Tesla Unveils Two NEW Products, A Roof And A Powerwall — Do Either Have You EXCITED For The Future?

Tesla Unveils Two NEW Products, A Roof And A Powerwall — Do Either Have You EXCITED For The Future?
Tesla seems to be on a roll in recent weeks. With high production numbers and a profitable quarter, it seems to be a luxury automaker that's moving in the right direction.

Sure, there's some interesting accounting going on in the background but a profit is a profit.

Tonight was different, however. That's because Tesla unveiled two new products. I guess one may be considered a concept though as details were pretty much non existent.

First there was the solar roof. As Tesla loops in Elon Musk's SolarCity, this is the first sign that the two are getting quite a bit cozier and more complementary in nature.

Second, there is the Powerwall 2. Now it is bigger in terms of power capacity and size. In addition, it will set you back $5,500 per unit. This is a $2,000 increase from the original Powerwall; however, it had less power capacity.

Musk is saying on the record that if you equip your home with a Solar Roof and the Powerwall that you may not even need to pull power off the grid. Bold statement but we wouldn't expect anything less from Musk. That said, do these two offerings get you jazzed up or make you more skeptical than ever?


...No pricing was given for Solar Roof, beyond promises that it will cost no more than a new traditional roof "plus electricity." The missing factor in that equation, of course, is time: how many decades will it take to make up for the price differential between a standard roof? Still, given you won't need a traditional roof beneath, this should offer substantial cost savings over traditional photovoltaic systems -- assuming you need a new roof...
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MDarringerMDarringer - 10/29/2016 9:20:02 AM
+1 Boost
In California, allowing now homes to be built without solar panels is ridiculous. Anyone can do solar. Solar City has no obvious advantages.


SanJoseDriverSanJoseDriver - 10/29/2016 2:25:01 PM
-3 Boost
First off, not sure why this story is even relevant to AutoSpies. There are 3 main advantages I see Solar City having:

1.) Cost of Sales can be reduced by using every Tesla store to showcase and sell the product. No other manufacturer has access to a strong network of highly trafficked stores. Solar is an obvious cross-sell/up-sell opp for Tesla buyers.
2.) The product looks amazing, anyone can do solar yet these are the best looking panels anyone has ever seen. Even people my mother would be okay with these since her only objection to solar was looks.
3.) Economies of scale (especially if #1 works well), if it is a popular product SolarCity can drive down the cost of each panel and further increase their cost/price advantage.

Also, I'm not 100% sure but I think they are going to do their own installations instead of working with 3rd parties. Vertical integration would be another advantage if this is true.



MDarringerMDarringer - 10/29/2016 6:55:08 PM
0 Boost
You do know that buying your solar panels is idiocy, right?


Agent00RAgent00R - 10/29/2016 7:13:26 PM
-4 Boost
Solar City and Tesla are obviously tied together. As you note, Tesla may cross- or up-sell Tesla buyers.

Right there is enough relevancy to AutoSpies readers.


TomMTomM - 10/30/2016 4:58:05 PM
+3 Boost
Sorry agent 00R - but just because a company is in process of being bought (It has not yet happened) by Tesla - does not make it pertinent to an Automotive site - any more than a new Refrigerator is - when considering that both Ford (Philco) and GM once had divisions that made them.

I doubt that either of these solar products will end up on cars - while a refrigerator MIGHT end up inside one. But then - I guess you might as well talk about something you might have knowledge of - if cars are not that!


SanJoseDriverSanJoseDriver - 10/31/2016 5:07:09 PM
+1 Boost
@MDarringer, you do know that this is a roof, not just panels right?


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