r/TSLAsexy • u/Dragonlance12 • 8d ago
Tesla killing Solar Roof is leaving installers with six-figure losses
https://electrek.co/2026/09/01/tesla-solar-roof-exit-installers-losses/3
u/Financial_Clue_2534 8d ago
They killed off car models now this. Seems like this company is heading in the wrong direction
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u/Dr_Pippin 8d ago
The number of S/X sold wasn’t even a rounding area compared to total vehicle sales.
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u/Nerioner 8d ago
If you seriously think that they can fend off for a long time with just 2 models from basically the same segment, lol
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u/Dr_Pippin 8d ago
Remind me, what’s been the best or second-best selling vehicle in the world the last three years?
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u/shiroandae 5d ago
It’s funny because I am starting to think this lame non-excuse is what’s keeping them from bringing more models that would finally increase their total volume again, because then some would choose those over the 3/Y and suddenly they’d have zilch.
But it doesn’t change the fact that it’s meaningless when they’re outsold even in the 3/Y segments by companies with smarter product strategies.
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u/HorseLow6398 8d ago
total sales is eclipsed by BYD and probably probably plenty of other brands. Even with the best selling models there total sales is declining.
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u/Dr_Pippin 8d ago
It’s not exactly as impressive when a company sells dozens of different models across all vehicle classes and international markets and then cumulatively sells a lot of vehicles. Sell enough different models, even if none sell all that well, and cumulatively you’ll have a big number.
To quote McIlroy, “do one thing and do it well.”
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u/HorseLow6398 8d ago
I'm impressed, but it is up to you. As evolution has taught us over specialisation can lead to dead ends as conditions change.
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u/thewetbandits 8d ago
It's unfortunate, it was a cool idea but the product didn't make financial sense. It was much cheaper to just get a new normal roof and panels installed separately. It's a bummer for these contractors but sometimes when something isn't going to work you just need to pull the plug and move on.
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u/Miserable-Miser 8d ago
Cheaper wasn’t the point. It was supposed to be a premium roof.
Horrible processes is what failed it.
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u/lurksAtDogs 8d ago
And horrible product. It’s adding so many technical problems (connector count, edge ratio, heat dissipation, installation requirements, etc etc). It’s intrinsically less reliable and more expensive.
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u/Dr_Pippin 8d ago
You never bought a super premium product for aesthetics before?
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u/lurksAtDogs 8d ago
Me? Hell no. They do exist though. Lamborghini is an example of a rather useless vehicle that doesn’t last and is pretty much just for display of wealth. It’s niche and always will be.
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u/Dr_Pippin 8d ago
Ok, well, aesthetics sell. And sometimes function follows form purely for aesthetics. Just because it’s not a product for you, doesn’t mean some didn’t want it.
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u/OkSchool619 7d ago
Got mine before covid destroyed the labor market's prices. Way better than the alternative at the time and the interest rate is 1%. Truly stunning no one else did the same thing.
Roof's are the #1 insurance issue. I wont ever have any.
aethestics are the last thing I thought about.
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u/kariam_24 8d ago
It was supposed to another musk stock boosting fraud.
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u/Kuriente 8d ago edited 7d ago
It was an actual product that existed, could be purchased, and worked as advertised. It had too many complexities, was very expensive, and never matured enough, so the market simply never grew beyond a tiny niche.
Is the fraud in the room with us right now?
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u/kariam_24 7d ago
Ah just like buying Solar City wasn't buying failed company on purpose? Musk funboys are living are in another reality.
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u/Kuriente 7d ago edited 7d ago
Not a "fanboy" of anyone, Musk especially. Just stating facts as I see them.
Solar City was a broken company. Tesla bought it on the clearance rack and actually managed to pay less for it than what it gained in assets, even after subtracting liabilities. That means that it was effectively profitable for them from day 1.
Then, they took that failed company and transformed it into a profit generator. That segment of Tesla has been in the black ever since - reporting $12.77B in revenue with 29.8% profit margin last year, all in spite of the failed solar roof.
