Copper Street Copper’s battery-powered induction range will hit the market this summer.
Next-gen ranges are getting a charge out of batteries
By Andy Kriege, YSN
Imagine running all your home appliances on battery power.
You could use a standard 120-volt outlet to plug them in and charge them up when power is cheapest, and store enough energy to cook dinner, do laundry or keep the fridge running during a blackout or at peak times without taxing the grid.
We’re not quite there yet, but the technology is moving closer to becoming a reality. There are already several manufactures who believe that major appliances equipped with battery storage have the potential to become a key part of our everyday energy ecosystem.
Innovations in green technology
These innovators are betting that large appliances with storage-enabled batteries could eventually provide backup power to homes to help modulate demand on the electrical grid and allow consumers to power through weather-related events and possibly even prevent rolling blackouts. These appliances, they say, also could help stave off grid upgrades by enabling homeowners to reduce their energy use during periods of peak demand.
Today’s homes aren’t set up to allow appliances to supply stored energy to each other or to the power grid. Still, some experts say such appliances eventually could become a viable alternative to the whole-house batteries that are starting to emerge alongside solar panels and electric vehicles.
Smaller battery-powered appliances are already on the market, including blenders and microwave ovens, but they have limited storage capacity and are often used for camping, boating or short-term use. Larger appliances such as induction ranges are new to the battery-powered market.
Pioneers in battery-powered appliances
Among those working on battery-powered induction is Channing Street Copper. The company has developed an induction range called Charlie that has four burners plus a convection oven, along with a lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4) that can be charged from a standard outlet. The battery provides the range with enough power for high-temperature cooking without plugging into a 240-volt outlet, and as an added bonus can keep things sizzling even when the power is out. But all this convenience comes at a cost: Consumers can join a waitlist to pre-order a Charlie for $5,999 (around $4,000 with potential tax credits). Channing expects to ship the first of these models this summer.
A second startup, Impulse Labs, is offering a similar induction model for $5,499 retail (around $3,299 after tax credits and rebates). The company claims this battery-embedded induction cooktop can boil a liter of water in 40 seconds and continue to cook during power outages. The company’s founders say the stove’s bi-directional inverter could also make its custom battery packs useful tools to power other home appliances. Impulse is also taking pre-orders and is expected to begin shipping in late 2024.
Both products are expected to qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, based on the fact each has more than 3 kilowatt-hours of battery-storage capacity, enough to cook roughly two to four meals. But even without the tax credit, they would cost less than installing a whole-house battery. The units might also be cheaper than purchasing and installing a conventional induction range, if doing so would require an upgrade to a home’s electrical system.
While the average consumer may balk at their prices, there is no denying that green initiatives are shaping the landscape of appliance innovation in much the same way as the auto industry. And like the car business, the appliance industry may soon be facing a gas vs. electric power struggle that will likely be decided at the ballot box.
