Tesla Ends Solar Roof Tile Product Line
Homeowners who planned on Solar Roof tiles now have to look at conventional solar panels from Tesla's installer network instead.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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Tesla has discontinued its Solar Roof tile product, which was designed to look like regular roofing shingles while delivering 98 percent of a normal solar panel's efficiency. Its third-party installer network will now be supplied only with conventional solar panels.
Why it matters
Homeowners who looked at Solar Roof as an integrated roofing-and-solar option now have to plan around panel-only installs or other suppliers. The product's high prices and slow installation numbers, with a Wood Mackenzie count of only 3,000 U.S. homes, help explain why the line was dropped.
Solar Roof hit mass production in 2020, but Wood Mackenzie found only 3,000 U.S. homes had installed it, and Tesla's peak was 21 to 32 installs per week against a stated goal of 1,000. Pricing for a 12.3 kW system on a 3,947 square-foot roof rose from $54,966 before incentives to between $79,938 and $100,621 within a year.
The players
Tesla
Electric-vehicle and clean-energy company whose Solar Roof tiles and solar panels are sold to U.S. homeowners.
Elon Musk
Tesla chief executive who acknowledged overspending and delays on Solar Roof during a 2021 earnings call.
Wood Mackenzie
Energy research firm whose report found only 3,000 U.S. homes had installed Solar Roof.
Electrek
Electric-vehicle and clean-energy news outlet that reported Tesla was discontinuing the product.
The details
Solar Roof tiles were built to resemble ordinary shingles while reflecting light so they look like regular tiles from street level, and Tesla's patent application describes louvers meant to block side-angle views of the photovoltaic cells while minimally impeding sunlight. Tesla's own reporting pointed to overspending and delays, and in a 2021 earnings call Elon Musk acknowledged significant mistakes. User reports of underproduction and cases of roof underlayment melting added to the sales problem.
Timeline
2020: Solar Roof hit mass production.
2021: Musk admitted significant mistakes and overspending on an earnings call.
2022: Wood Mackenzie reported only 3,000 U.S. homes had installed the product.
August 2026: Electrek reported Tesla was discontinuing the product.
The Home Front
Solar Roof's failure is a cautionary data point for integrated solar roofing, which tries to combine a roof and a generator in one product. The shift toward conventional panels reflects a broader pattern in which installed solar still tends to be sold as add-on panels rather than replacement roofing.
If you were considering a Solar Roof, check whether your installer can still deliver a conventional panel system and get the new quote in writing. Keep your original contract and pricing documents, and confirm with a licensed solar installer or your state's incentive program before making any decision.
The takeaway
Integrated solar roofing is a costly bet that depends on fast installation, and the Solar Roof discontinuation shows how a high price can stall adoption. If you're comparing options, get written quotes from a licensed solar contractor and confirm what warranty and support apply to the system you choose.
Further reading
For more on the broader market, see Electric Vehicles coverage in our automotive section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Engadget.
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