Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Elon Musk is leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to his ‘master plan’

Hint: It has something to do with solar power.

Tesla Debuts Its New Crossover SUV Model, Tesla X
Tesla Debuts Its New Crossover SUV Model, Tesla X
Justin Sullivan / Getty

Elon Musk has promised for days that the sequel to his 2006 “master plan” is coming. And it totally is. We think. But in the meantime, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has been dropping some breadcrumbs hinting at what that plan will be.

First, as Reuters pointed out, the company has changed its URL from Teslamotors.com to simply Tesla.com. The domain was updated on July 18.

But what does that mean? It means that it’s likely Tesla won’t just be a car company anymore and that has everything to do with the company’s offer to acquire Musk’s cousins’ company, SolarCity.

On June 21, Musk and the company sent a letter to SolarCity CEO (and Musk’s cousin) Lyndon Rive offering to buy the company for a stock-for-stock exchange. The company estimated that to be $26.50 to $28.50 a share.

While there was some doubt about the prospect of merging the two companies, Musk said he is confident the companies’ boards will approve the acquisition (originally he said it was the obvious choice) and in fact that he expects the vote to pass by a two-thirds majority.

How confident is he? Just a day after the company sent SolarCity the offer, Tesla Motors filed several new trademark applications for the name “Tesla.”

In the description of the company, one of the filings reads: “Monitoring of solar panels and other equipment for use in converting solar energy into electricity, monitoring of efficiency, production levels and other performance data of solar panels and other equipment.”

Tesla’s newest trademark filing
Tesla’s newest trademark filing

Another filing reads: “Installation, maintenance and repair of solar panels and other equipment.” And yet another: “Consultation in the field of energy efficiency pertaining to solar and renewable energy.”

These new filings are in stark contrast to the most recent filing for “Tesla” before that, filed on May 10, 2016, which describes the goods and services as “leasing of motor vehicles.”

Indeed, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Musk confirmed that his new “master plan” would include details of the proposed acquisition of SolarCity.

But it’s clear that Tesla Motors, at least in its original form, is no more: It’s Tesla and, in addition to being a carmaker, it’s a renewable energy company.


Elon Musk talks SpaceX and autonomous cars

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

More in Technology

Technology
The case for AI realismThe case for AI realism
Technology

AI isn’t going to be the end of the world — no matter what this documentary sometimes argues.

By Shayna Korol
Politics
OpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agendaOpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agenda
Politics

The AI company released a set of highly progressive policy ideas. There’s just one small problem.

By Eric Levitz
Future Perfect
Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
Future Perfect

Protecting astronauts in space — and maybe even Mars — will help transform health on Earth.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
The importance of space toilets, explainedThe importance of space toilets, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Houston, we have a plumbing problem.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Technology
What happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputerWhat happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputer
Technology

How they’re using AI at the lab that created the atom bomb.

By Joshua Keating
Future Perfect
Humanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious missionHumanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious mission
Future Perfect

Space barons like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk don’t seem religious. But their quest to colonize outer space is.

By Sigal Samuel