Tesla's big solar roof unveiling will happen on Friday
Tesla
Tesla has been hyping up its solar roof product for some time, and the official unveiling is finally near.
Tesla sent out the invitations to show its solar roof product on Tuesday morning. The event will occur at Universal Studios in Los Angeles on Friday at 7 p.m. PT. It will be livestreamed on Tesla's website.
Although the solar roof product was first brought up on SolarCity's second-quarter earnings call, there is no explicit mention of SolarCity in the invitation, though it does feature rooftop images.
On that earnings call, Musk said the solar roof will be "a fundamental part of achieving differentiated product strategy, where you have a beautiful roof. It's not a thing on the roof. It is the roof, which is a quite difficult engineering challenge and not something that is available anywhere else."
Musk has said the solar roof will be integrated with the new version of Tesla's at-home battery, the Powerwall 2.0, and Tesla's charger.
Tesla is in the process of buying SolarCity in a deal worth $2.6 billion. The merger vote is scheduled for November 17.The proposed merger has faced criticism. Tesla has a lot to contend with in 2017 as it ramps up production for the Model 3, and would be adding SolarCity's $3+ billion in debt to its balance sheet.
Musk owns about 20% of SolarCity and is its chairman. Musk is also the cousin of SolarCity's CEO Lyndon Rive.
Tesla recently announced its pledge with Panasonic to produce solar cells at a manufacturing facility in Buffalo, New York on the condition that the Tesla-SolarCity merger passes. The Buffalo plant Tesla has chosen was originally meant to be a production facility for SolarCity.
The plant's initial solar panel production would center around the roof product SolarCity and Tesla have been teasing ahead of the merger vote, the Buffalo News reported in August.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- Experts warn of rising temperatures in Bengaluru as Phase 2 of Lok Sabha elections draws near
- Axis Bank posts net profit of ₹7,129 cr in March quarter
- 7 Best tourist places to visit in Rishikesh in 2024
- From underdog to Bill Gates-sponsored superfood: Have millets finally managed to make a comeback?
- 7 Things to do on your next trip to Rishikesh