Tesla has been busy building all-electric cars like the Model 3, but they’re also making progress on a little side project—solar roof tiles. The company has spent years developing roof tiles with built-in solar panels, and according to Bloomberg, the first tiles are finally rolling off the assembly line.

Previously, Tesla was installing solar roofs on the homes of its employees, as a type of beta test. At the same time, Tesla was finishing construction on its New York Gigafactory, which is responsible for making the tiles. Now that the factory is completed, the company can focus on making enough tiles to fulfill its extensive preorders.

One of the biggest draws of Tesla’s solar roof tiles is that they could be cheaper than a normal roof. According to Tesla, their solar roof tiles will cost less than many traditional roofing materials, even without accounting for the electricity savings from the solar panels. An independent analysis by Bloomberg is less optimistic, saying Tesla’s solar roof actually costs more than a conventional roof plus a standard roof-mounted solar panel.

Still, there’s likely a sizable market for a premium roofing material that generates power without unsightly panels, and if the huge amount of preorders are any indication, Tesla will have no shortage of customers.

Source: Bloomberg

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