Look, I do know that there are various factors to contemplate in enterprise, and I don’t know all the explanations behind Tesla’s change. Nevertheless, the very first thing that got here to thoughts once I noticed that Tesla had modified the free coloration for a brand new automobile 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 coated 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 loads of analysis displaying that white roofs may help calm down city environments and even the local weather a bit. It’s a easy answer with loads of affect. We wrote about this answer not less than way back to 2011 when Invoice Clinton was urging folks 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 a fantastic deal. Extra lately, final month, Steve coated analysis highlighting the advantages of white roofs.
So, with that logic in thoughts, plainly white vehicles 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 automobile 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 imagine how a lot hotter it was. Evidently, purely for consolation, I’d by no means desire a darkish automobile with darkish seats in Florida.
Nevertheless, one thing else got here to thoughts as I got here to write down this text. What about chilly climates? You most likely need 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. Nevertheless, with little sunshine within the chilly, how a lot does the darker coloration 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 seen above, NYC just isn’t within the South. For positive, 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, general, I nonetheless suppose that altering the “free” coloration from white to darkish gray is a foul transfer climate-wise. Lots of people will merely select the most cost effective coloration — I’ve heard quite a few folks 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 preserve seeing record-hot days? Or is it not an enormous 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 anxious that they’re getting too frequent 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 individuals would possibly prefer to understand how a lot further it prices to get a coloration aside from gray (Midnight Silver Metallic). So, within the US, these are the additional prices for various colours for the Model 3 or Model Y:
- White (Pearl White Multi-Coat) — $1000
- Blue (Deep Blue Metallic ) — $1000
- Black (Strong Black) — $1500
- Purple (Purple Multi-Coat) — $2000
The Mannequin S and Mannequin X have increased costs for the non-free colours. However, actually, in case you are shopping for a Mannequin S or Mannequin X, I don’t suppose 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, however it at all times felt improper — and it was at all times robust to determine what we must always put behind there. In concept, your most unique and greatest content material goes behind a paywall. However then fewer folks learn it! We simply do not like paywalls, and so we have determined to ditch ours.
Sadly, the media enterprise remains 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 …
