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Leopard walks in, shuts down a Mercedes-Benz plant

In recent months the auto industry has seen plant closures due to a host of reasons — parts shortages, recalls, natural disasters, and even a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Now it can add to that list the threat of an invading leopard. A Mercedes-Benz factory in Pune, India, was forced to halt production for a few hours when a wayward jungle cat wandered into the facility, When the 3-year-old male leopard was spotted inside the manufacturing unit of the factory, it caused a panic among workers, according to a release by rescue organization Wildlife SOS discovered by The Drive. The site was shut down for about six hours as a Wildlife SOS rapid response team from the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre and the State Forest Department safely removed the curious cat. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The team's veterinary officers Dr. Nikhil Bangar and Dr. Shubham Patil carried out the rescue operation, tranquilizing the feline and loading it into a wildlife carrier. The rescue took about four hours, and Wildlife SOS reports that neither the creature nor any workers sustained injuries. The leopard was released back into the wild.  No one is quite sure how it got onto the factory grounds, but Wildlife SOS says that the forests in the surrounding region have one of the highest densities of leopards in the world. It's also suffering from rapid deforestation. That encroachment by humans has led to a decrease in the leopard's natural prey as well, so wildlife experts think it may have been looking for food.  The Mercedes plant builds the Maybach S 560, S-Class, E-Class Long Wheelbase, C-Class, CLA, GLA, GLE and GLS for the Indian market.  We have a different theory. We believe that the cat was seeking to set the record straight with Mercedes. When the S 65 AMG debuted, Mercedes claimed it featured the world's first Road Surface Scan technology to detect pavement undulations and adjust suspension damping accordingly. The only problem with that claim: Nissan had the technology some 30 years earlier in several mid-80s models, including the Maxima and Japan's version of the Infiniti M30, which was called — you guessed it — the Leopard. 

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

Sunday Drive: Classic American nameplates and one exciting new German

Our look back at last week's biggest automotive stories focuses first on the Jeep Wagoneer, an unequivocal American classic. Not only did the Wagoneer play a pivotal role in kicking off America's current love affair with the sport utility vehicle, it legitimized the Jeep brand in the mind of consumers looking not just for something to ably take them off the beaten path, but to do so in comfort, with the entire family along for the ride. So it comes as little surprise that Jeep decided to take one vintage Wagoneer, modernize it with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine, and put the thing on display as part of its annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari. We're in love. Our next two stories focus on Cadillac. First up is news that the striking Escala Concept is headed for production in 2021 to serve as the brand's flagship luxury sedan. The second story involves Caddy's current top rung, the CT6, which gets a new twin-turbo V8 engine as part of its V-Sport package. And finally, we round out this look at last week's headlines with the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe and Cabriolet. We're mighty keen to try out Benz's new AMG-fettered turbocharged inline-six engine, and the C Coupe looks like a fine point of entry. As always stay tuned to Autoblog this week for all the latest automotive news. Jeep delivers basketful of concepts for the Moab Easter Jeep Safari Cadillac's striking Escala concept is reportedly headed for production Cadillac CT6 V-Sport wants to take prisoners with 550-hp 4.2L TT V8 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe and Cabriolet revealed ahead of New York