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Making solar panels a Tesla work of art could be the change we need
In his Master Plan, Part Deux released last week, Elon Musk made one of his priorities “a smoothly integrated and beautiful solar-roof-with-battery product that just works.” We have heard a lot about solar panel efficiency over the years, but beauty? That hasn’t been a consideration. One solar panel looks very much like another solar panel — until now.
Wired writes in an article dated July 22, “For decades now, going solar has meant sticking what looks like a bunch of computer monitors to your roof.” Hardly the look that many consider ideal for their homes. “Some people will always celebrate the tech-y symbolism of a typical solar panel,” says Aaron Dorf, an architect at architecture and design firm Snøhetta.
Dorf thinks the solar panel “will eventually become a first generation relic, like an Atari or a car phone.” Looking to the near future, he believes things like installation cost and solar cell efficiency will cease to be limiting factors. “Musk is smart to directly target what may be the more significant threshold—beauty.”
We can’t know for certain what Elon intends but excellent design has always been an important component of everything he has done. As Tesla transforms itself into an energy company, we should expect the same level of commitment to beautiful design it is known for.
Others are engaged in designing the solar systems of the future. Sistine Solar makes innovative “Solarskin” panels which match the design of your existing roof. They are scheduled to go on sale next year. T.R. Ludwig, co-founder of Brooklyn Solarworks, says solar panels that can utilize sunlight striking both sides of its panels are more efficient and more attractive. “It’s an interesting aesthetic — more minimal, more sleek,” Ludwig says.
Solar panels are a great way of harvesting energy from the great “fusion reactor in the sky,” as Elon likes to call the sun. But not everyone is thrilled at the idea of solar panels on every rooftop. “When you start talking to a fire department about covering your building with solar panels, you get, ‘well, what happens if it burns? And what happens if my guys are underneath this, fighting a fire?” says Brian Lane, managing principal at Koning Eizenberg Architecture.
Energy storage creates other legal challenges. Because batteries are a potential fire risk, it is nearly impossible to get permits for them approved in cities like New York. There is also an issue with durability. The useful life of solar panels today is 20 to 25 years. Most roofs are intended to last 50 years.
Malay Mazumdar, a professor in electro-physics at Boston University, asks “If you integrate the roof with the solar panel…..should you change the entire roof?” If Tesla wants to design solar roofs that are stunning and smoothly integrated, they should also make them durable, or at least easy to replace, Wired says.
Another issue with solar panels is their orientation toward the sun. Not every roof is ideally suited for a solar installation. Some systems feature tracking systems that move the panels during the day to maximize exposure to the sun, but they add complexity and cost to the system.
No doubt Elon Musk has considered all these factors and has answers for each and every one of them. The one thing we can be sure of is that Elon will bring all of his creative powers to bear on the issue of solar power. If his commitment brings the same level of disruption to the electricity industry as it has to the automobile sector, he will further accelerate the changeover from fossil fuels to renewable energy that is at the heart of all his endeavors.
Source: Wired, Photo credit: Brooklyn SolarWorks
Tesla has expanded the footprint of a massive safety feature worldwide with a recent Software Update labeled as 2026.20.6. The expansion of the “Blind Spot Warning While Parked” feature represents the more widespread availability of the feature, which aims to prevent “dooring.”
Dooring is when a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of an oncoming road user, usually a cyclist or motorcyclist. It is among the most common types of cycling accidents, the League of American Bicyclists says.
For this reason, Tesla created a feature that warns occupants not to open the door because an object is approaching. The feature will sound a chime, and it will also delay the opening of the door to prevent an incident.
The release notes state (via Not a Tesla App):
“If you attempt to open a door while an approaching object is detected in your blind spot (for example, a bicyclist approaching from behind) a chime sounds, and your door will not open upon initial button press. Wait a short time and press the button a second time to override the warning.”
Tesla initially rolled out this feature back in 2024 with the Model 3 “Highland.” However, it remained with the Model 3 exclusively for over a year; that was until Tesla added it to the Cybertruck this past Spring.
Now, it is making its way to the new Model Y, 2021 and newer Model S, and 2021 or newer Model X.
The prevention of dooring incidents could eliminate many injuries to cyclists, especially in an urban setting. Dooring accounts for 10-20 percent of bike-related crashes in major cities, and over 17,000 dooring-related incidents were treated in the U.S. over the course of a decade. These usually involve fractures, contusions, and head trauma.
Tesla confirmed this morning that it has sent the first production units, manufactured with no steering wheel or pedals, to on-road testing in Austin, sharing video of the first rides with no human controls.
