This EV charger turns electric cars into back-up power sources

You could go the Tesla route to build out a complete energy system with an electric car, Powerwall battery for energy storage, and solar tiles to gather power from the sun. You can then charge your Tesla EV with the stored energy from the roof or feed that battery energy back to the house (although you still can't use a Tesla to directly power your home's electricity).

Total cost: About $6,000 plus installation for the Powerwall; some $44,000 for a full solar roof; and a Tesla Model 3 at around $38,000 for the cheapest model.

But Tesla isn't the only option. More "smart home" energy systems are popping up. On Wednesday, Montreal-based Dcbel announced it's launching the r16, an all-in-one energy management unit. It uses solar energy for EV charging, but also works as a home back-up power source. Read more...