Drive Wire for October 31st, 2016: Elon Musk Reveals His Solar Roof Tiles

Hey there. Will Sabel Courtney here for Drive Wire on October 31st, 2016.

Today on Drive Wire: Elon Musk has revealed his plans for a new form of solar panels he hopes will enable a new, seamless era of electric car and home charging.

On Friday, Musk revealed his new solar panel roof tiles at an event in Hollywood. The solar tiles are designed to resemble traditional roofing materials, making them virtually indistinguishable from a regular roof.

Musk said the tempered glass panels are as tough as steel, can be outfitted with heaters to enable them to melt snow, and will never wear out.

Upping the appeal of roof-based solar panels could be a major win for Tesla, making it easier than ever for owners to charge their cars and houses alike from the sun’s rays.

At the same event, Musk also unveiled the latest version of his company’s Powerwall home energy storage batteries, which packs more than double the capacity of the outgoing version.

Of course, before Musk can go ahead with the latest phase of his master plan, he still needs shareholders to sign off on Tesla’s $2.2 billion acquisition of SolarCity, the solar panel company he co-founded.

That’s it for Drive Wire on October 31st, 2016. I’m Will Sabel Courtney; thanks for watching, and please check out The Drive for more on the big stories from the transportation world.