Porsche Will Make Charging An Electric Vehicle Easier

Even if you don't drive a Porsche.

If you live in the United States and drive an electric car, your options to stop at a fast charging station are limited - unless of course your car has a Tesla badge on it. Tesla's supercharger network is widespread across the country and even in certain parts of Europe. Not to be outdone by the upstart electric car maker, BMW, Ford, Mercedes, and Volkswagen have joined forces to create their own line of fast charging stations. The project won't be complete until 2020, but one of VW's subsidiaries, Porsche, has its own way of improving the EV charging experience.

Porsche has just launched what it calls the "Porsche Charging Service." This digital service is designed to make life easier for EV and plug-in hybrid drivers.

The app can tie in with the built-in Porsche navigation system to find the nearest charging station, then use centrally stored data to handle the payment process across multiple countries and currencies. The app is free to download, and can alert drivers of the cost of charging their vehicle, in real time. At the charging station, users can identify themselves using a QR code on the app or with their “Porsche ID card”, which is given free of charge after registering for the service. Currently the service is available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Finland, with more countries set to be added by the end of 2018.

This service will be extremely important when the brand launches its first EV: the Taycan. For now, plug-in hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera will benefit from the service. Interestingly, the app can also be utilized by other plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, even if they don't carry the Porsche crest.

Amazon Is About Make BMW A Whole Lot Easier To Live With

Thanks to some intelligent Alexa voice commands.

Amazon has done a lot to make our lives easier. It's hard to even remember life without free two-day shipping. The tech giant has recently expressed interest in improving the car buying process, but will start off in the auto industry by fixing one of the most annoying features on modern cars: voice control. Amazon announced a partnership to include its Alexa voice command on BMW models. This was an exciting announcement, because in-car voice commands have been one of the most infuriating things about modern car infotainment.

An app called BMW Connected Skill has been available for Amazon Echo, which allows users to ask about vehicle information such as fuel level or charge. Now we can get a better idea of how Alexa will work in the actual car.

In the video, we see a driver sliding an M4 around an aircraft carrier that has been turned into a race track (which is obviously something that most people do). The driver is able to ask Alexa to set a timer for 30 seconds, turn on his favorite song, tell him the current weather, order a pizza and even open a garage door all while keeping his hands on the wheel. The system will utilize a built-in SIM card, so it won't rely on a smartphone. This feature will also be available on Mini models, but there is no word on whether Rolls-Royce owners should expect to get this helpful feature. Expect to see Alexa in all BMW vehicles starting mid-2018 in the US, UK and Germany.