A Tesla Cybertruck was filmed powering a whole gas station after a tornado took out its electricity in Houston.
Late last week, a storm blew through the Houston area, resulting in several deaths and extensive power outages.
TikTok user Misbaah (@misssbaaah) posted a video that shows a gas station without power. The video, which has amassed 1.2 million views as of Monday morning, shows, “Cybertruck powering a gas station after houston tornado.”
The video starts outside the gas station and shows the pumps, which appear to be operational. The person recording the video then walks through the store, which is dark. “The cash machine working, the pumps working,” the narrator says. The camera then pans to the back door of the gas station following extension cords hooked up to the bed of a Cybertruck. “Rigging it by this beast right here. A simple plug,” the narrator says.
Cybertruck owners have been relentless in showing off their new vehicles on social media. One owner claimed to have “bricked” his by taking it through the car wash. Another claimed the “refrigerator on wheels” is costing him $2,000 per month. And another said his has already rusted.
In the comments, users discussed whether this capability is unique to the Cybertruck.
@misssbaaah A #cybertruck coming through after #houstontornado. #fyp #xyzbcafypシ #houstontx #crazyweather #tornado #storm #outage #houstonweather #thunderstorm #tesla @ABC13 Houston ♬ original sound – Misbaah
“Wow you ran 2 cash registers that pull no amperage. Nice,” wrote one user.
“That’s a very expensive Generator,” wrote a second user.
Another user said, “My 120v outlet on my 2009 matrix does the same.”
Someone else pointed out it might not last for too long. “For like an hour tops,” wrote one person.
“The whole store … the interior lights is not even on,” said someone else.
Another person said, “My F150 Powerboost can do the same with the 7.2kW genny built in. It was a Texas storm a few years ago that I heard about and bought as a result. Use it to Power my travel trailer in silence.”
Can you use an electric vehicle as a power source?
According to Environment Texas, you are able to use electric vehicles as a backup power source in emergencies. “Electric vehicles (EVs) are essentially batteries on wheels. You can store energy in those batteries, and if EVs are equipped with something called vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-home technology, they can also be used to keep the lights on in emergencies. The technology allows the energy being stored in an EV battery to be pushed back into the grid or into buildings to provide power,” the article states.
How long can a Cybertruck power a gas station?
How long the Cybertruck can power the gas station would depend on the battery capacity of the EV you’re comparing it to and whether either vehicle is equipped with an extra battery pack.
The Daily Dot reached out to Misbaah via TikTok comment and Tesla via press email for comment.
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