Overview
Aug 24 - Tesla has stopped offering its premium solar roof tiles for sale through its website, and the company’s solar roof URL now redirects visitors to a conventional solar panels product page. The change follows a report last week that first flagged the discontinuation.
Timeline and context
The solar roof tiles were unveiled in 2016 when CEO Elon Musk introduced the product as a visually appealing alternative to conventional solar panels during Tesla’s push to acquire SolarCity, the installer run by his cousins. At the time the product was positioned as an integrated rooftop solution to replace standard shingles while generating electricity.
Tesla previously set a public target in 2021 of reaching 1,000 solar roof installations per week. Industry estimates, however, indicated that actual installation rates were substantially lower than that target.
Shift in strategy
Company communications and the website change indicate Tesla’s residential solar focus is shifting toward traditional solar panels. Tesla manufactures such panels at its Buffalo, New York factory and began deliveries of those panels to residential customers this year. The company has not provided an official explanation for removing the premium roof tiles from its online offerings; Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ongoing solar ambitions
Despite discontinuing the online sale of the roof tiles, Tesla continues to pursue large-scale solar ambitions. Earlier this month, the company filed plans in Texas for a proposed $10.1 billion solar-cell factory to be located outside Houston, a facility the filing said would create 9,712 permanent jobs.
Implications
The website redirect and the company’s filings indicate a reallocation of resources toward traditional panel production while maintaining an interest in significant expansion of solar-cell manufacturing capacity.
Note: The discontinuation was first reported by a third party last week and Tesla has not publicly explained the removal beyond the website change.