Tesla Solar Roof Tiles Experiencing Major Delays Because Elon Musk Doesn’t Like How They Look

Tesla

Tesla

Last summer, Tesla announced that the first of their solar roof tiles had been installed on test houses. However, as has become customary with many Tesla products, the company is experiencing significant manufacturing delays.

According to Reuters, Tesla told investors that hundreds of solar roofs had been installed so far, but later clarified that those numbers included homes that were partially installed or being scheduled for install. As of May 31, there were 12 Tesla Solar roofs installed in California.  On of those houses includes a businessman in California, who said the install, which included 3 Tesla Powerwall batteries, cost him $100,000 and took 12 workers around 2 weeks to install.

The biggest issue with the production issues, a source told Reuters, is that Elon Musk isn’t happy with how the roof tiles have looked. In his early announcements about the product, Musk made it clear that the roof tiles had to be aesthetically pleasing in order for the product to take off.

Production of the tiles began in California, but later moved to a new factory in Buffalo, NY, after the state offered them a $750 million subsidy to help build the factory, buy equipment, and for additional costs. In return, Tesla promised to employ 1,460 people in Buffalo within 2 years of the factory’s completion and to also spend $5 billion in New York over the next 10 years.

Representatives from the state are understandably nervous about the production issues after investing that amount of money. Tesla, on the other hand, has said that the factory currently employs 600 people and believe that they are on track to meet the requirements.

Full story: Inside Tesla's troubled New York solar factory | Reuters

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