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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

Porsche 911 GT3 dukes it out with MP4-12C on track and GT-R on spectacular roads

The Porsche 911 GT3 has always been a favorite among auto journalists and car enthusiasts alike, but with the introduction of the new 991-generation GT3, which is the first GT3 with electric power steering and no manual gearbox option, how does it stack up to the competition from McLaren and Nissan?
Evo's Jethro Bovingdon attempts to answer that question by pitting the rear-engine Porsche against the mid-engine McLaren MP4-12C on a racetrack and the front-engine, all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R on some amazing, twisty European back roads. We won't give away the victor of either comparison, but we will say that, in Evo's test, the McLaren's 141-horsepower advantage doesn't give it as much of an edge over the Porsche on a racetrack as one might think, and the lack of a manual gearbox and the inclusion of electric power steering on the GT3 isn't detrimental to enjoying the car on a back road.
Watch the video below to find out which car Bovingdon prefers on road and track - we think you'll be happy to see him drift around turns every chance he gets.

Good Samaritan pulls key from hit-and-run driver

A man in England stopped a hit-and-run driver from fleeing the scene by grabbing her keys from the ignition. On February 13, Michael Scott witnessed a crash on a busy road in Birmingham, England according to the Telegraph. He watched as a Vauxhall Astra crashed into a Porsche right in front of his vehicle. At first, it seemed like the offending driver was going to stop, but she just kept going. Luckily, Scott had his dashboard camera rolling at the time. "I was shocked when the Astra driver didn't stop, and just carried on accelerating up the road," Scott told the Telegraph. "I thought the driver was trying to do a runner, so when the car in front of me moved off I managed to speed up and block the Astra in. Scott rushed ahead of traffic to cut off the Vauxhall in a turn lane a few hundred feet from where the crash originally occurred. The running driver then maneuvered around Scott, but was blocked by another car from making a clean getaway. Scott then nabbed the driver's keys to keep her from fleeing again. "I was in a rush so I couldn't stop, but I gave her keys to the Porsche driver and left," Scott told the Telegraph. "I contacted the police to let them know I had footage of the incident too." When police arrived they found both drivers were unhurt, though the Porsche will probably need some expensive repairs. The fleeing driver was charged with drinking and driving and is currently out on bail.