Tesla Cuts Cost of Solar Panels and Solar Roof with New $500 Referral Bonus
While Tesla is currently best known for its electric cars, the company provides solar power systems to consumers as well. In fact, they do this at one of the lowest prices in the industry – currently about $2.01/watt before incentives. This week, Tesla quietly started offering a new incentive to those considering the purchase of a Tesla solar panel or solar roof system: $500 cash back.
To take advantage of this offer, you need a Tesla referral code or link – that same code you use to get free supercharging on a Tesla car purchase. Any current Tesla car owner or Tesla solar owner can provide you with the code or link – just ask them. If you need one, feel free to use mine:
Tesla Referral Link <– use this for a cash bonus on your Tesla solar purchase
If ordering by phone or chat, you can use Tesla referral code: christopher55570
Tesla offers solar power systems at some of the lowest prices in the industry. Photo courtesy of Tesla, 2021.
The referral code discount for solar is not new, but before last week, the incentive was just $100, so Tesla just increased that by five times. Current Tesla owners who refer new buyers to Tesla solar also get a $500 incentive, an increase from the previous $400 bounty. The $500 payment is sent to buyer and referrer after the solar power system has been successfully installed at the new customer’s residence.
As our own Johnna Crider wrote, Tesla Solar has been becoming more affordable. Tesla recently dropped the interest rate from 5.99% to 0.99% (10 year term) for those who prefer to finance their solar purchase. This saves customers thousands of dollars in interest over the term of the loan. And because it is a purchase, not a rental or lease, the customer is eligible for any state or federal incentives.
As for why Tesla Solar is so much cheaper than the competition, our editor Zach Shahan wrote about this recently after an exchange with Elon Musk over Twitter. As Elon explained, the cost of materials and installation is not super-high. The reason most competitors charge more is that they have the overhead of salespeople. Just as Tesla eliminated the need for car salespeople and dealerships by taking the ordering and buying process online, they’ve done the same for solar systems. Also, by providing a limited number of configurations (small, medium and large systems) the company has eliminated much of the manual effort involved in putting together a system.
When Tesla acquired Solar City’s solar business in 2016, some were skeptical about the deal, and some thought it made perfect sense. For Elon Musk, the acquisition was a no-brainer: if you’re trying to wean the world from its fossil fuel addiction, you can’t just fix the transportation sector by displacing gas-powered cars with electric ones, you have to address the consumer power market too. And so Tesla has been installing solar power systems, residential batteries and massive commercial battery power systems in an effort to eliminate fossil fuels as the primary source of electrical power.
Is there a catch to signing up for Tesla solar? Sort of. Musk believes that solar power systems are much less valuable without battery storage. So at this point, you cannot purchase a solar panel system or solar roof from Tesla without one or more of Tesla’s PowerWall batteries. And these batteries aren’t exactly cheap ($10,500 at publication time). The benefits or having battery storage in your solar system are huge: you can shift your power usage from peak levels to off-peak levels, reducing your impact on the grid and saving you money. You also have emergency back-up power in the result of a blackout or grid failure – something we’ve been seeing more frequently with super storms and the impact of climate change. But the fact remains that these batteries do increase the cost of a system, and this should be considered as you make your own choice about what type of solar power system to install at your own home.
Read more about the Tesla referral program or about Tesla solar.
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Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to unveil the electric version of its best-selling SUV, the GLC, later this year. With its official debut just around the corner, Mercedes revealed a few new details, offering an exclusive first look at the new EV.
Mercedes offers an exclusive look at the new electric GLC
Although we got a sneak peek of the electric SUV in March during winter testing in Northern Sweden, Mercedes is giving us a better idea of what to expect.
“We’re not just introducing a new model – we’re electrifying our top seller,” Mercedes-Benz Group CEO, Ola Källenius, said on Thursday.
Mercedes promises the electric GLC “sets new standards” with a sleek new design, advanced tech, and its new MB.OS operating system.
The new GLC EV is an upgrade over the current model, offering significantly more space and improved ride quality. Since the wheelbase is 3.1″ longer than the current gas-powered SUV, the electric version has more legroom and headroom for front and rear passengers.
With all the seats folded, the electric SUV offers 61.4 cubic feet of space. The gas-powered model features up to 56.3 cubic feet of cargo space. Plus, you get an extra 4.5 cu ft of space in the trunk (front trunk).
Källenius said that with Mercedes’ new 800V electric architecture and latest batteries, the electric GLC can regain around 260 km (161 miles) WLTP range in just ten minutes. He added that DC fast charging at over 320 kW is possible.
The GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ Technology will arrive with impressive towing capability of up to 5,291 lbs. In comparison, the Tesla Model Y can only tow up to 3,500 lbs.
