Look, I do know that there are various factors to think about in enterprise, and I don’t know all the explanations behind Tesla’s change. Nonetheless, the very first thing that got here to thoughts after I noticed that Tesla had modified the free colour for a brand new automotive from white to darkish gray was that it was a foul transfer for the local weather. Maybe that’s not what jumped out to everybody else, however having lined cleantech and local weather change professionally for roughly 14 years, this got here to thoughts instantly. That stated, after additional consideration, I don’t really know what the local weather implications of the change are. Let me clarify. …
As you’ll have seen, there’s been a whole lot of analysis exhibiting that white roofs may also help quiet down city environments and even the local weather a bit. It’s a easy resolution with a whole lot of influence. We wrote about this resolution at the least way back to 2011 when Invoice Clinton was urging individuals with darkish roofs to color them white, and I personally wrote about it in 2012 when it was discovered that white roofs cooled NYC residences an incredible deal. Extra just lately, final month, Steve lined analysis highlighting the advantages of white roofs.
So, with that logic in thoughts, evidently white automobiles would provide related warmth and local weather advantages, proper? Properly, as somebody who lives in Florida, I can inform you that having the white paint and white seats on a Tesla Mannequin 3 makes the automotive faaaaaaaaar cooler than a Mannequin 3 with darkish gray paint and black seats. I had one of many latter for half a day and couldn’t consider how a lot hotter it was. Evidently, purely for consolation, I’d by no means need a darkish automotive with darkish seats in Florida.
Nonetheless, one thing else got here to thoughts as I got here to put in writing this text. What about chilly climates? You in all probability wish to take up warmth and keep away from having to make use of the heater as a lot in chilly climates, so you might have considered trying darkish colours there. Nonetheless, with little sunshine within the chilly, how a lot does the darker colour really assist to soak up warmth? Additionally, usually talking, analysis recommends white roofs for much less warmth and decrease CO2 emissions, and as you’ll have observed above, NYC shouldn’t be within the South. For certain, the white colours are even higher for the south, and it’s certainly heat and sunny states that lead Tesla gross sales within the US — California, Florida, and Texas. So, total, I nonetheless assume that altering the “free” colour from white to darkish gray is a foul transfer climate-wise. Lots of people will merely select the most cost effective colour — I’ve heard quite a few individuals say that about their purchases.
What do you say? Is altering from white to “Midnight Silver” (darkish gray) a foul transfer at a time after we maintain seeing record-hot days? Or is it not a giant deal and I’m being a bit excessive right here?
Additionally, extra broadly, did Tesla make the change as a result of there are soooooooo many white Teslas on the roads now (there are in Florida) and Tesla/Elon Musk is worried that they’re getting too widespread and — dare we are saying — boring? Or are there different advantages to switching to “Midnight Silver” and giving white the shaft?
Replace: I spotted after publishing that folks would possibly prefer to understand how a lot additional it prices to get a colour apart from gray (Midnight Silver Metallic). So, within the US, these are the additional prices for various colours for the Mannequin 3 or Mannequin Y:
- White (Pearl White Multi-Coat) — $1000
- Blue (Deep Blue Metallic ) — $1000
- Black (Strong Black) — $1500
- Crimson (Crimson Multi-Coat) — $2000
The Mannequin S and Mannequin X have greater costs for the non-free colours. However, actually, in case you are shopping for a Mannequin S or Mannequin X, I don’t assume a pair thousand {dollars} actually issues to you.
I do not like paywalls. You do not like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Right here at CleanTechnica, we carried out a restricted paywall for some time, nevertheless it at all times felt flawed — and it was at all times powerful to determine what we should always put behind there. In idea, your most unique and greatest content material goes behind a paywall. However then fewer individuals learn it! We simply do not like paywalls, and so we have determined to ditch ours.
Sadly, the media enterprise continues to be a tricky, cut-throat enterprise with tiny margins. It is a unending Olympic problem to remain above water and even maybe — gasp — develop. So …
