A Tesla Megapack is powering a large housing factory completely off-grid in Patterson, California, with energy from a large array of on-site, PVGraf solar panels. The factory isn’t connected to the local power grid, and this is the first time a Tesla Megapack has been deployed and running completely off-grid. The system has been operating without any issues since November.
S2A Modular, a tech company that manufactures modular homes, tiny houses, and more that run on direct-current (DC) power, owns the Tesla Megapack, and its president and cofounder, John Rowland, granted Teslarati an exclusive interview. The company is also in the business of addressing housing for the homeless as well as making luxury homes and single-family homes.
John Rowland, S2A Modular’s president, and cofounder, granted Teslarati an exclusive interview. He shared with Teslarati that the company has 35 facilities, with five currently under construction and Tesla Megapacks on order. The first one in Patterson, California, is completely off the grid, and John has been working with Tesla to monitor its progress.
The delivery and installation of the Tesla Megapack, John explained, was “very smooth.” All of the infrastructure was in place, and it only took a couple of days to install the battery.
John told Teslarati that the reason why he went with Tesla is that he is a huge fan of both Tesla and Elon Musk. Initially, he had planned to buy the Tesla PowerPacks but by the time the factory came to fruition, Tesla Megapacks were available. As a homebuilder, he wanted to build homes that run on batteries. John said that engineered and built the second off-grid Tesla-powered home in North America.
“When I built that home, I decided I wanted to scale and build homes that were meant to run on batteries because this is how that house was engineered and built. It was the lowest voltage, lowest amperage home on the planet.”
John realized that in order to scale, he would need a factory and wanted to take the same approach that he has taken to engineering and building the homes and “engineer and build a factory that was made to run off-grid.
The hundred thousand-square-foot factory has no gas, or propane, only graphene solar panels, and a Tesla Megapack. “And no connection to the electrical grid.”
John pointed out that he has had a good relationship with Tesla since 2015, and once the Megapacks were available, he ordered one for each of the facilities.
“We’ve got the first one in Patterson, California, and it’s been up and running a little over a month now. And it’s running like a champ. The whole factory’s powered off-grid, and it’s a huge success, so we’re looking to carry it over to our next facilities.”
John and his team and Tesla are monitoring the battery three times a day since it is completely off-grid. At first, there was a little hesitation on Tesla’s part for installing a completely off-grid Megapack, but John was able to win them over, and things are going smoothly.
“This is the first time that a Megapack was programmed to run off-grid. They’re set to take a trickle charge from the grid 24/7, and it took some convincing to get Tesla to allow us to do it this way. At first, they said, ‘you’re a couple of years ahead of us,’ but they finally agreed to allow us to do it, and now they’re using it as beta. They’re monitoring it just like we are.”
“One of Tesla’s head engineers that we work with told us that when we powered it up, it would take four days for our solar to charge the battery fully. We did it in seven and a half hours.”
John explained that the solar panels his company uses are made with specially manufactured graphene solar panels. “They’re the only company in the world using graphene, and they have 20 worldwide patents on it. At S2A, we paid and file our own UL( Underwriter Labs) to have our own UL-rated panel produced.”
When asked about feedback, John explained that he talks to Tesla’s engineers regularly and provides updates on the battery’s performance.
“It’s quite to our surprise It’s a 1.4-megawatt battery, and we’re able to keep it about 90% even with all of our equipment running. It’s really working better than our expectations.”
One thing John wasn’t expecting was the surplus of energy. He actually plans to connect the Megapack to the grid next year so that he can discharge the excess power and help take some of the burdens away from the local grid.
“Our inverters are shutting off every day because we’re producing more power than we can use. Our factory is actually net-positive, and we will start contributing back to the grid next year.”
“We’ve got the battery set right now–when it reaches 97% capacity, the inverter shuts down and stops producing power. We’ve been monitoring it three times a day, and it’s been shutting off every day. Even with the factory running at full speed, we still produce excess energy.”
John added that he also purchased the Tesla Semi and plans to use them to deliver homes to customers.
Disclosure: Johnna is a $TSLA shareholder and believes in Tesla’s mission.
Your feedback is welcome. If you have any comments or concerns or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1.
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County vote hands Elon Musk’s Vegas tunnel network a huge new target
Clark County approved 19 more Vegas Loop stations, pushing Boring Company’s entitled total to 123.
The Boring Company just got permission to nearly double how far Vegas Loop can reach. Clark County commissioners approved 19 additional stations for the underground transit system, bringing the total entitled to 123, the company said in a post on X thanking the county for the vote. Elon Musk’s tunneling company also flagged the direction it sees the project heading long term. “Because Loop is point-to-point with no intermediate stops, in the limit, one could have a Loop station in every driveway,” the company wrote.
That framing captures how far the ambitions have moved. The Vegas Loop opened its first stretch of tunnel in 2021 and has grown its footprint through a string of county approvals since. In 2023, commissioners signed off on 18 additional stations, part of a plan that later doubled the system’s target to 69 stations across 65 miles. By the end of that year the company was describing a build out closer to 93 planned stations. Last year the long term design called for 104 stations across 68 miles of tunnel. The new approval pushes that number to 123, another jump in a project that keeps outgrowing its own blueprints.
