SundialEV vs. Tesla Charge on Solar

Charge your Tesla on solar without a Powerwall

Tesla's own support page says Charge on Solar only works with a Powerwall and only charges a Tesla. If you have solar and no Powerwall, SundialEV fills that gap: it charges your Tesla from surplus using your inverter's data — Tesla Solar, Enphase, SolarEdge and more. If your solar was interconnected after April 15, 2023 (NEM 3.0), exports earn a fraction of retail — 4.5¢ per kWh against about 35¢ to import on PG&E (rates as of July 2026), so every kWh your car absorbs instead is worth far more.

SundialEV is the better fit if…

Where Tesla Charge on Solar is strong

It's built into the Tesla app — no extra account or setup.

Tight car-to-Powerwall integration: the car adjusts about every 10 seconds, with the Powerwall covering swings in Self-Powered mode.

A sun slider charges from any source up to a daily-range floor, then solar-only up to your limit; several Teslas at one site are supported.

Tesla's requirements for Charge on Solar

If Charge on Solar isn't showing up or isn't charging, check the requirements Tesla lists on its support page:

Source: Tesla Charge on Solar's own page, checked September 26, 2026.

Tesla Charge on Solar vs. SundialEV

FeatureTesla Charge on SolarSundialEV
Solar-surplus charging Yes Yes — follows your live surplus
Works without a Powerwall No — “Charge on Solar only works with a Powerwall” Yes — Tesla Solar, Enphase, SolarEdge, Solis, Growatt, Emporia Vue, Sense, or the push API
Savings tracked against your tariff Not stated Yes — your utility's import and export rates, looked up by zip
Powerwall first, then the car Yes — tied to the Powerwall's Backup Reserve Yes — solar goes to the car once the Powerwall reaches your priority level
Sell-at-peak window Not stated Yes — a daily window where solar exports instead of charging
Non-Tesla EVs No — “will only charge a Tesla vehicle” Any EV on a Wallbox Pulsar Plus (OCPP) or Emporia charger; Ford battery level (beta)
Cloud or self-hosted Cloud (Tesla app) Cloud — iOS, Android and web apps
US utility rates Not stated for Charge on Solar Yes — US utility rates, NEM 3.0 and net billing

Every Tesla Charge on Solar cell links to the page it came from, checked September 26, 2026. “Not stated” means their pages don't say either way. Spotted something out of date? Email support@sundialev.com and we'll fix it.

What would charging on surplus save you?

Enter your zip and the calculator uses your utility's real rates.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Tesla Charge on Solar without a Powerwall?
No. Tesla's support page says Charge on Solar only works with a Powerwall. SundialEV works without one: it reads your solar from Tesla Solar, Enphase, SolarEdge, Solis, Growatt, an Emporia Vue or Sense, and controls your Tesla directly.
Can I use SundialEV if I do have a Powerwall?
Yes. SundialEV reads the Powerwall's solar, grid and battery, and you set how full it gets before solar goes to the car. See SundialEV with Powerwall.
Should I run both at once?
No — pick one. Two controllers adjusting the same car's charging will fight each other.

Keep your surplus in the car

SundialEV charges from your solar surplus automatically.