Last week, Elon Musk announced his plan for Tesla to acquire SolarCity and fold the solar installer’s operations into Tesla’s own business. The offer is still contingent on board approval and shareholder votes at both companies, but Electrek has now learned that the automaker is going ahead with trademark applications to sell solar products under its ‘Tesla’ brand.
According to trademark filings obtained by Electrek, Tesla’s trademark and copyright attorney at Cooley LLP, Ariana Hiscott, filled 6 new trademark applications for the company on June 22nd – the day Tesla announced the offer.
The trademarks applications range from solar cells and solar modules:
“Solar energy equipment, namely, photo-voltaic solar modules for converting electronic radiation to electrical energy; and equipment for use in collecting and converting solar into electricity, namely, solar cells and inverters.”
To the installation and repair of solar panels:
“Installation, maintenance and repair of solar panels and other equipment for use in converting solar energy into electricity; installation of solar energy systems and consulting related thereto.”
It also covers the monitoring of solar energy generation and the financing of solar installations. All applications are for the trademark “Tesla”.
If the Tesla – SolarCity merger goes through, Elon Musk said that he plans to sell both Tesla’s current products and SolarCity’s offering under the same roof and to use the same sales force. Based on these trademark applications, it looks like it could be a possibility that the whole product line could become ‘Tesla’ badged and the ‘SolarCity’ brand would be phased out.
It’s also important to note that Tesla doesn’t always use the trademarks it applies for. Last year after launching ‘Tesla Energy’ and its line of stationary energy storage products, the company applied for trademarks for ‘Powerwall’, ‘Powerpack’ and for ‘Superpack’.
Tesla launched both the Powerwall and Powerpack products, but we have yet to see a ‘Superpack’ come to market and maybe we will never see one.
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