Tesla launches new Solar Price Match Guarantee on solar panel systems

Joey Klender

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Posted on May 8, 2020

Tesla has added a price match guarantee to its Solar program that will match quotes on a comparable solar system from a competing brand.

In an update to the company’s Solar Panel support page, Tesla notes its eligibility requirements for the new Solar price match guarantee. The competing solar system must include an inverter, be of the same size or bigger than the Tesla system, and offer a minimum 10-year warranty.

The price quote from the competitor must also be dated within 14 days of placing the order with Tesla and utilize the same financing options. The quote must also include permit and installation costs from the competitor.

Tesla offers the following sizes for its solar system:

  • Small – 3.78 kW
    • Produces an average of 14-19 kWh per day
  • Medium – 7.56 kW
    • Produces an average of 29-39 kWh per day
  • Large – 11.34 kW
    • Produces an average of 43-58 kWh per day
  • X-Large – 15.12 kW
    • Produces an average of 58-77 kWh per day

Tesla has made several strides to make its solar program more affordable for consumers. Instead of paying a large lump sum for the solar system to be installed on residential spaces, Tesla has offered subscription and rental programs in place of buying a system outright. This strategy entails massive consumer appeal as Tesla aims to allow those interested in powering their house with the sun an affordable option.

With the addition of a price matching feature, Tesla can now offer the lowest pricing in the solar market. If a qualifying rate is lower than Tesla’s, matching the cost from a competitor guarantees that the company will not only create affordable systems but also grow its output of solar products.

In Q1 2020, Tesla’s energy business continued to thrive despite expected shortcomings from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the company’s Q1 2020 Update Letter, Tesla managed to install its 100,00th Powerwall in the first quarter of the year and saw an increase in cross-selling within the energy business as “more than 40% of residential solar customers opted for at least one Powerwall.

Other residential solar products like the Tesla Solar Roof also saw significant growth. Production at the Giga New York facility reached 4 MW weekly, enough to supply solar roofing to up to 1,000 homes.

Tesla’s adjustments within its Solar infrastructure have also allowed the company to reduce costs and pass its savings onto customers. Tesla moved to fixed sizes, limited designs, and in-home consultations. All of these changes were able to reduce Tesla’s costs, and they have, in turn, led to lower solar prices for customers.

Check out the terms for Tesla’s new Solar Price Match Gurantee in its support page.

Tesla launches new Solar Price Match Guarantee on solar panel systems

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Jay Leno talks Tesla Cybertruck and his ride through the Boring Co. tunnel

Joey Klender

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Posted on May 8, 2020

Former late-night television host Jay Leno spoke about his experiences with the Tesla Cybertruck and what it was like to ride inside Elon Musk’s Boring Company tunnel on a recent episode of the Spike’s Car Radio podcast.

Spike Feresten and co-host Paul Zuckerman didn’t waste any time with Leno on the podcast and jumped right into questions about Tesla’s upcoming electric pickup truck. “Did you drive it, what’s it like?” asked the hosts.

“Well, it is very Tesla-like,” Leno explains. “It’s very quick. It’s very interesting, some people like the styling and some people don’t. One thing it does do, it changes your perception of–trucks have looked the same since what? 1930? It is basically a giant grille with some sort of aggressive thing in the front, you know? This doesn’t look like anything else you’ve ever seen before.”

Many people have described the Cybertruck as unique and different than the standard pickup design. At the Cybertruck’s unveiling event in November, one of the first portions of Elon Musk’s presentation was comparing currently available pickup designs. “It is hard to tell which is which, really. We took the brands off, but it is hard to tell which is which, they all pretty much look the same. We need something different.” Musk explained.

It seems that Tesla’s design undoubtedly convinced Jay Leno, a car enthusiast with a $52 million collection of automobiles, that trucks did not have to have the typical design that entailed a large grille, bulky exterior, and bed. The Cybertruck’s newly-introduced design changed what the idea of a pickup can look like so much for Leno that he believes any other truck currently on the market is outdated.

“It immediately makes everything else look sort of old-fashioned,” Leno stated.

Perhaps the most exciting portion of Leno’s trip to Hawthorne was when he asked Musk how the Boring Company tunnel was doing. “Oh, good good! We have a tunnel running under Los Angeles,” Musk said. But the CEO of Tesla and the Boring Company wasn’t done yet. “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” he said to Jay. “You want to see if we can drive the Cybertruck in the tunnel? I don’t know if it’s going to fit.”

Leno described the tight fit of the truck within the tunnel, stating there may have been about a quarter of an inch on each side of the vehicle. “We drive the Cybertruck, we barely get it into the tunnel, and now we’re going like 50 or 60 miles per hour through the tunnel with a quarter-inch on each side.”

