Latest batch of Model 3 photos revealed – equipped with a solar glass roof like the Model S

Very good, this is Tesla.

After the launch of the solar roof, Tesla announced the material details of the solar shingles to the public. At the same time, an internal R&D team that had been kept secret has come to light: Tesla Glass (material). Tesla claims that this material will be used for the Model 3, and an optional version will also be available for the Model S.

Tesla has not provided much detail on the glass roof for cars, but undoubtedly this glass material also has the function of absorbing and storing solar energy. It is reasonable to believe that Tesla is trying to use solar energy to power its cars, just as Tesla’s solar shingles provide power support for houses.

Now we can understand Tesla’s plan for industrial layout very well, and it is easy to see why it was necessary to acquire SolarCity: the use and popularization of solar energy plays a fundamentally important role in Musk’s design, and as stated in the acquisition statement, Tesla will become the only vertically integrated energy company in the world.

There have been many doubts about electric vehicles in the industry recently, after all, electric cars still need to be charged and the main source of electricity is still thermal power generation, so fundamentally, it does not reduce the dependence on traditional energy and solve the pollution problem that follows.

But now everyone can shut up, right?

Future electric vehicles will use solar power, and Tesla is ultimately an energy company.

Since the acquisition of SolarCity began in June this year, Musk has indicated that providing solar energy has always been part of Tesla’s plans.

Tesla’s official website also states that their goal is to promote new energy grids, namely the solar energy grid, worldwide.# Solarcity Acquisition: An Integral Step towards Musk’s Ambition

The acquisition of Solarcity is clearly a crucial step in Musk’s plan. Although the media has been pointing out the cost savings, revenue generation, and better customer experience that the acquisition can offer, it seems that these are just additional reasons that Musk has come up with to make the acquisition more convincing. The fundamental reason is Musk’s personal interest.

An entrepreneur’s personality determines the style and destiny of the company. Tesla has been deeply imprinted with Musk’s personality.

Investigating the relationship among Tesla, SpaceX, and Solarcity, we discover that Musk’s ambition lies both in the sky and on the ground. He aims to create low-cost civilian rockets for interstellar travel and emigration, and to lay a large-scale new energy network to break free from human dependence on traditional energies such as oil. The founding of Tesla was just Musk’s smokescreen. The automotive industry is one of the industries with the highest energy consumption and has close ties with social life, which can fully draw attention to new energy topics. In terms of brand recognition, Tesla’s visibility far exceeds the other two companies, which also proves that Musk has made a great move.

Musk’s plan is to use the brand effect, industry education, and attracted funds brought by Tesla to boost his Plan A and Plan B.

However, it does not mean that the strategic position of Tesla is not important. From a risk-resistant perspective, this triangular pattern is more stable. After all, in 2008, Tesla was on the verge of bankruptcy and Musk himself was plagued by various negative factors. It was thanks to the sale of a portion of Solarcity’s shares and a loan from SpaceX, as well as an intention order from a government agency, that Tesla was saved.

After discussing this topic, let’s talk about something else. After reading Musk’s biography, I have been searching for the most suitable adjective or label for this Silicon Valley entrepreneurial genius. What do you think of the label “mad intuitive”?I was particularly impressed by a detail in the book, which roughly translated indicated that Musk’s many requirements for products were obsessively focused, such as his belief that car doors should not have raised handles and should only appear when needed and disappear when not. Many other details are like this. Recently, when talking about the solar roof, there was also a report that Musk once jumped up and down and shouted at the R&D team, saying that it should be a solar roof, not just a roof with a solar cell panel!

Musk’s requirements for product design are intuitive and biological, just as animals that have survived natural evolution have organs and functions that are best suited to their needs, and design capabilities that are not bound by the will of humans can potentially reach great boundaries.

On the other hand, Musk is also obsessed with some dream-level concepts. The so-called dream-level is like kids saying “I want to be an astronaut when I grow up.” This is a cute and childish dream that not many people would really pursue in life. But Musk is crazy serious about these dreams, and those who have read the biography will be impressed by how he supported SpaceX through the difficult early days, with throw-everything-at-it dedication.

Next time we can talk in detail about Musk’s crazy Plan A.

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This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.