Tesla Motors to take orders for solar roof tiles starting April

Tesla Motors Inc. will start taking orders for its solar roof tiles in April, Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a Tweet on Friday.

The solar-powered roof shingles were unveiled in October last year to show the benefits of combining his electric car maker with solar installer Solarcity Corp. There was no detail on cost. Tesla has said previously the cost of the roof would be less than a conventional roof plus solar.

By incorporating solar modules into rooftops, Tesla is hoping to succeed with a solar technology that to date has had little success.