The Boring Company gets approval for more stations in Las Vegas
Station count on paper is still well ahead of what riders can actually use. As Teslarati reported earlier this month, the network has about 11 open stations and has carried more than 4 million passengers since it began running, with newer stops at Fontainebleau and Sahara among the latest additions to the Strip corridor. A tunnel connection to Harry Reid International Airport remains under construction and has already slipped past its original first quarter target. The company is also racing to finish a Westgate to Paradise Road segment that Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill has said it hopes to have running in time for November’s Formula 1 race.
The gap between entitled stations and operating ones is where the real story sits. Regulatory approval gives Boring Company the legal runway to keep tunneling toward new resorts, residential pockets and eventually the airport, but building each connection still comes down to boring machines, fire safety sign offs and construction timelines that have slipped before. The company’s Prufrock series machines set an internal record in March with a 2.28 mile tunnel near Westgate, evidence that construction has been picking up even as the list of approved destinations grows faster than the tunnels themselves.
Musk’s driveway comment reads as aspirational rather than a near term plan, but it fits how Boring Company has talked about Vegas Loop from the start: treat every approval as a floor, not a ceiling, and keep pushing county officials for room to dig.
SpaceX announced today that it would expand its launch capabilities into a new U.S. state: Louisiana.
Today, SpaceX, in conjunction with the Louisiana Economic Development Office, said that it will establish a new launch facility, which it will call Starbase, Louisiana. It will be located near Vermilion Parish, supporting thousands of launches each year, at least eventually.
CEO Elon Musk commented by stating, “Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!”
Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!
SpaceX makes sci-fi real. https://t.co/C7Ht0U12ba
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2026
The expansion is SpaceX’s latest move to push its launch cadence to be more frequent than ever. SpaceX said that Starbase, Louisiana, will be built to “support thousands of Starship flights a year,” with the first coming in 2029.
SpaceX announced the new facility in partnership with the Louisiana Economic Development Office as it will bring a major influx of jobs and investments into the area. Currently, it will produce more than 3,000 new jobs in Louisiana, and SpaceX plans to invest at least $100 billion into the entire facility, ensuring that many jobs are created as a result.
Environmental Responsibility
SpaceX acknowledges the impact launches could have on marshlands, local wildlife, and water sources. Here’s how the company plans to help with the issues in Vermilion Parish:
- Restoring the Shoreline: “In Vermilion Parish, the shoreline is eroding between 3.3 and 23 feet per year. We’re partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act projects, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters designed to reduce wave energy and slow loss along the Gulf edge.”
- Rebuilding the Marshlands: “In working with the state, we’re planning thousands of acres of marsh creation using beneficial-use placement of dredged material and offshore sediment sources. Restoration will also include interior marsh bank stabilization and rebuilding marsh in remnant canals. These projects can reconnect fragmented wetlands, restore natural buffers against storms, and return habitat that has been lost to erosion and historic canalization.”
- Preserving Coastal Wildlife: “Pecan Island and nearby wetlands are high-value habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and other coastal wildlife. SpaceX is not developing the full footprint of the land and will preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat. At existing launch sites, waterfowl and other birds continue to use nearby habitat during operations. Working with wildlife agencies, landowners, and conservation groups, SpaceX will support monitoring and management so this habitat stays productive and hunting, fishing, birding, and other recreational activities that are part of this coast’s culture can continue.”
SpaceX shares rose about 2.5 percent on the news.
Tesla Cybertruck trims saw a big price change, at least on two of the three available to consumers, as demand for the all-electric pickup appears to be increasing.
Tesla bumped up its Base All-Wheel-Drive trim level up to $74,990 from $69,990 and the Premium All-Wheel-Drive configuration from $79,990 to $84,990. The Cyberbeast price remains unchanged at $99,990.
🚨 Cybertruck prices went up as Tesla bumped them 7%
– Tesla Cybertruck AWD is now $74,990
– Tesla Cybertruck Premium AWD now $84,990
– Tesla Cyberbeast now $99,990 https://t.co/MYJbaw56GL— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 25, 2026
Despite questions of demand for the truck, Tesla is bumping its two least expensive trims up $5,000 to signal that there are plenty of buyers. Although SpaceX has been buying Tesla Cybertruck units to utilize as company vehicles, it is no secret that the Cybertruck is among the most sought-after Tesla models out there.
The issue has always been pricing, at least for the most part. When Tesla initially launched the Cybertruck AWD at $59,990 a few months back, the company stated that price would remain intact for just ten days due to the influx of orders it received.
Cybertruck Sales: Is It the Product or Pricing?
Depending on who you ask, you will likely hear one of two explanations for relatively low Cybertruck sales: either the product itself or the pricing.
Yes, this is the best-selling all-electric pickup on the market. However, there are people who simply hate the look of it, which I understand, but do not agree with. Look is totally subjective, and I love the look of the Cybertruck.
Some people will not buy the Cybertruck because of the look, but I am under the impression that sales would be much better if this truck were priced lower; something that might not be possible considering Tesla’s need to make money on its products. When it was unveiled in 2019, its most expensive trim level was $69,990. Now, the cheapest trim level is more expensive than that.
I would be in a Cybertruck if it were more affordable. I LOVE my Model Y, but Cybertruck is the best vehicle Tesla makes, and it’s not particularly close. Even in the base model, the steer-by-wire, the space, storage, and performance make it more desirable than the Model Y to me. I cannot be the only Tesla owner without a Cybertruck who feels this way.
If you’re interested in buying a Tesla vehicle, use my referral link.
County vote hands Elon Musk’s Vegas tunnel network a huge new target
SpaceX announces new Starbase for ‘thousands of Starship launches annually’