Added features, such as ESP trailer stabilization and trailer maneuvering assistant, make it even easier to tow with optimized stability and control.
Källenius also teased the new electric GLC design, calling it the start of a “new era” and “a new face of the brand as the first in a family of upcoming vehicles.”
The inside is just as impressive, providing a holistic experience. A “majestically floating next generation MBUX Hyperscreen” is optional, providing a spatial experience powered by the new MB.OS supercomputer.
Mercedes will unveil the new electric GLC at the 2025 International Motor Show in Munich on September 7, 2025.
Although official range figures will be revealed at the event, according to Car and Driver, which tested a prototype model, Mercedes said it expects the new GLC to provide a WLTP range of just over 400 miles, or slightly more than 300 miles on the EPA scale, from a 94.5 kWh battery.
Prices will also be announced in due time, but given that the current GLC 350e 4MATIC PHEV starts at $59,900 in the US, you can expect the electric model to be priced slightly higher, at around $65,000.
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Tesla (TSLA) announced its 2025 annual shareholders meeting at the very last minute, and it pushed it all the way to November, the latest it has ever held the meeting.
Tesla generally holds its annual meeting in the summer and announces it way ahead of time.
Today, the automaker announced that the meeting will be held on November 6:
The board of directors (the “Board”) of Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) has designated November 6, 2025 as the date of Tesla’s 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”).
This is highly unusual for Tesla. Here are the dates of Tesla’s last 5 annual meetings:
- 2020: September 22, 2020
- 2021: October 7, 2021
- 2022: August 4, 2022
- 2023: May 16, 2023
- 2024: June 13, 2024
At those meetings, shareholders vote on several matters, including the reelection of directors and shareholders’ proposals.
Tesla has not released any yet, but they are expected to be in the upcoming proxy statement, which Tesla should release in the coming weeks.
Why does Tesla need more time?
Electrek’s Take
I think Tesla is working on some proposals that are going to take time to put together and then to sell to shareholders – hence why the meeting is set for November.
There are two suspects: a new CEO compensation package for Musk or a merger/acquisition of xAI.
It could also be both, but I think that would be harder to swallow for some shareholders as both initiatives have a clear aim of giving Musk a bigger stake in Tesla.
I think sane investors should not want that, but Tesla shareholders don’t fit in that category. Much of Tesla’s value is attached to Musk’s lies and ridiculous predictions. The value will have to come down to reality at some point, but they are a bunch of gamblers who are enjoying the ride in the meantime.
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A three-row electric SUV for less than $30,000? Sign me up. NIO (NYSE: NIO) opened pre-orders for the new Onvo L90 on Thursday, starting from 193,900 yuan, or about $27,000.
NIO kicks off Onvo L90 pre-orders in China
NIO claims the Onvo L90 is the lightest full-size three-row SUV in its class, with a curb weight just under 5,000 lbs (2,250 kg). In comparison, the Lucid Gravity has a curb weight of 5,966 lbs (2,712 kg).
The new flagship model is designed as a family-friendly SUV, offering ample interior space and advanced technology.
At 5,145 mm long, 1,998 mm wide, and 1,766 mm tall, the Onvo L90 is slightly bigger than the Lucid Gravity. In China, it will go head-to-head with higher-end electric SUVs like Li Auto’s L9.
However, the L9 is an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and starts at around 409,800 yuan ($57,000), more than double the price of the Onvo L90.
The low price of 193,900 yuan ($27,000) applies only to those who rent the battery. Nio’s Battery as a Service (BaaS) costs 899 yuan ($125) a month. With the battery included, the Onvo L90 still starts at just 279,900 yuan ($39,000).
Nio’s new electric SUV is offered in six and seven-seat configurations. The interior features a massive 17.2″ floating infotainment screen at the center.
Other interior highlights include a three-zone climate control system, massage, heating, and ventilation for every seat, as well as an additional entertainment screen for rear passengers. And like many new vehicles in China nowadays, it even comes with a built-in refrigerator.
Powered by an 85 kWh battery, the Onvo L90 offers a CLTC range of 605 km (367 miles). It’s also based on NIO’s next-gen 900V platform, unlocking class-leading energy consumption of just 14.5 kWh per 100 km.
Buyers can choose from single and all-wheel-drive powertrains. The AWD version boasts up to 590 hp (440 kW), good for a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint in just 4.7 seconds.
NIO is offering an incentive for early pre-order holders. Those who place an order with a 2,000 yuan deposit will receive a 5,000 yuan credit off the vehicle and an extra 5,000 yuan for optional features and more. Nio plans to begin delivering Onvo L90 to customers, starting on August 1.
The L90 is the second Onvo-branded EV to arrive in China, following the smaller L60, launched last September.
Source: CarNewsChina, NIO Onvo
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