Tesla plans solar roof testing at Fremont car facility, shows permits
Elon Musk unveils prototypes of Tesla Solar Roof October 28, 2016
Tesla
Tesla plans to build "a test structure to evaluate Tesla solar roofing product and installation process" at the site of the car plant. in Fremont, California, according to a building permit granted to the company in July.
The move suggests that one of Tesla's long-delayed products is moving forward, as Elon Musk suggested in recent tweets, but that it still needs improvement. [1[ads1]9659005] Tesla obtained approvals to build a test structure for its Solar Roof product in Fremont, California.
CEO Elon Musk unveiled the idea for the roof for the first time in October 2016 at a joint event with Tesla and SolarCity. He promised a roof covered with solar-powered roof tiles that would look like premium architectural shingles. However, the tiles are not yet perfected, nor do they generate significant revenue for Tesla.
Tesla included a brief update on its energy production and storage operations in its Q2 letter to shareholders, revealing that a delay in production of long-promised Solar Roof withdrew its energy operations overall. "Higher costs of temporarily under-utilizing the production of our Solar Roof ramp have further contributed to a reduction in margins."
asked analysts about that business.
However, CEO Elon Musk tweeted Monday this week: "Fast-forwarding the production line. Hopes to produce ~ 1000 solar roofs / week by the end of this year."
The tweet stirred controversy – according to a previous settlement that Tesla and Musk struck with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Musk is required to pre-approve the company's tweets that could have a significant impact on the electric vehicle and clean energy company.
It is not clear whether Musk sought internal approvals to tweet about the desired pace of solar roof production before doing so.
On Thursday Elon Musk posted a tweet saying "fate loves irony." [19659002] When Musk last posted a "fate-loving irony" statement on Twitter (Feb. 25, 2019), the SEC sent shortly after a recommendation to take him to court over his bombastic use of social media. The financial regulator reached another settlement with him in April this year.
The SEC's press office declined to comment on whether the CEO's tweet was in accordance with their agreement, or whether they were actively investigating the matter.
Tesla has struggled with solar power after buying SolarCity for $ 2.6 billion in 2016, an agreement that aroused dismay due to Musk's family and financial intricacies with the acquired company.
SolarCity's employees, CEO Lyndon Rive and technology manager Peter Rive, are Musk's cousins. And on the acquisition, Musk was a top shareholder in both Tesla and SolarCity.
Following the SolarCity agreement, Tesla had big plans for a factory in Buffalo, New York, which it moved in with its battery manufacturing partner, Panasonic. That plant should be turning out solar products. Tesla has since decided to make parts of the Supercharger and energy storage products there. The company reportedly incurred $ 62 million in impairment after it scrapped research and development work and depreciated equipment related to solar energy initiatives achieved in the SolarCity agreement.
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.
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