Tesla software update reportedly cuts third-party home power for Australian owners

Australian Tesla owners who use third-party gear to feed power from the car into the home say software from the 2026.38 branch, rolling out since October, is interrupting that discharge within minutes. Reports in The Driven, WhichCar, CleanTechnica, Volts & Bots and kWh Garage are owner and charger-maker accounts. Tesla has not publicly confirmed that any change is intentional, and the release-note wording those outlets cite does not mention discharge.

For background on Tesla's official option, see our explainer on what Powershare can and cannot do in Australia.

What is confirmed

Tesla’s Australian Model 3 high-voltage battery page states: “Do not use the Battery as a stationary power source. Doing so voids the warranty.” EV Select verified that wording on Tesla’s published AU owners-manual URL (via a Wayback capture of the script-rendered live page).

Tesla’s Australian New Vehicle Limited Warranty PDF is narrower than a blanket void. It excludes using the vehicle as a stationary power source unless the vehicle is stated to support Powershare, required supported equipment is professionally installed, and a Tesla-approved Powershare charging accessory is used. Manufacturer warranty terms are separate from Australian Consumer Law guarantees, which this article does not decide.

Tesla’s US Powershare pages document home backup for eligible Model 3 and Model Y vehicles with Powerwall. In Australia, Powershare has been positioned as vehicle-to-load (V2L) on compatible newer Model 3 and Model Y cars — not home backup for the existing fleet. Tesla’s Canadian Powershare pages we checked still list Cybertruck. Secondary outlets wrote that the same branch brought home backup “to the US and Canada”; treat US Model 3/Y + Powerwall as confirmed, and Canada Model 3/Y home backup as not established on Tesla’s Canadian pages.

Tlyard’s V2L product FAQ says Tesla vehicles on 2026-series software detect “simulated charging” when there is no actual power consumption, “which may cause the system to automatically cut off the power link.” That is a charger-maker notice, not a Tesla statement. Sigenergy’s public DC-charger notes say its V2X field-test results are independent and not recognised or certified by vehicle manufacturers.

What owners and outlets report

The Driven (7 Nov, by Queensland electrical engineer Mark Purcell of Noosa Heads) and matching CleanTechnica, WhichCar and kWh Garage accounts say Tesla Motors Club owners describe power stopping after about three minutes with a battery-management alert, or after 15–20 minutes regardless of load. Camp Mode and Service Mode workarounds are said to no longer help. Brands named include Sigenergy, EleJoy and Tlyard.

Volts & Bots cites build 2026.38.5.1 and the release-note line “This update includes important security fixes and improvements,” with no discharge mention, and says 2026.38.5.5 later reached Australian and New Zealand cars. EV Select did not retrieve Tesla’s release-note UI directly.

Not a Tesla App and BC Tesla Guy focus on charge-port V2L adapters: sessions that start, then fail with a red charge-port light and BMS-related alerts. A widely repeated forum claim names `BMS_a076_SW_Dch_While_Charging`; that remains owner-reported, not a Tesla diagnostic publication.

Adaptors vs Purcell’s DC charger

Volts & Bots notes that the cut-off reports it summarises involve third-party charge-port adaptors, and that Purcell’s Sigenergy bidirectional DC setup is not shown cut off because he deferred the update and says his Model Y still powers his house. The Driven still says Sigenergy users are among those affected, based on owner accounts. EV Select is not stating that every Sigenergy DC installation has failed after 2026.38.

In The Driven, Purcell writes that on 12 October his Model Y supplied about 25 kWh through Sigenergy. CleanTechnica and kWh Garage print 25 kW. We use 25 kWh from The Driven and treat 25 kW as a reporting inconsistency.

Purcell writes that he asked Tesla in writing to hold updates, that he lodged an ACCC complaint (self-reported), and that he asked the Australian Electric Vehicle Association for support. EV Select found no separate AEVA organisational statement.

Why Australia feels it more

For many existing Australian Teslas there is no official Tesla home-backup substitute if third-party discharge stops after an update owners cannot roll back. That does not mean third-party discharge was ever Tesla-approved.

Practical context (not legal advice)

Treat unsupported third-party discharge as fragile and unconfirmed after these reports — not as approved home backup. Tesla’s AU manual and warranty already take a hard line outside supported Powershare setups. Deferring updates may preserve older behaviour for some cars but can mean missing other fixes. A portable charge-port adapter is not permission to energise household wiring; home backup needs certified equipment and a licensed installer.

Tesla may have a safety, security or battery-management reason for stricter checks. Until it says so publicly, any “block” remains unconfirmed.

Confirmed vs reported