Why Tesla Is No Longer Just a Car Company

It's no secret that Tesla is getting ready to unveil some kind of battery that will change the way homes and businesses get their energy.

The company is taking a page out of Apple's playbook and is teasing tonight's announcement, slated for 8 p.m. PDT, as "the missing piece."

For the future to be good, we need electric transport, solar power and (of course) ... pic.twitter.com/8mwVWukQDL

- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2015Tesla has previously said it has been working on a stationary battery -- and all signs point to the car company revealing their plans tonight.

Several job postings on Tesla's website advertise for engineers to work on a stationary storage team, indicating that the company won't just be focused on producing lithium ion batteries for its vehicles when its multi-billion gigafactory opens in Nevada.

The ability to store energy from the sun and use it at night -- time shifting energy storage -- could slash consumers' electric bills. What remains unknown is how much a home battery could cost consumers to purchase or lease.

It's also worth noting that Musk is chairman of SolarCity, a company that provides solar power to homes, schools and businesses.