Tesla is sending hundreds of battery packs to Puerto Rico in the wake of major hurricanes
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A plea for Tesla to send help was spelled out with the remnants of a house torn apart from Hurricane Irma — and the electric car marker is now sending aid.
In addition to building electric cars, Tesla also sells an at-home battery pack, the Powerwall, that can capture energy generated by solar panels. Tesla is now shipping hundreds of Powerwalls to Puerto Rico as the island continues to suffer from power outages, Bloomberg first reported.
Puerto Rico was already grappling with power outages after Hurricane Irma, a cateogry 5 storm, hit the island. At least 60,000 people were already without power when Hurricane Maria, a category 4 storm, knocked out power for the entire island's 3.5 million residents.
Generators are currently helping power high-priority buildings like hospitals, but power likely won't return to the entire island for another six months. Tesla's Powerwall could help bridge the gap in some areas as Puerto Rico works to repairs its electrical grid.
Tesla employees are on the ground in Puerto Rico to help install battery packs and repair solar panels, a Tesla spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.
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Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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