Cybertruck Owners in Texas Can Now Get Paid to Power the Grid

Tesla has officially launched its first vehicle-to-grid program in the United States, and it starts with the Cybertruck in Texas.

If you own a Cybertruck in select parts of texas, your 123 kWh battery can now send power back to the grid during high-demand events. In return, you earn bill credits. That battery holds roughly the same energy as nine Powerwalls, which gives this program real muscle when the grid is under stress.

The program is called Powershare Grid Support. It is currently available to Cybertruck owners served by CenterPoint Energy and Oncor, covering major parts of Houston and Dallas. To participate, owners need a Powershare Gateway and Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector installed at home. Enrollment happens through Tesla Electric inside the Tesla app.

When a peak demand event is triggered, your Cybertruck automatically discharges energy back to the grid. You receive credits on your electricity bill. You can set discharge limits to protect your driving range, so you stay in control.

Right now, the rollout is invitation-only as part of an early adopter phase. Tesla plans to expand access after initial testing. The company has also stated that using Powershare Grid Support through Tesla Electric will not impact the Cybertruck warranty for early participants. That reassurance matters for owners who want to try the program without second-guessing long-term battery health or coverage.

Tesla encourages participants to keep their trucks plugged in at home, since grid events can happen with little notice. For most EV drivers, staying plugged in overnight is already routine.

Texas is a strategic launch point. The state operates its own grid through ERCOT and has faced major reliability challenges during extreme weather. Tesla has been building toward this moment since 2022, when it launched a 200-Powerwall pilot program. In 2024 alone, the company paid Powerwall owners $9.9 million through its virtual power plant programs. Adding Cybertrucks increases that distributed energy pool in a significant way.

The numbers make it clear. A single Powerwall stores 13.5 kWh. A Cybertruck stores 123 kWh. Multiply that across hundreds or thousands of vehicles and the grid support potential becomes serious.

Tesla joins other automakers already active in bidirectional charging. Ford’s F-150 Lightning has supported vehicle-to-home capability since 2022 and has participated in residential V2G pilots. General Motors plans to make all new EVs bidirectional by 2026. Hyundai and Kia are also running V2G pilots with models like the Ioniq 5 and EV6.

For now, the Cybertruck stands alone in Tesla’s lineup with official bidirectional support. Broader expansion across other Tesla models has been discussed but not yet delivered.

California is next in line. Tesla plans to expand the program to areas served by PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric. If Texas proves successful, the scale of opportunity in California could be even larger.

For Cybertruck owners, this changes the ownership equation. Your truck handles daily driving, weekend projects, and long road trips. Now it can also support the grid and help reduce your electricity bill. That combination of performance and energy independence defines the modern EV lifestyle.

Source: Electrek