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Tesla Solar Roof V3 shows a more cautious Elon Musk, and that’s a good thing

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously stated that 2019 will be the year of the Solar Roof, the company’s flagship solar product. This prediction almost seemed like it was forgotten for some time, until now, with the electric car maker launching its Solar Roof V3 (now named Solarglass) last Friday. Solar Roof V3 appears to be yet another sign of a change in Tesla’s CEO, one which indicates that Elon Musk has become more cautious, much to the benefit of the electric car and energy company. 

The original Solar Roof tiles were unveiled in 2016 following Tesla’s acquisition of Solar City. Marketed as a more aesthetically pleasing solution for homeowners who wish to get the benefits of a photovoltaic system without committing to traditional rooftop solar panels, the Solar Roof tiles were intended by Tesla to be a revolutionary product, much like its electric vehicle line. Unfortunately, the Solar Roof saw multiple delays, and up until today, only a few installations of the rooftop system have been completed. 

So notable was the delay in the Solar Roof rollout that the company’s critics actually began claiming that the product will never be produced. Reports of a Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo that was allegedly not being used to its full potential did not help the company’s narrative. Tesla, for its part, stood firm, with Elon Musk explaining that the Solar Roof tiles are taking longer than usual to release due to the product’s long development cycle. If last Friday was any indication, it appears that Elon Musk’s statements about the Solar Roof tiles were actually true, and the company was only ensuring that the shingles were fully ready before they were ramped. 

Solar Roof V3 (or Solarglass, as Musk calls it), is the culmination of all the waiting and refinement that the company has performed on its flagship rooftop solar product. This time around, the solar tiles are bigger at 45″ long by 15″ wide, far larger than the 14″ long by 9″ wide tiles of the first generation producr. This larger size comes with several benefits, including lower cost of production and increased power density, and easier installation. The number of parts in the Solar Roof itself has been reduced due to the larger tiles as well, making the system less prone to potential faults. 

These improvements are all centered on one concept: efficiency. While the first iteration of the Solar Roof unveiled by Tesla in 2016 was all about the tiles’ appearance, V3 is all about appearance and practicality. Since they’re larger, employees at Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, NY will be able to manufacture them at a faster rate. Installers will also have a far easier time fitting the tiles into customers’ homes. These advantages have the potential to allow Tesla to ramp its Solar Roof V3 installations quickly. 

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Ultimately, these improvements to the Solar Roof would not have been made possible with a brash leader at the helm. Elon Musk is known as a CEO that is bold and prone to taking risks, yet with the Solar Roof, he appears to have adopted a far more cautious approach, something that seems to be the right decision considering the potential of the product. The Solar Roof is the solar product that will set Tesla apart from competitors, and the company would be unwise to release a version of the tiles that could not be ramped easily. After all, Tesla Energy has the potential to be a huge business for the Silicon Valley-based company, as noted by Elon Musk during the Q3 2019 earnings call. 

“In the long term, I expect Tesla Energy to be of the same or roughly the same size as Tesla’s automotive sector or business. This is the most underappreciated group. I think it could be bigger, but it’s certainly of a similar magnitude to Tesla Solar. Meaning, if you take Tesla Solar plus battery stuff, Tesla Energy is, I think, the least appreciated element,” Musk said. 

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla Energy celebrates one decade of sustainability

Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla Energy recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a dedicated video showcasing several of its milestones over the past decade.

Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.

Tesla Energy Early Days

When Elon Musk launched Tesla Energy in 2015, he noted that the business is a fundamental transformation of how the world works. To start, Tesla Energy offered the Powerwall, a 7 kWh/10 kWh home battery system, and the Powerpack, a grid-capable 100 kWh battery block that is designed for scalability. A few days after the products’ launch, Musk noted that Tesla had received 38,000 reservations for the Powerwall and 2,500 reservations for the Powerpack

Tesla Energy’s beginnings would herald its quiet growth, with the company later announcing products like the Solar Roof tile, which is yet to be ramped, and the successor to the Powerwall, the 13.5 kWh Powerwall 2. In recent years, Tesla Energy also launched its Powerwall 3 home battery and the massive Megapack, a 3.9 MWh monster of a battery unit that has become the backbone for energy storage systems across the globe.

Key Milestones

As noted by Tesla Energy in its recent video, it has now established facilities that allow the company to manufacture 20,000 units of the Megapack every year, which should help grow the 23 GWh worth of Megapacks that have already been deployed globally. 

