Copper's Charlie Range Packs 5 kWh Battery, Runs on 110V
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- Copper's Charlie range integrates a 5 kWh LFP battery in its base — more than ⅓ the capacity of a Tesla Powerwall 3 — allowing the convection oven and induction cooktop to run on a standard 110V outlet, as demonstrated at the New York Build Expo.
- The battery buffer directly addresses pre-war NYC buildings, which typically have 110V kitchen wiring; installing a conventional electric range can require a dedicated 220V line, panel upgrades, and supply upgrades, costs that often exceed the range itself.
- Charlie is priced at $5,999, positioning it in line with premium induction models, with the article noting available subsidies can lower the effective cost further.
- The system is programmable to charge during off-peak hours or from solar, includes a built-in circuit breaker with redundant protection, and can still power half the cooktop on 110V if the battery fully depletes.
- Copper is developing the battery as a power source for other needs — such as running a refrigerator during an outage — and is also working on a heat pump compatible with both 110V and 220V.
- The article notes LFP battery prices have fallen enough that integrated storage in appliances like ranges, refrigerators, and EV chargers could make electrification and backup storage accessible to apartment dwellers excluded by the detached-home focus of most products.
Why it matters: Older buildings in cities like NYC often require multi-thousand-dollar electrical upgrades to switch from gas to electric, pricing out a huge segment of the housing stock. Copper's 5 kWh built-in buffer sidesteps the 220V requirement entirely, potentially making induction cooking — and eventually heat pumps — viable in millions of pre-war apartments without rewiring.
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