Overview
- Tesla told its network of certified third-party installers on Friday that it will no longer supply Solar Roof tiles and will offer only conventional solar panels going forward.
- The company’s long-standing Solar Roof page now redirects to its solar panels page, a change visible on Tesla.com that corroborates the installer notice.
- Insiders told reporters Tesla concluded the product’s manufacturing complexity, labor-intensive installation and poor economics made the tiles unworkable at scale.
- The Solar Roof never met its volume or price promises, with independent research estimating roughly 3,000 U.S. installs since 2016 and peak weekly installs far below the 1,000-per-week target.
- The decision closes a high-profile chapter tied to Tesla’s 2016 SolarCity acquisition that produced customer lawsuits and a 2023 $6 million settlement while the company now pursues panel production including plans for a large Houston factory.