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New European charging network will offer speeds up to 350 kW

It's about to get easier to fast-charge your electric vehicle across Europe thanks to four major automakers working together in a new joint venture. BMW, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), Ford, and the VW Group (Audi and Porsche) have all signed a Memorandum of Understanding to install about 400 DC fast charging sites in Europe. As you may know, there are different types of fast chargers, but the ones that this group is talking about installing will be able to charge an EV in much less time than other stations. That's because these chargers will offer power levels of "up to 350 kW." Compare that to what's generally considered the current gold standard, the Tesla Superchargers, which have rates of up to 145 kW and a statement not that long ago from a Ford exec that suggested that 150 kW chargers would be the new normal. Of course, the Tesla chargers use the company's proprietary connector and the new network the JV is setting up will use the CCS standard. The first new stations will go up in 2017 and those 400 sites are just the beginning. A joint statement by the JV says that EV drivers will "have access to thousands of high-powered charging points" by 2020 along highways and main roads. "The charging experience is expected to evolve to be as convenient as refueling at conventional gas stations," the companies said. While not every electric vehicle will be able to take advantage of the 350 kW charging rate, the companies involved would be silly to build the infrastructure without vehicles that can handle that kind of energy flow. The JV says it would welcome participation from other automakers and will cooperate with interested regional partners. Related Video: News Source: Daimler Green Audi BMW Ford Mercedes-Benz Porsche Volkswagen Electric fast charging

PSA: Mark Webber can't text and drive and neither should you

Texting and driving is dangerous. You shouldn't do it. We really can't stress that enough. But if you won't listen to us, maybe you'll listen to Mark Webber. The Australian driver is one of the most accomplished in motor racing. As Sebastian Vettel's former wingman at Red Bull, he won nine Formula One grands prix and scored over a thousand championship points. And now as the headline driver in Porsche's endurance racing program, he and his teammates behind the wheel of the 919 Hybrid are currently in the lead to win the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship with just one round to go. Suffice it to say, then, that he knows a thing or two about the concentration it takes to drive. And it doesn't involve looking at your phone while doing so. To drive that point home (so to speak), he and Porsche put together this little public service announcement. It shows a distracted Webber piloting a 911 GT3 Cup around the Dubai Autodrome in the United Arab Emirates, messing up his racing line, missing his apices, spinning out, and nearly trashing the thing. Does the idea of looking at your phone while lapping a race track strikes you as ludicrous? Well, it should. But then, at the risk of coming across as preachy, so should the idea of texting while driving. Because if a racing driver should know better, so should you. Don't take our word for it, though... take it from Mark in the video above.

Porsche 911 hybrid could get green light after all

The prospect of producing a hybrid version of the Porsche 911 has been on and off the table more times than we'd care to count. But before the year is up, the German automaker will make up its mind whether or not it will put the idea in motion. Porsche currently offers more plug-in hybrids than any other automaker. And according to Porsche CEO Matthias Muller in speaking with Automotive News, the opportunity exists to expand the powertrain technology to every model in the company's lineup, including the 911. The sports car would likely be the next in line for hybridization, said Muller, giving Porsche a direct competitor to the BMW i8. It wouldn't be the first time Zuffenhausen would slot a hybrid powertrain into the iconic rear-engined coupe, having previously raced the 911 GT3 R Hybrid (pictured above), but it would be the first road-going version available to customers. "That is a technique which we at Porsche are very familiar with," Muller told AN, "so we can suppose that we could have plug-ins all over the model range, not only to save fuel but also to boost the performance of these cars." Currently the E-Hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera which Porsche offers account for roughly 15 and 11 percent of their respective model lines' sales in the US, while the 918 Spyder, of course, is offered only as a hybrid. If the 911 hybrid gets the green light, that would leave only the Macan, Boxster and Cayman without the option of electric assist. Related Video: