Do you remember where you were when Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the very first iPhone?
OK, for most people, this is not a moment like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the moon landing or the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember it because I was doing the same thing when companies advertise interesting things: monitor the market. And the market really appreciated this announcement.
But I remember Apple and its iPhone because I sat down and thought, “Jobs has something great.”
This smartphone was going to be everything we needed. It was elegant, powerful and easy to use. He had the “cool factor” that Apple had established with the iPod years earlier.
We are facing another “Apple Moment” with a company that has made amazing technological innovations while making them stylish, easy to use and cool.
It started with a car
Tesla has taken a new step in trying to revolutionize the way we think and use energy for our everyday needs.
The first step was made with its model 3, the first electric car, connected to the Internet and autonomous. The company has taken about 400,000 orders in advance for this car worth more than $ 10 billion. Its launch is not even expected before the end of this year.
This stylish car has an affordable entry price of $ 35,000, and attracts millennia while being environmentally friendly while allowing them access to the latest technology.
In addition, Tesla has an innate “coolness factor” because it is at the cutting edge of the latest innovations.
And now, Tesla wants to have a hand in your house … well, your roof to be exact.
Advanced technology for your roof
Tesla recently announced that it has started taking orders for its new solar roof system with its so-called “infinite” warranty.
Rather than adding the huge existing solar panels over your existing roof to capture the sun’s rays, Tesla has created tiles that look like ordinary terracotta, slate or asphalt tiles, but are actually a type of glass with the solar cell. built inside. And Tesla’s warranty says the roof will last longer than the life of your home.
So, rather than having unsightly panels, you can get tiles that look like ordinary roof tiles. Tesla made the collection of solar energy aesthetically pleasing … and cheaper than many analysts expected. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, announced that active slabs would cost $ 42 per square foot and inert slabs $ 11 per square foot.
Bloomberg estimated that renovating a 2,000-square-foot New York home with 40 per cent active tile coverage and a battery to store energy would cost about $ 50,000 (after the federal tax credits), but would generate energy $ 64,000 over 30 periods of the year. This is not a bad deal, especially if your house is well exposed to the sun.
Musk’s vision is that your home will capture solar energy through roof tiles and energy will be stored in a central battery. From this battery, you can charge your electric car. All your energy needs will be covered in one convenient place – clean, efficient and simple.
Capture the moment of Apple
We’ve been here before … in 2001, when Apple released its first iPod, revolutionizing the way we transport and listen to music. Of course, an iPod was a bit more expensive than other gadgets at the time, but the technology was at the cutting edge of technology and offered everything we wanted at hand.
Apple did it again in 2007 when it released its first iPhone, and people have been busy, allowing the iPhone to sell more than 6 million units before moving to the next generation.
Now, I’m not saying that Tesla will get 270,000 pre-orders for its solar roof, as Apple did for its iPhone in the first 30 hours. The price is certainly higher, but Tesla uses the same combination that was used by Apple years ago: advanced technology, ease of use, affordable price and “cool” factor than other solar power manufacturers have simply not been able to provide. to achieve in the past. In addition, 400,000 pre-orders for Model 3 mean that the company is definitely attracting world attention.
Tesla is an excellent example of the kind of technological innovations and market opportunities we have today.