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The Powerwall remains a desirable home battery as well, with more than 850,000 units installed worldwide. These translate to 12 GWh of residential entry storage delivered to date. Just like the Megapack, Tesla is also ramping its production of the Powerwall, allowing the division to grow even more.

Tesla Energy’s Role

While Tesla Energy does not catch as much headlines as the company’s electric vehicle businesses, its contributions to the company’s bottom line have been growing. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Tesla Energy deployed 10.4 GWh of energy storage products. Powerwall deployments also crossed 1 GWh in one quarter for the first time. As per Tesla in its Q1 2025 Update Letter, the gross margin for the Energy division has improved sequentially as well.

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Tesla Energy shines with substantial YoY growth in deployments

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Credit: Tesla Megapack

Tesla Energy shined in what was a weak delivery report for the first quarter, as the company’s frequently-forgotten battery storage products performed extraordinarily well.

Tesla reported its Q1 production, delivery, and deployment figures for the first quarter of the year, and while many were less-than-excited about the automotive side, the Energy division performed well with 10.4 GWh of energy storage products deployed during the first quarter.

This was a 156 percent increase year-over-year and the company’s second-best quarter in terms of energy deployments to date. Only Q4 2024 was better, as 11 GWh was recorded.

Tesla Energy is frequently forgotten and not talked about enough. The company has continued to deploy massive energy storage projects across the globe, and as it recorded 31.5 GWh of deployments last year, 2025 is already looking as if it will be a record-setting year if it continues at this pace.

Tesla Megapacks to back one of Europe’s largest energy storage sites

Although Energy performed well, many investors are privy to that of the automotive division’s performance, which is where some concern lies. Tesla had a weak quarter for deliveries, missing Wall Street estimates by a considerable margin.

There are two very likely reasons as to why this happened: the first is Tesla’s switchover to the new Model Y at its production facilities across the globe. Tesla said it lost “several weeks” of production due to the updating of manufacturing lines as it rolled out a new version of its all-electric crossover.

Secondly, Tesla could be facing some pressure from pushback against the brand, which is what many analysts will say. Despite the publicity of attacks on Tesla drivers and their vehicles, as well as the company’s showrooms, it would be safe to assume that we will have a better picture painted of what the issue is in Q2 after the company reports numbers in July.

New Tesla Model Y was a best-seller in China in March 2025

If Tesla is still struggling with lackluster delivery figures in Q2 after the Model Y is ramped and deliveries are more predictable and consistent, we could see where the argument for brand damage is legitimate. However, we are more prone to believe the Model Y, which accounts for most of Tesla’s sales, and its production ramp is likely the cause for what happened in Q1.

In what was a relatively bleak quarter, Tesla Energy still shines as the bright spot for the quarter.

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Energy

Tesla lands in Texas for latest Megapack production facility

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has chosen the location of its latest manufacturing project, a facility that will churn out the Megapack, a large-scale energy storage system for solar energy projects. It has chosen Waller County, Texas, as the location of the new plant, according to a Commissioners Court meeting that occurred on Wednesday, March 5.

Around midday, members of the Waller County Commissioners Court approved a tax abatement agreement that will bring Tesla to its area, along with an estimated 1,500 jobs. The plant will be located at the Empire West Industrial Park in the Brookshire part of town.

Brookshire also plans to consider a tax abatement for Tesla at its meeting next Thursday.

The project will see a one million square-foot building make way for Tesla to build Megapack battery storage units, according to Covering Katy News, which first reported on the company’s intention to build a plant for its energy product.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed on the company’s Q4 2024 Earnings Call in late January that it had officially started building its third Megapack plant, but did not disclose any location:

“So, we have our second factory, which is in Shanghai, that’s starting operation, and we’re building a third factory. So, we’re trying to ramp output of the stationary battery storage as quickly as possible.”

Tesla plans third Megafactory after breaking energy records in 2024

The Megapack has been a high-demand item as more energy storage projects have started developing. Across the globe, regions are looking for ways to avert the loss of power in the event of a natural disaster or simple power outage.

This is where Megapack comes in, as it stores energy and keeps the lights on when the main grid is unable to provide electricity.

Vince Yokom of the Waller County Economic Development Partnership, commented on Tesla’s planned Megapack facility:

“I want to thank Tesla for investing in Waller County and Brookshire. This will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for their Megapack product. It is a powerful battery unit that provides energy storage and support to help stabilize the grid and prevent outages.”

Tesla has had a lease on the building where it will manufacture the Megapacks since October 2021. However, it was occupied by a third-party logistics company that handled the company’s car parts.

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