Connect with us

News

Tesla Solar Roof to top off houses in world’s first smart neighborhood

(Credit: Mississippi Power)

Published

on

Tesla’s Solar Roof V3 will top off houses in Lauderdale County’s smart neighborhood. Mississippi Power and Southern Company teamed up to to build the world’s first smart neighborhood named Enzor Place. 

“Mississippi Power uses the most advanced technologies to offer creative energy solutions that make our customers’ lives easier every day. This smart neighborhood is designed to simplify homeowners’ lives and give them more control over their home and energy use,” said Mississippi Power President and CEO Anthony Wilson.

Phase 1 of the Lauderdale County smart neighborhood will have approximately 45 houses, which accounts for nearly 50% of the homes projected to complete the project. There are a total of 100 to 150 homes planned for the full development of Enzor Place. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021. 

Tesla already helped Mississippi install Solar Roof V3 in Hattiesburg on a Habitat for Humanity home. Mississippi Power is using the Hattiesburg home to see how Tesla Solar Roof performs in southeast Mississippi.

Cross Roofing, a certified Solar Roof installer, finished installing Tesla’s smart roof tiles on the Habitat for Humanity home in less than three days, according to Mississippi Power. Tesla’s Global Head of Commercial Energy RJ Johnson said that the company was getting closer to shortening Solar Roof V3 installation during the third-quarter earnings call. 

“Solar Roof is especially exciting as we’ve gained significant experience over the last year in the installation process, which is a key enabler to scale the business. We’ve recently demonstrated our ability to complete Solar Roof installation in just one day,” Johnson said. “Please note, this still requires one to two days to remove the existing roof and prepare it for the Solar Roof installation. Clearly, there will be a range of installation times based on size, complexity, weather and other factors.”

Advertisement
-

Keeping with the theme of the neighborhood, Enzor place homes will be equipped with smart home automation, smart appliances and other energy efficient equipment. Besides Solar Roof tiles, Tesla Powerwalls—the company’s residential storage batteries—will be installed in Lauderdale’s smart houses.

In TSLA’s last earnings call Johnson said there was strong demand for Powerwalls as more people sought “increased reliability and backup home generation.” “We have a very large backlog of Powerwall orders, and we continue to invest to increase capacity to fulfill customer orders,” Johnson stated

Tesla Energy seems primed to make big waves in the next few years with its growing array of products. Tesla has already seen success in Australia with the Megapack and Powerpack. Solar Roof V3 could be another successful venture for Tesla’s Energy division. The company seems to be preparing to release Solar Roof worldwide next year. Originally, the company hoped to roll out Solar Roof V3 internationally by the end of 2020, but COVID may have hampered its plans.  

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Robotaxi riders will face the best dilemma when booking a ride

Published

on

Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla has updated its Robotaxi app so riders can pick which vehicle they want before they book. The latest in-app screens now show two options side by side: the two-seat Cybercab and the four-seat Model Y.

A screenshot circulating Thursday shows the change in practice. In Austin, a rider could choose a gold Cybercab for two people or a Model Y for four. Tesla’s updated description calls Cybercab “our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle,” designed for safety, accessibility, and comfort, and says the lineup is available only through the Robotaxi app.

The distinction is more than cosmetic, and it’s important to note that Robotaxi refers to the platform, while Cybercab refers to a vehicle.

Model Y Robotaxis have carried the service since it opened in Austin in mid-2025 and later expanded to Dallas, Houston, and parts of Florida. Those vehicles are converted production SUVs that still have steering wheels and pedals.

Cybercab is different. It has no driver controls, butterfly doors, a low seat height meant to work with wheelchairs, extra trunk space for assistive devices, and braille on the handles. Tesla has registered dozens of the two-seaters with Texas regulators in the days leading up to its September 3 Austin event.

Giving riders a choice lets Tesla match the vehicle to the trip. Most rides involve one or two people, which is where Cybercab is meant to be cheaper and more efficient to operate. Groups of three or four, or anyone who needs more space, can still request a Model Y.

The same app handles booking, payment, cabin settings, and, on Cybercab, features such as phone-based door opening and in-cabin voice controls.

Tesla Cybercab event gains steam ahead of massive launch

The update does not mean every city suddenly has both cars available. Cybercab support is listed for Austin first, and the purpose-built fleet is still small compared with the existing Model Y roster. Even so, the app change marks a shift from a single-vehicle pilot to a mixed fleet.

Riders can now choose between the compact, purpose-built robotaxi and the familiar SUV that launched the service.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Robotaxi | X

Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.

Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.

However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.

The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.

Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:

Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.

Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Model Y L gets suspension complaints in over odd issue China

Published

on

Credit: @TeslaNewswire/X

The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.

However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.

The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.

Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.

Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment

Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.

There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.

Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.

Continue Reading