Mercedes-Benz comes after Tesla with its own home energy storage pack

Tesla, the electric carmaker founded by Elon Musk, has extended its offerings quite a bit lately, introducing solar roof tiles, next-level panels, and, of course, Powerwall home batteries to store all that energy produced. Now, a more traditional carmaker, Mercedes-Benz, is hot on Tesla’s heels, debuting it own home energy storage units in the U.K.

Designed to store energy generated by home solar systems and wind turbines, each Mercedes-Benz battery pack holds 2.5 kWh, and can be combined with up to seven other packs to create one unified wall unit with a storage capacity of 20 kWh. As New Atlas notes in comparison, Tesla’s Powerwall units come in 7.5 kWh and 10 kWh capacities and can reach a total capacity of 58 kWh when combined. And whereas the Powerwall has a flatter shape and comes in a few colors, these units are boxier and come in a grey shade complete with that iconic Mercedes logo.

Purchase of a Mercedes-Benz battery pack system will also include a battery inverter, an energy-management system, and the panels themselves. The battery packs will be in U.K. homes soon, and there are plans to launch in the U.S. later this year. Previous reports have indicated that a standard home system will cost around $10,000.

Via: New Atlas