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7 major automakers to build open EV charging network

A new joint venture established by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis will build a new North American electric vehicle charging network on a scale designed to compete with Tesla's industry-benchmark Supercharger network. The 30,000-plus planned new chargers will accommodate both Tesla's almost-standard North American Charging System (NACS) and existing automakers' Combined Charging System (CCS) options, effectively guaranteeing compatibility with the vast majority of current and upcoming electric models — whether they're from one of the involved automakers or not.  "With the generational investments in public charging being implemented on the Federal and State level, the joint venture will leverage public and private funds to accelerate the installation of high-powered charging for customers. The new charging stations will be accessible to all battery-powered electric vehicles from any automaker using Combined Charging System (CCS) or North American Charging Standard (NACS) and are expected to meet or exceed the spirit and requirements of the U.S. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program." Critically, the automakers involved will have a say in how the charging tech is implemented, guaranteeing that the hardware will play nicely with each automaker's in-house charging systems. Hyundai and Kia, for example, were hesitant to jump on board the Tesla NACS bandwagon earlier this year over concerns that the Supercharger network is insufficient for powering the two automakers' 800-volt charging systems; similar tech is used by Volkswagen and Porsche.  In addition to providing much-needed capacity and high-output charging for America's growing fleet of electric cars and trucks, the new network will integrate seamlessly with each automaker's in-app and in-vehicle features, rather than forcing customers to use third-party tools and payment systems, as is the case with some existing public charging infrastructure.  "The functions and services of the network will allow for seamless integration with participating automakersÂ’ in-vehicle and in-app experiences, including reservations, intelligent route planning and navigation, payment applications, transparent energy management and more. In addition, the network will leverage Plug & Charge technology to further enhance the customer experience," the announcement said.

Evo's Mini-focused tribute to Best Motoring is the best thing you'll see all day

Our friends at Jalopnik are absolutely spot on with their argument that "your life is shit" if you've never experienced Japan's outstanding Best Motoring. The show is easily one of the best car-related things on the Internet, taking the creme de la creme from what is now known as the Super GT series, as well as D1 drift and other disciplines, and plopping them in some of the finest cars of the 1990s and 2000s. Seriously, go and check it out. Back? Good. In honor of Best Motoring, Evo has put together its own tribute (some might call it a cover version) of the video series, assembling four drivers and four cars for an all-out track battle. The vehicles in question all sport the Mini badge, and they run the gamut from hot road cars to one-make racers. First, we have Andy Wallace and the best car of the bunch, a 2006 John Cooper Works GP (full disclosure: your author owns an R53 and will never be convinced that it isn't the finest example of the revived Mini, because supercharger). He'll be followed by Marino Franchitti in R56-based, 2013 John Cooper Works GP, while Dickie Meaden and Jethro Bovingdon are in the race-prepared, second-generation Mini Challenge JCW and third-generation Mini Challenge S275, respectively. Everything from the track action (which we won't spoil for you), to the camera work to the pre-race introductions is spot on, just like we'd expect from Best Motoring. It's outstanding, and you should be sure to take a look at it straight away.

Mini goes all Occulus Rift with Augmented Vision glasses [w/video]

If April Fools' Day hadn't already passed, this might have come off as a joke. For the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show, Mini has a prototype for an augmented reality system, and the tech looks absolutely bizarre. Developed in conjunction with Qualcomm, driver's don goggles that look like a cross between Google Glass and something a World War I aviator might wear, and being behind the wheel suddenly becomes almost like a video game. Called Augmented Vision, some of its features are similar to contemporary HUD systems, with displays of vehicle speed and navigation data, but this literally puts the info right in front of the driver's eye. There're sci-fi features too, like displaying floating arrows on the road to indicate where to turn to reach a destination, and perhaps coolest of all, the X-ray view lets you look through the car's doors and pillars to see outside. As a prototype, we wonder how much of this is nearly possible today and what's pure fantasy. See Mini's idea for the future of motoring for yourself in the clip below. Hopefully, we don't all have to wear such goofy looking glasses foe future tech, though. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MINI AUGMENTED VISION: A REVOLUTIONARY DISPLAY CONCEPT OFFERING ENHANCED COMFORT AND SAFETY. Exclusive prototype of augmented reality eyewear underlines the innovative flair and creativity of the MINI brand. Munich, Germany, April 9, 2015. MINI is revealing the shape of things to come at the Auto Shanghai show with a pioneering innovation. "MINI Augmented Vision gives an insight into how intelligent connectivity between a MINI car and eyewear into which relevant content is projected might work in the future," explains Dr. Jorg Preissinger, project-manager MINI Augmented Vision, BMW Group research and technology. "Working with several Qualcomm companies, we have created an interlinked system and augmented reality eyewear with a characteristic MINI design that revolutionise the experience both in and outside the vehicle. This prototype with its customised, interactive functions succeeds in fusing augmented reality with the brand's trademark sense of lifestyle." Using see-through technology, the AR eyewear shows relevant information in the driver's direct field of vision but without concealing other road users, thereby serving to increase safety and comfort while driving.