New data from EnergySage shows that home solar buyers are increasingly asking for Tesla Powerwall alternatives as the brand damage extends to Tesla’s energy business.
Tesla has long been the brand leader in home battery packs with Powerwall.
The automaker launched its energy division in 2015 with the release of the first Powerwall, which help greatly expand the home battery pack market.
With Powerwall 2, Tesla Energy became the market leader and with Powerwall 3 last year, the company achieveied a truly impressive production ramp – albeit not without some questions.
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It remains the most popular option for people looking for home backup power or to make better use of their home solar system, but there’s competition and Tesla’s brand issues are turning people to those competitors.
EnergySage is a service that enables homeowners to easily source and compare solar quotes for free without any sales call.
It gives them a lot of data about the home solar and battery industry.
The company says that homeowners have consistently chosen the Powerwall when adding a battery to their quote, but it has gone down since Trump’s inauguration and Musk’s salutes:
From January 1 through January 19, about 73% of homeowners selected a battery quote that included the Tesla Powerwall. That number dropped to 64% between January 20 and March 10.
Futhermore, EnergySage says that it has seen a surge in people mentioning Tesla in the quote process and 68% specifically asked for a Tesla Powerwall alternative:
Homeowners receiving quotes mentioned Tesla more than twice as often in emails in the first two months of 2025 compared to the same time last year; 13.5% expressed unfavorable views towards Tesla or Musk, while 68% specifically requested a Tesla alternative.
EnergySage shared an example of one such message from one of its clients:
“Do you offer a battery from a supplier other than Tesla? Though we have a Tesla Powerwall and love it, and we love our Tesla Model 3 and Y, we are outraged at Musk’s politics, so we don’t wish to send him more money,”
North Carolina-based Renu Energy Solutions says that 78% of the home batteries it installed last year were Tesla’s Powerwalls.
Nicholas Boles, Solar Energy Advisor Manager at Renu, confirmed that they are now seeing a surge in requests for alternative this year.
Boles said that they are now pushing Franklin batteries as a Tesla alternative:
“The last 14 deals I’ve sold as a manager have all been Franklin batteries.”
The Franklin aPower 2 has very similar specs as the Powerwall 3 with a bit more energy capacity and a bit less power capacity, but it also has a better warranty:
Specification
Tesla Powerwall 3
Franklin aPower 2
Energy Capacity
13.5 kWh
15 kWh
Continuous Power Output
Up to 11.5 kW
10 kW
Peak Power Output
Up to 30 kW (for 10 seconds)
up to 15 kW
Load Start Capability
185 A Locked Rotor Amps (LRA)
Supports up to a 5-ton A/C unit
Scalability
Up to 4 units
Up to 15 units per system (225 kWh total)
Battery Chemistry
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)
Round-Trip Efficiency
89% (solar to battery to home/grid)
Not specified
Operating Temperature Range
-4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C)
-4°F to 131°F (-20°C to 55°C)
Dimensions (H x W x D)
43.25 in x 24 in x 7.6 in (1099 mm x 609 mm x 193 mm)
45.2 in x 29.5 in x 11.8 in (1149 mm x 750 mm x 300 mm)
Weight
287 lbs (130 kg)
357 lbs (162 kg)
Enclosure Rating
Not specified
IP67 (battery pack & inverter); IP56 (wiring)
Warranty
10 years
15 years or 60 MWh throughput
While there’s evidence that Tesla’s brand issues are pushing more people to alternative, it is still clear that Powerwall remains popular.
Kowalczyk of Solartime USA told EnergySage that the Texas-based solar installers still gets more requests for Powerwalls than any other battery system.
Electrek’s Take
It makes sense that Tesla’s brand issues would also affect its energy business. Megapack being a business-to-business product isolates from the brand issues, but the Powerwall is still a consumer product.
However, the Powerwall was already so dominant that even significant brand issues would still result in significant market share for Tesla.
There’s also a lack of competition, but they are coming. Franklin aPower 2 is a good example as it fairly close in price and specs as Powerwall 3.
That said, with the still growing home solar business as people are trying to avoid increasing electricity rates. Tesla isn’t likely to have a demand issue with the Powerwall anytime soon.
If you are interested in getting solar and/or batteries for your home, we recommend using EnergySage. You will be able to get quotes without any hassle and only talk to someone when you are ready to move forward.
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Taiwanese smart-scooter pioneer Gogoro is taking a step into more accessible territory with its newest model, the Ezzy. The company hopes to leverage its massive lead in battery-swapping technology while also bringing its smart scooters to a broader audience by lowering its price point.
Designed as a no-frills, budget-friendly ride that doesn’t skimp on modern conveniences, Ezzy is priced around NT$59,980 (around US $2,000). Once you add in the government subsidies from its native Taiwan, that price drops below NT$30,000 (around US $1,000). For Gogoro, this is the smartscooter distilled to its essential core: practical, connected, and ready for daily life.
The Ezzy looks like it is trying to build on Gogoro’s success with its 2024 Jego launch, the company’s previous forray into lower cost electric scooters. The Jego was a massive success and wound up resulting in around 40% of the company’s sales. Now the Ezzy looks to keep the good vibes rolling in a sleek, compact, and intuitive package.