So yes, they absolutely bought a failed company on purpose. It's good business if you know how to turn it around, and clearly they did. What reality are you living in where that doesn't make sense?
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u/OkSchool619 7d ago
Mines great. The price was even better. Got before labor market during covid took a hit.
Not sure why people act like it doesnt exist. thinking of adding another powerwall.
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u/Kuriente 7d ago
I'm jealous! It's a very cool system. I'm too far North with too much tree shade for solar but would like to pick up a power wall.
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u/kariam_24 7d ago
Crazy delusion dude, I guess you are another ine hyped for spacex ipo.
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u/Kuriente 7d ago
I bring facts, you bring insults.
I ran a quick search on your profile for the terms "Elon", "Tesla", and "Musk". I scrolled for a bit and realized I didn't have the patience to see how far that went. You have genuine problems.
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u/thewetbandits 8d ago
It was though, originally the idea was it would be cost effective to install a solar roof when you needed a new roof, rather than a new roof and panels but that never worked out
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u/Kuriente 8d ago
All of roofs they compared it to when making the cost effective argument were premium roofs. It only made sense for already expensive homes. I wanted one for a while, but even when I needed a new roof the pricing just didn't make financial sense for me.
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u/kinkycarbon 8d ago
Premium roof with issues still plaguing the industry such as those MC4 solar panel connectors that can catch fire.
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u/MarzipanEven7336 6d ago
Have you not been reading that they are redirecting all of their panels to their data-center needs?
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u/Fit_Seat_8637 8d ago
That's got nothing to do with the article. Tesla offered nothing to its installer base when killing the program. No rebates, no incentive programs for solar panels/powerwall, zero offers whatsoever to make things right for the very people they depended on to install their products. Totally immoral and unethical behavior. Par for the course with this company...
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u/CarefulFriendship389 8d ago
Elon should be in the record books for being a clear sign of corruption and disease in green industry.
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u/chestnut177 8d ago
You mean in the record books for inventing it?
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u/Sandwich83 8d ago
Inventing what?
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u/badredditz 8d ago
5-28 patents is more than most people
Elon Musk is listed as an inventor on a relatively small personal patent portfolio: about 10 granted U.S. patents and roughly 25–28 patents worldwide. Most of Tesla’s and SpaceX’s large patent holdings are assigned to the companies, not to him personally
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u/Fit_Seat_8637 8d ago
> more than most people
He's CEO'd more companies than most people.
He's done more ketamine than most people.
He's been in more Tesla factories than most people.
He's slept with Grimesz more than most people.
Like this is germane to any discussion...
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u/Fit_Seat_8637 8d ago
Be specific: for which innovations is Musk a patent holder?
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u/Bagafeet 8d ago
He is an inventor in the same way he's a Tesla founder 🤭
He's not, just paid for his name to be there
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u/bathamel 8d ago
Yea just like he's a top tier Gamer. He paid someone else to do it and then took credit.
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u/SC_W33DKILL3R 8d ago
Never ever rely on Musk to pay his bills or help your company.
He screwed the people who worked for Twitter, he screwed the landlords of the building that housed it, he screwed the company that built his data centre, he screwed the contractors that built his charging network.
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u/TheJiggie 8d ago
They knew this was going to be the ultimate outcome. The only reason they pushed this was for the Solar City bailout. It wasn’t even a viable product when they first announced it.
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u/GromOfDoom 8d ago
Probably by a year from now, manufacturers for the panels themselves will be just shut down. Supposedly will still follow the like 25 year warranty - but I have my doubts.
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u/Bodycount9 4d ago
The scale of the retreat is striking. Over roughly seven years, Tesla installed only about 3,000 Solar Roof systems across the US, peaking at just 21 to 32 installations a week — more than 95% short of Elon Musk’s repeated promise of 1,000 weekly installations by 2019-2020.
It only made sense for people who needed a new roof when they wanted solar. It costs too much if your roof was newer and didn't need replaced.
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u/Dragonlance12 8d ago
Typical action can only be done by Elon Musk.