News
BMW chooses Pirelli’s EV-geared P Zero tire for i4 M50’s high-performance powertrain
BMW and Pirelli will outfit the German automaker’s i4 M50 all-electric vehicle with the Italian tyre manufacturer’s P Zero Elect rubber, which is geared for high-performance electric powertrains.
Putting that perfect set of fresh rubber tires on your favorite car doesn’t just make it handle like it’s on rails and give you a renewed appreciation for seat belts; it’ll brighten your whole day. Sadly, picking that perfect set and getting that “fresh rubber” feeling has become increasingly complex in the electrified age. Thankfully, BMW and Pirelli have partnered to tackle that issue on the BMW i4 M50.
? The #Pirelli P Zero Elect has been selected by @BMW M to equip the new BMW i4 M50, to deliver maximum performance even during extreme sports driving. https://t.co/rif71aeR9s
— Pirelli (@Pirelli) January 25, 2023
Everybody knows EV-specific tires can help make a car handle better, smoother, and more efficient. Still, oddly enough, the tires that come straight from the dealer are often run-of-the-mill, bog standard, and often lacking in the performance department. Not the case with Pirelli’s new P Zero Elect, which will be available on the BMW i4 M50.
This brings us to the BMW i4’s biggest problem, its weight. Far from the nimble sportscar standard of 90s BMW products, the i4 M50 comes in at an earth-shattering 5,018 pounds. The problem is so significant that it has become car reviewers’ and vehicle owners’ common talking point.
Hence the involvement of Pirelli.
More than making the vehicle carve like a knife, tires can affect how a vehicle handles its weight. Pirelli said, “The structure of the Pirelli tire has been reinforced to support the car and deliver maximum performance even during extreme sports driving.” Furthermore, “the special high-grip compound has also been designed to give maximum grip to guarantee precise and efficient handling,” explains Pirelli.
In essence, though a reinforced structural design and a new compound, Pirelli has given the vehicle a more planted feel through its specific design, helping reduce some of the i4’s momentous weight issues. But this isn’t the first vehicle Pirelli has worked to improve the handling of.
Pirelli’s “Elect” variant of tires, specifically designed for EVs, have been integrated into each of the company’s notable product offerings: P Zero, Cinturato, and Scorpion. In turn, it has attracted manufacturers like Ford and its Mustang Mach-E, Rivian with its R1S, and even Porsche and its first EV, the Taycan.
The Italian tire titan has a long history of fitting specialized tires to BMW’s M-cars. Its newest product shows that it intends to do the same with the German performance brand’s electric offerings. More exciting still is the idea that Pirelli is finally working towards EV tires that aren’t just for getting the most range but can be used for more “spirited” driving. Let’s hope other tire manufacturers aren’t far behind.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
Elon Musk
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the closure of an investigation involving Elon Musk and social media platform X. The inquiry had been pending for about two years and examined whether the platform was used to coordinate attacks against members of the judiciary.
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
According to a report from Agencia Brasil, the investigation conducted by the Federal Police did not find evidence that X deliberately attempted to attack the judiciary or circumvent court orders.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet concluded that the irregularities identified during the probe did not indicate fraudulent intent.
Justice Moraes accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation and ruled that the investigation should be closed. Under the ruling, the case will remain closed unless new evidence emerges.
The inquiry stemmed from concerns that content on X may have enabled online attacks against Supreme Court justices or violated rulings requiring the suspension of certain accounts under investigation.
Justice Moraes had previously taken several enforcement actions related to the platform during the broader dispute involving social media regulation in Brazil.
These included ordering a nationwide block of the platform, freezing Starlink accounts, and imposing fines on X totaling about $5.2 million. Authorities also froze financial assets linked to X and SpaceX through Starlink to collect unpaid penalties and seized roughly $3.3 million from the companies’ accounts.
Moraes also imposed daily fines of up to R$5 million, about $920,000, for alleged evasion of the X ban and established penalties of R$50,000 per day for VPN users who attempted to bypass the restriction.
Brazil remains an important market for X, with roughly 17 million users, making it one of the platform’s larger user bases globally.
The country is also a major market for Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which has surpassed one million subscribers in Brazil.
Elon Musk
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Amazon after the company opposed SpaceX’s proposal to launch a large satellite constellation that could function as an orbital data center network.
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
Amazon recently urged the FCC to reject SpaceX’s application to deploy a constellation of up to 1 million low Earth orbit satellites that could serve as artificial intelligence data centers in space.
The company described the proposal as a “lofty ambition rather than a real plan,” arguing that SpaceX had not provided sufficient details about how the system would operate.
Carr responded by pointing to Amazon’s own satellite deployment progress.
“Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit,” Carr wrote on X.
Amazon has declined to comment on the statement.
Amazon has been working to deploy its Project Kuiper satellite network, which is intended to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service. The company has invested more than $10 billion in the program and has launched more than 200 satellites since April of last year.
Amazon has also asked the FCC for a 24-month extension, until July 2028, to meet a requirement to deploy roughly 1,600 satellites by July 2026, as noted in a CNBC report.
SpaceX’s Starlink network currently has nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit and serves roughly 10 million customers. The FCC has also authorized SpaceX to deploy 7,500 additional satellites as the company continues expanding its global satellite internet network.
Energy
Tesla Energy gains UK license to sell electricity to homes and businesses
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
Tesla Energy has received a license to supply electricity in the United Kingdom, opening the door for the company to serve homes and businesses in the country.
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
According to Ofgem, the license took effect at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and applies to Great Britain.
The approval allows Tesla’s energy business to sell electricity directly to customers in the region, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Tesla has already expanded similar services in the United States. In Texas, the company offers electricity plans that allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles at a lower cost while also feeding excess electricity back into the grid.
Tesla already has a sizable presence in the UK market. According to price comparison website U-switch, there are more than 250,000 Tesla electric vehicles in the country and thousands of Tesla home energy storage systems.
Ofgem also noted that Tesla Motors Ltd., a separate entity incorporated in England and Wales, received an electricity generation license in June 2020.
The new UK license arrives as Tesla continues expanding its global energy business.
Last year, Tesla Energy retained the top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year. According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings, Tesla held about 15% of global market share in 2024.
The company also maintained a dominant position in North America, where it captured roughly 39% market share in the region.
At the same time, competition in the energy storage sector is increasing. Chinese companies such as Sungrow have been expanding their presence globally, particularly in Europe.