BLUETTI EP500 Kickstarter launches for huge home backup battery on wheels

By Ads/Updated: March 25, 2021 2:22 am EST

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BLUETTI's huge home backup battery has launched on Kickstarter, promising enough power to get you through a storm or other outage, but with portability traditional home batteries don't offer. The BLUETTI EP500 and EP500 Pro each offer 5.1 kWh to play with, enough to keep lighting running, laptops and phones charged up, and even appliances like fridges going for extended periods, but unlike a Tesla Powerwall it's all mounted on wheels.

Whole-home batteries are increasingly popular, as the need to work around power outages as well as take advantage of solar energy becomes more appealing. Traditionally, though, they're designed to be fixed in place, but BLUETTI's home energy storage batteries are mounted on wheels like portable air conditioners.

The Kickstarter for the batteries launches today. A BLUETTI EP500 is available from $2,799, for early-bird backers, or two for $5,399, with shipping expected from August 2021. The EP500 Pro is from $3,799, for early-bird backers, with shipping expected from October 2021.

The EP500 can deliver 2,000W of continuous power, or a peak of 4,800W. The EP500 Pro, meanwhile, can deliver 3,000W of continuous power, or a peak of 6,000W. Both use LiFePO4 battery cells, with a cycle life of up to 6,000 cycles.

There's no shortage of ports and outlets for keeping your devices powered, large and small. The US-spec EP500 has four 100-120V AC outputs, a 100W USB-C, two USB-A supporting 36W total, a cigarette lighter outlet (12V/10A), an RV aviation (12V/30A) port, two DC 5521 (12V/10A), and two 15W wireless charging pads. UK/EU/AU versions have three 220V-240V AC outputs instead.

Although the peak power output of even the EP500 Pro model falls short of more energy-hungry appliances like dryers and air conditioners, BLUETTI has a solution there too, and one which preserves the portability of the system. With BLUETTI's Split Phase Box, two EP500 or EP500 Pro models can be connected in series, doubling the rated power output and capacity. It'll also offer 220/240 volt output at the same time.

With two EP500 and the Split Phase Box, you're looking at 240V and 4,000W support. Pair two EP500 Pro, meanwhile, and that climbs to 6,000W.

For charging, you can plug the home energy boxes into a regular outlet, use an MPPT solar panel, or both simultaneously. The EP500 supports up to 1,200W of solar input, while the EP500 Pro doubles that to 2,400W. With BLUETTI's SP200 portable 200W foldable solar panel, for example, the EP500 will recharge completely in under 5 hours, with the Pro version halving that time.

With both solar and an AC together, the EP500 can handle up to 1,800W input, and the EP500 Pro can handle up to 4,000W input. You can monitor how the charging is going via the BLUETTI app.

Unlike a Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem RESU, the BLUETTI EP500 series is designed to be mobile. With four wheels, the 167/182 pound batteries can be moved around, making them ideal for home backup and RV purposes. BLUETTI also has a Home Integration Kit to easily connect the batteries to your home's circuit board, keeping appliances and devices running even when a mains power outage strikes.

A 3-year warranty and lifetime tech support are standard on both the EP500 and EP500 Pro. BLUETTI will also offer an extended warranty, adding one year or two years for $399 or $699 respectively. You can find all the details on the batteries, the early-bird perks, and shipping estimates for the EP500 series project at BLUETTI's Kickstarter now.