy from the grid or the Powerwall if the forecast says the sun will not deliver the target in time. Once the target is met, the car charges only from surplus solar. Tesla's Australian guide says a target of 0 kWh gives solar-only charging, with no minimum top-up. Sites already in Self-Powered mode were switched to Charge on Solar automatically, and Tesla's release note warned that this "may change how much your car charges daily".

Requirements

Tesla's guide, as summarised by Lightning Energy on 3 November and other installers, lists:

  • Powerwall 2 or Powerwall 3 with a Wall Connector 3 or Universal Wall Connector;
  • firmware 26.34 or later on both, and Tesla app 4.57.5 or later;
  • both devices paired, registered to the same site and on the same Wi-Fi network;
  • one Wall Connector per site.

The car itself still has to be compatible with the Wall Connector it plugs into. Tesla's screenshots also show a separate "Enhanced Charge on Solar" option that asks owners to pair their Tesla vehicles so surplus solar can be used "on all of the chargers at your home".

What it changes

For a household that already has a Powerwall and a Wall Connector but drives another brand, solar surplus charging no longer needs a separate tool. It is the same direction Tesla took on 30 October with Heat Pump Optimization for SG-Ready heat pumps: the Powerwall becomes the controller for the biggest loads in the house. Tesla has not published a market list or rollout dates, so whether the option shows up depends on the region and the account.

Open-source tools such as evcc have offered solar surplus charging across charger brands for years. The difference here is that Tesla now does it out of the box, but only with its own battery and its own wallbox.