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Tesla discontinues solar roof product after nearly a decade

Tesla has removed its solar roof product from its website, nearly a decade after its introduction. The product, which aimed to integrate solar technology into roof shingles, faced challenges with cost, production, and efficiency.

  • Tesla has removed all public-facing mentions of its solar roof product from its website.
  • The solar roof product was positioned as a luxury item and reportedly became more expensive over time, with some quotes reaching $200,000.
  • Production of the solar roof reached between 20 to 40 installations per week as of 2022, significantly below its goal of 1,000 per week.

Tesla has discontinued its solar roof product, nearly a decade after its initial introduction. The company has removed all public-facing mentions of the product from its website, with the solar roof URL now redirecting to a generic solar landing page.

Introduced as a luxury item designed to resemble high-end shingles or tiles, the solar roof reportedly became increasingly expensive. Some customers reported receiving installation quotes of up to $200,000. Despite initial goals of 1,000 installations per week, production reached only 20 to 40 per week as of 2022.

Challenges included the unique manufacturing equipment required for the tiles, which increased per-unit costs when sales did not meet expectations. There were also reports of the non-solar parts warping and roof underlayment melting due to heat, and the system reportedly underproduced electricity. This underproduction may have been linked to high temperatures, as the smaller gap between the solar roof and the main roof could have limited cooling airflow.

While Tesla is now directing buyers towards its traditional solar panels, other companies like GAF and Merlin Solar are still active in the integrated solar roof market.

Why this matters: Tesla's decision to discontinue its solar roof product could impact the broader market for integrated solar roofs, raising questions about the viability of the concept for other companies.

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