The scooter features a rounded, minimalist body with a durable front panel and straightforward controls. Practicality is the guiding principle: a 68 cm (27 inch) long seat, spacious footwell, and a 28 liter (7.4 gallon) under-seat storage compartment, which the company says is large enough for two helmets – if they’re a 3/4 and a half helmet. Put it all together, and the features sound like they should make the Ezzy ideal for urban errands or weekend jaunts. Add in a built-in cupholder and flip-out footrests, and you’ve got a scooter designed to seamlessly slot into everyday routines with one or two riders aboard.
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The design is cute, but it’s under the panels where Gogoro usually tries to set itself apart. Ezzy is powered by a new hub motor capable of speeds up to 68 km/h (42 mph), high enough for city traffic while keeping maintenance low. The last time I was scootering around in Taipei, those speeds felt like plenty on the congested streets.
And while Gogoro’s scooters have long been impressive, the most important part of the company’s offerings isn’t even its rides, it’s how they’re powered. Ezzy integrates directly into Gogoro’s famed battery-swapping network, which includes thousands of swap stations around Taiwan.
Riders can skip charging downtime by swapping depleted packs at GoStation kiosks, which regularly see hundreds of thousands of battery swaps every day.
Electrek’s Take
In terms of performance, Ezzy strikes a balance. It’s not built for speed demons, but it likely won’t bog down in traffic either. It’s not overflowing with gadgets, yet includes thoughtful features that matter – cup holder, flip-out footrests, and room for two helmets. At around US $2,000 retail before subsidies, it’s clearly aimed at broadening access to smart two-wheeling in dense cities. And since the combustion engine scooters still dominate cities in most countries, making electric alternatives more affordable is a key part of displacing those heavy polluters.
This feels less like a normal launch and more like a strategic pivot for Gogoro. While the company’s premium Smartscooters – like the sports car-inspired Pulse or high-performance SuperSport – are impressive, they’re also spendy and niche. Ezzy, by contrast, looks like what Gogoro might want every city overpopulated by cars to embrace: a stylish, comfortable, and economical electric scooter that’s accessible to the masses.
It’s still early days and Gogoro hasn’t confirmed availability beyond Taiwan, but enthusiasm for affordable, swappable-battery electric scooters is growing. If Ezzy finds even moderate success in its initial market, it could pave the way for Gogoro to expand its smart ecosystem deeper into urban centers worldwide.
In short, Ezzy may not be a headline-grabbing performance machine, but that’s exactly the point. Sometimes progress happens not with fireworks, but with smart, thoughtful moves that make electric mobility more attainable for everyone. And that’s an evolution worth riding along with.
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The e-bike industry in the West has long been a tale of two territories. North Americans enjoy higher speeds and power limits for their electric bicycles while Europeans are held to much stricter (i.e. slower and lower) speed and power limits. However, things might change based on current discussions on rewriting European e-bike regulations.
New power levels are not totally without precedent, either. The UK briefly considered doubling its own e-bike power limit from 250 watts (approximately 1/3 horsepower) to 500 watts, though the move was ultimately abandoned.
But this time, the call for more power is coming from within the house – i.e., Germany. The Germans are the undisputed leaders and trend setters in the European e-bike market, accounting for around two million sales of e-bikes per year. Home to leading e-bike drive makers like Bosch, the country has yet another advantage when it comes to making – or regulating – waves in the industry.
And while there aren’t any pending law changes, the largest German trade organization ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband), which is highly influential in achieving such changes, is now discussing what it believes could be pertinent updates to current EU electric bike regulations.
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Some of the new regulations involve creating rules maxing out power at levels such as 400% or 600% of the human pedaling input. But a key component of the proposed plan includes changing the present day power limit of e-bikes from 250W of continuous power at the motor to 750W of peak power at the drive wheel.
The difference includes some nuance, since continuous power is often considered more of a nominal figure, meaning nearly every e-bike motor in Europe wears a “250W” or less sticker despite often outputting a higher level of peak power. Even Bosch, which has to walk the tight and narrow as a leader in the European e-bike drive market, shared that its newest models of motors are capable of peak power ratings in the 600W level. That’s still far from the commonly 1,000W to 1,300W peak power seen in US e-bike motors, but offers a nice boost over an actual 250W motor.
Other new regulations up for discussion include proposals to limit fully-loaded cargo e-bike weights to either 250 kg (550 lb) for two-wheelers or 300 kg (660 lb) for e-bikes with more than two wheels. As road.cc explained, ZIV also noted that, “separate framework conditions and parameters must be defined for cargo bikes weighing more than 300 kg (see EN 17860-4:2025) as they differ significantly from EPACs and bicycles in their dynamics, design and operation.” Such heavy-duty cargo e-bikes, which often more closely resemble small delivery vans than large cargo bikes, are becoming more common in the industry and have raised concerns about cargo e-bike bloat, especially in dedicated cycling paths.
It’s too early to say whether European e-bike regulations will actually change, but the fact that key industry voices with the power to influence policy are openly advocating for it suggests that new rules for the European market are a real possibility.
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China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
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To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
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