Tesla applies to take its first step of becoming an energy provider in the UK, Telegraph reported.
In a move that analysts predict could shake up the country’s power landscape, Tesla applies to the UK’s energy regulator for a licence to generate electricity.
The application does not make clear why Tesla has applied for the licence. The California-based company declined to comment.
Having built a significant battery business in recent years, industry sources say that the car company is now preparing to enter the British market with its technology.
The company hasn’t confirmed any plans for large scale PowerPacks in the UK, but the lithium-ion grid tech makes sense for the region.
The UK generates most of its energy (40 percent) from renewables, including wind and solar. Battery tech can help smooth out gaps in generation during calm or cloudy days, reducing pollution and costs for consumers.
Tesla already has multiple PowerPack installations in the UK, including in South Wales, but nothing on the scale of its Australian operations.
Tesla could also be planning to deploy a new platform called Autobidder in the nation. It uses Tesla’s machine-learning tech and cloud platform to optimize power utility assets, including battery packs, generating plants and distribution infrastructure.
“Autobidder can be trusted to capture revenues immediately after project energization,” Tesla wrote on the product page.
The company may also be interested in deploying vehicle-grid tech on a larger scale. It recently teamed with Octopus energy in the UK to offer cheaper electricity tariffs to Tesla owners who also have solar panels, a Powerwall or both.
