Tesla shows off new solar panels that won't uglify your roof
Ideally, Tesla would like you to have a completely new roof that doubles as one big solar panel.
But if for some reason you can't or won't go that route, the company now offers an alternative: Traditional solar panels that are mounted on your existing roof.
The company silently launched the panels on the "Energy" portion of its website, as noticed by Electrek over the weekend.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Tesla product if it weren't a little different from the competition. In this case, the panels have a "sleek, low-profile design" with "no visible mounting hardware."
If you recall Elon Musk's presentation of the company's solar roof in Oct. 2016, the Tesla CEO put great emphasis on looks, claiming that unsightly solar panels are a big reason why some homeowners don't want to go solar.
The new solar panels perhaps aren't as nice as a whole solar roof, but they do look quite fancy.
Other than that, there are very few details about the panels on Tesla's website, except that they offer seamless integration with the company's home battery, Powerwall.
However, Electrek has learned a few tidbits about the new product. The panels, made exclusively by Panasonic, will go into production at Tesla's Gigafactory 2 this summer. The 325W moduls, Tesla says on its website, "exceed industry standards for durability and lifespan."
A few weeks ago, Musk announced that the company's solar roof tiles will become available for pre-order in April, though there's still no exact date on that.
There's also no word on the availability of the new solar panels, but you can request a custom quote from Tesla now.
Topics Sustainability Tesla
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
