Elon Musk announced that Tesla is about to complete the third version of its solar roof. Its cost is expected to be "equal to a comp shingle roof plus someone's utility cost or [be] lower than that." The company has been focusing on the aesthetics and structural integrity of its products, which may explain the lack of recent patent activity by Tesla in the Thin Film Photovoltaics sector. However, with the imminent product launch and news that bifacial photovoltaic modules—the subject of the company's most recent patent from subsidiary SolarCity—are now officially exempt from President's Trump's trade tariffs, Tesla may soon show increased patent activity as it prepares to enter its next stage and compete with new foreign competitors.
