Tesla has a new plan to revive its foundering solar business: standardisation.
At a time when most rooftop panel installers offer custom-designed arrays, the automaker is now only offering cookie-cutter systems, sold exclusively online. The cost-cutting strategy will also require customers to photograph meters and circuit breaker boxes, minimising the need for Tesla workers to visit homes.
It’s the latest pivot for a company that’s lost much of its rooftop-solar market share since acquiring former industry leader SolarCity for $2.6 billion in 2016. The shift comes less than a week after Tesla reported its lowest-ever quarterly installation total, putting it as low as third or even fourth among US installers.
