Tesla finally starts deliveries of long-awaited Powerwall 2 Founders series signed by Elon Musk

Tesla has finally started delivering and installing the Powerwall 2 Founders series, a long-awaited Tesla referral program reward.

The automaker has a referral program used by its customers to refer sales of the Model S and Model X vehicles.

Owners can get “prizes” from Tesla after a few referrals.

Back in 2016, Tesla introduced a new ‘Founders series’ red Powerwall 2 signed by Elon Musk as a referral prize.

At the time, Tesla described the new prize:

“Those who make 7 or more qualifying referrals will receive an exclusive red Founders Series Powerwall 2.0, hand signed by Elon Musk, JB Straubel, and Franz von Holzhausen. This limited edition Powerwall is not available to the public.”

For Tesla, a “Founders Series” product, like the Founders Model S and Model X vehicles, generally means the very first batch to be delivered with a special batch and/or color.

The ‘red Founders Series Powerwall 2.0’ was announced back around the time Tesla introduced the Powerwall 2, but the company started rolling out the product without a red Powerwall in sight.

Almost two years later, Tesla finally started delivery of the Founders Series to customers today. A Tesla owner posted on Twitter:

Hey @elonmusk, the @Tesla team installed your signed Founders Powerwall 2 today. Love it! Thanks for the fan service! ❤️🔋🖋️ pic.twitter.com/xQeqTpu1WM

— Dusty (@TheMailNerd) July 11, 2018

Electrek contacted Tesla about the installation and the company confirmed that they started the rollout.

The company wouldn’t elaborate on the timeline of the rollout. The prize was part of several rounds of Tesla’s referral programs and we estimate that hundreds of Powerwalls, both “Founders Series” and standard, have been won through the program.

Owners have often complained about the slow rollout of Tesla’s referral program prizes.

Aside from the signatures and the red color, the Founders Series doesn’t appear to offer any other advantages over the standard white Powerwall 2 that Tesla has been delivering for over a year.

The home battery pack offers 13.5 kWh of energy capacity that can be used as backup power or linked to a solar array to take better advantage of the solar energy generation.

We recently reported on the use of the system combined with a Tesla Solar Roof installation.

Tesla has recently confirmed that they installed over 1 GWh of energy storage and CTO JB Straubel said that they want to increase the production of Powerwalls and Powerpacks.

Electrek’s Take

I never understood why Tesla called it a “Founders Series” but delivered thousands of Powerwall 2 battery packs before delivering it.

It certainly doesn’t work with the automaker’s usual pattern for “Founders Series” products, but it is definitely in line with the late deliveries of referral prizes.

That said, the rollout of the Powerwall 2 has been somewhat limited in general.

Hopefully, the delivery of the Powerwalls won through the referral program indicates that they have increased production, as recently announced by Straubel, and that it will become more easily available.

Maybe it’s just hopeful thinking. What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

If you’re looking for a Tesla referral code, you can use our code.√ You will get free unlimited Supercharger on new Model S and Model X purchases until July 15