The lack of steering wheels and pedals in the Cybercab aligns with Tesla’s self-certification of Robotaxi as Level 4 SAE, a platform it plans to make widespread through internal vehicles and customer-owned cars that will operate and generate revenue for individuals.
The start of these engineering tests is a major signal for Tesla, which plans to bring driverless, wheel-less, and pedal-less Cybercabs to market in the coming months. With production already well underway at Gigafactory Texas, where the Cybercab is built, there is some inclination to believe the first public rides could happen sooner rather than later.
Engineering tests of the first production Cybercab have begun in Austin pic.twitter.com/fk3KQvcE8a
— Tesla (@Tesla) June 30, 2026
Tesla’s engineering tests will put the Cybercab in real-world scenarios, testing not only the hardware, but more importantly, the software that drives the car around Austin with nobody supervising it within the car.
This is perhaps the biggest part of the internal testing process, especially prior to allowing regular, everyday people to hail the Cybercab for an autonomous ride. These early rides serve as a true benchmark for Tesla: How many rides can it achieve safely? How many miles did it travel consecutively without needing an intervention? What scenarios challenge the Full Self-Driving suite the most?
The proper precautions have already been put into place as well, as Tesla released the First Responders Guide to Cybercab over the weekend, ensuring that emergency services have 24/7 access to Robotaxi Assistance, as well as other boundaries, such as Geofencing features that can be used to redirect autonomous vehicle traffic due to accidents, road closures, construction, or maintenance.
Cybercab seems genuinely close to being added to the Robotaxi fleet in Austin, but Tesla has prioritized safety throughout this entire process. Therefore, we think it could be months before it truly starts giving rides to the public. People have been frustrated with this, but Robotaxi in Austin has a tremendous safety record so far, so the slow rollout has kept people safe and accidents to a minimum.
The most important thing is that Tesla continues to show consistent progress in the Cybercab’s ramp-up toward fleet addition. A few weeks back, we saw the EPA reward the Cybercab a Certificate of Conformity, allowing it to enter the stream of commerce. Then, we saw Tesla add decals, signaling that it was likely about to start testing it publicly. That has now happened.
The next big move will be the announcement of the first rides, so this Summer should be filled with anticipation.
For years, there have been images and videos across social media platforms that have reminded me of when I was a 15-year-old kid teased by “Xbox 720” videos on YouTube. These videos are of the supposed “Tesla Phone” that Elon Musk was secretly developing in between leading Tesla with its electric cars and SpaceX with its reusable rockets.
Would you buy a Tesla phone ? pic.twitter.com/aaTwvvIJit
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 6, 2023
Although Musk has put those rumors to bed several times, it was never completely out of the realm that he could get involved in cell phones in some capacity. Think outside the box and more macro-level, though. Instead of reinventing the computer, Musk reinvented connectivity by developing Starlink with SpaceX.
It could be something similar, TD Cowen analyst Gregory Williams said in a note last week, where he hinted SpaceX could be gathering some steam to acquire T-Mobile.
Williams said it would be the “clear choice” for SpaceX if it decided to go through with a network acquisition. He also suggested AT&T.
The move would be possible through selling more of its own stock, which would help SpaceX raise the money to purchase T-Mobile, which would cost roughly $300 billion. It could be one of the moves SpaceX makes post-IPO in terms of an acquisition: it already acquired Cursor AI for $60 billion.
Other analysts, like Dan Ives of Wedbush, believe SpaceX and Tesla will eventually merge into one anyway, and that conglomeration could come as soon as this year, some have said.
The implications of SpaceX purchasing T-Mobile are massive. A combined entity would create a truly ubiquitous network: T-Mobile’s terrestrial 5G towers and Starlink’s growing constellation of Direct-to-Cell satellites. This would essentially eliminate dead zones across the U.S. and potentially globally.
SpaceX would instantly become a full-scale facilities-based carrier with satellite differentiation; a huge advantage. This would pressure AT&T and Verizon heavily.
There are also concerns like a potential reduction in long-term competition, and of course, a deal of that size would face intense scrutiny from government agencies.
The strategic fit is compelling due to the existing Starlink–T-Mobile partnership and complementary technologies (space + terrestrial). It could create a dominant integrated communications player. However, the regulatory, financial, and execution hurdles are enormous — this remains highly speculative with no indication SpaceX is actively pursuing it right now.
Tesla expands massive safety feature worldwide in latest update
Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing
