Overview
- Tesla confirmed on Monday that it has remotely discharged most affected Powerwall 2 units and is dispatching technicians to discharge the rest while arranging free replacements for owners.
- Investigators identified excessive lithium plating in third‑party cells as the cause, which can crack cell casings, cause internal short circuits and trigger thermal runaway and fire.
- The Office for Product Safety and Standards published a GOV.UK product safety report saying the Powerwall 2 does not meet the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016.
- Customers are asked to keep their Powerwall online, check the Tesla app for an affected‑unit notification, contact their original Tesla Certified Installer or Tesla Support for scheduling, and expect solar panels to keep producing electricity but no backup power until replacement.
- The fault points to a supplier‑level manufacturing problem and could affect installation schedules, homeowner resilience during outages and insurer or regulator scrutiny as Tesla completes the replacement programme.