News
Tesla Model S, X to get bigger battery pack capacity in Plaid variant
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed plans for an increase in battery pack capacity for the future Plaid variant of the Model S and Model X. Boasting an EPA-rate range of 373 miles for the Model S and 328 miles for the Model X, the future version of Tesla’s flagship vehicles is expected to exceed a range of 400 miles per single charge.
It’s been long expected that Tesla would switch Model S and Model X battery packs from the 18650 form factor cells to the newer, and larger, 2170 cells with a higher energy density that’s Tesla is using in the Model 3. The long-range variants of the Model S and Model X SUV are outfitted with a 100 kWh battery pack. Although Musk has not discussed the specifics on the increase in battery capacity to come, one can presume it would fall within the range of 110 kWh to 120 kWh to support well north of 400 miles of range.
Higher capacity battery packs would not only improve range in everyday driving but also support higher power output from Tesla’s future Plaid Mode powertrain with three electric motors.
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 6, 2019
Plaid Mode gained traction after Tesla released footage of a Model S setting the single-lap record at the Laguna Seca Raceway in September. What followed was a series of sightings of a pair of widebody Model S, each with an aggressive front spoiler and massive rear diffuser. Tesla brought two different P100D+ Plaid Model S vehicles to the famed Nürburgring circuit in Western Germany, both with different aerodynamic packages, aimed at improving the handling of the car. When Tesla left the Nürburgring and packed up its vehicles for the year on November 4, they reportedly set a frighteningly quick 7:13 lap time on two separate occasions.
The car already has a sparkling reputation, as MotorTrend has recognized it as the best car ever created, and the Tesla CEO highlighted this during the Q3 earnings call. “The Model S literally won Motor Trend‘s best car ever in history by the way,” he said. Battery improvements will only increase the popularity of the car, and increase its overall performance as a vehicle that continues to set records at the most famous testing track for performance cars in the world.
While Musk stated the current long-running Model S design and Model X are still in production for “sentimental reasons”, he notes it is expensive to build and made in low volume. “They’re really of minor importance to the future,” noted Musk.
The Plaid Mode Model S will begin production in 2020 in Q4 according to Musk. It will utilize three motors and will feature a seven-seat interior. A price point for the vehicle has not yet been released by Tesla, but Musk has specified it “will cost more than our current offerings, but less than competitors.”
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.
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