Leno’s first impressions of the truck seem to fit the rhetoric that he has used to describe Tesla vehicles since driving the original Roadster in 2008. He is a fan of electric cars due to their low maintenance and high-performance, and it seems that the Cybertruck simply widened Leno’s horizons when it comes to what is possible with electric transportation.

Tesla Cybertruck is set to air in the new season of hit TV series “Jay Leno’s Garage”. The show documents Leno’s drives in several rare cars with some familiar celebrity faces, one of which is Elon Musk.

The podcast of  Spike’s Car Radio with Jay Leno can be heard below.

Jay Leno talks Tesla Cybertruck and his ride through the Boring Co. tunnel

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Elon Musk talks Neuralink, coronavirus, and the future in Joe Rogan podcast Round 2

Joey Klender

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Posted on May 7, 2020

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently made his second appearance on the widely popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which was released today. Unlike many of Rogan’s podcasts that are streamed live for viewers to watch in real-time, Musk’s second episode was pre-recorded and released on May 7.

Musk and Rogan, who is a commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a comedian, discussed several topics that have been in the news recently. The two shared their thoughts on Musk’s plans to sell his estate and possessions, as well as his plans for Neuralink and Mars. Rogan and Musk also discussed the coronavirus, which has been a talking point of the CEO for some time.

Plans for houses, real estate, and Mars

Last week, Musk announced on Twitter that he would be selling his houses and almost all of his physical possessions. “Devoting myself to Mars and Earth. Possession just weigh you down,” he said when a follower asked about his reasons.

Musk provided an interesting explanation about his decision to sell his possessions to Rogan. “People say, ‘Hey, billionaire, you’ve got all this stuff’ Well, now I don’t have stuff. Now, what are you going to do?” Musk also stated that possessions were a roadblock in personal development. Thus, instead of focusing too much on houses on Earth, the CEO stated that he’d rather dedicate his efforts to Mars.

Musk further noted that he did not see the merit in owning so many properties. After Rogan and Musk talked about Gene Wilder’s house, which is located across the street from his live-in estate, he stated that owning many homes is not practical. Also, he did not want to get caught up in the small details that come with owning a property, like interior design and features. “Does it really make sense for me to spend time designing and building a house, and I’d be getting OCD on the little details…or should I be allocating that time to getting us to Mars. I should probably do the latter,” Musk said.

Neuralink

Neuralink could come as soon as next year, Musk detailed during the podcast. The CEO outlined the process for how a brain chip will be installed, and how it would be implanted in the skull of a patient. According to Musk, a portion of the skull would be removed and replaced by a Neuralink device.

Musk believes that Neuralink could help people with brain-related health issues. It could restore limb functions, eyesight, hearing, help with neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, and improve human movement. Musk also believes that there are potential cognitive benefits to Neuralink, as it could pave the way for hindering brain issues like epilepsy, Alzheimers, and strokes. He thinks the Neuralink device could recognize these issues before the body has time to react and send a “counter pulse” that could stop the problem from occurring in the first place.

The developments of Neuralink could revolutionize human life as we know it. Development is still ongoing, and Musk believes hat a year from now, Neuralink will be available for use.

Thoughts on Coronavirus

Musk has been vocal for his discontent on COVID-19 and how it is currently being handled. Last week during Tesla’s Q1 2020 Earnings Call and then on Twitter two days later, Musk vocalized his request to lift Stay-at-Home orders, stating they were inhibiting the freedom of Americans.

“I think the mortality rate is much less than what the World Health Organization said it was,” Musk said.

He maintained this point of view during the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, stating that more freedom should be given to citizens. Those who do not want to stay home should not be required to, and those who want to stay home should have the right to do so. Musk did maintain that he is supportive of the use of face masks when people are out in public because it could stop the transmission of any germs, illness, or virus. “I think that would be a great adoption throughout the world,” he said.

Musk’s second meeting with Joe Rogan also included a brief update to Tesla’s plans with the Cybertruck and Roadster, where he indicated the all-electric pickup should come before the supercar.

The constructive conversation between the two influential figures helped clear the air with some of the more controversial topics surrounding Musk today. A year and a half removed from their first meeting, Musk and Rogan’s relationship seems to be relaxed and constructive as the two men maintained plenty of interesting conversational pieces for viewers to feast on.

Watch Episode 1470 of the Joe Rogan Experience, featuring Elon Musk below.

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Elon Musk talks Neuralink, coronavirus, and the future in Joe Rogan podcast Round 2

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