According to reports from Electrek, Tesla has officially discontinued its Solar Roof tiles, marking the end of the company's solar-tile roofing product. The company informed third-party installers that it will no longer supply solar roof tiles going forward, focusing exclusively on solar panels. As reported by Futurism, Tesla found that the Solar Roof product was simply not financially viable, leading to this strategic decision.
The product discontinuation is evident on Tesla's official website, where the long-standing Solar Roof page at tesla.com/solarroof now redirects to tesla.com/solarpanels. According to Electrek, 'Solar Roof' has been completely removed from the Energy navigation menu, which now lists only Solar Panels, Powerwall, and Megapack. This website restructuring reflects the company's strategic shift away from the solar-tile product line.
As reported by Electrek, Tesla originally sold its Solar Roof to investors as a cost-effective solution at just $22 per square foot back in 2016. However, customers who purchased the product found that installation prices immediately ballooned far beyond Tesla's original quotes. In 2021, Tesla drastically increased Solar Roof prices in some cases after customers had already signed contracts, triggering a class-action lawsuit that Tesla settled for $6 million in 2023. One customer's contracted price reportedly jumped from about $72,000 to roughly $146,000 before installation.
According to Electrek, Tesla's actual deployment of Solar Roof tiles fell significantly short of Musk's ambitious projections. While Musk promised the company would install 1,000 Solar Roofs per week, reality showed only several dozen installations at peak capacity. Over the seven-year period since its launch, Tesla installed approximately 3,000 Solar Roofs, demonstrating the product's limited market adoption despite the company's promotional efforts.
Despite discontinuing Solar Roof tiles, Tesla is maintaining its commitment to solar energy through other initiatives. As reported by TechCrunch, the company is developing a $10 billion solar factory in Texas under Project Crystal Sun, with groundbreaking expected this year and completion targeted for 2028. This solar manufacturing project represents Tesla's continued investment in solar technology, even as the company pivots toward fossil fuel-powered AI infrastructure.
