Dive Brief:
- Current and former employees at Tesla’s photovoltaic cell and panel factory, the Gigafactory 2, say assembly-line problems and difficulties with the aesthetic design of the product have delayed solar roof tile production, Reuters reports.
- Production challenges with the Solar Roof product have led Panasonic, Tesla’s partner in the joint venture, to seek additional buyers for its solar cells, Reuters confirmed. During its Q2 earnings call on Aug. 1, Tesla reported 84 MW of its solar products were installed in the U.S. during the past quarter — 52% less than the installations during the same period last year.
- During the call with investors, CEO Elon Musk boasted that “several hundred homes” had the Solar Roof on them. He said he expects the Buffalo, N.Y. factory’s solar cell production to ramp up next year.
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