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Company car offers in decline, but not at The Cheesecake Factory [w/poll]

As businesses look to keep high-level employees happy, it seems that use of company cars can still be an effective method, although fewer companies are employing it. According to Businessweek, only about 25 percent of companies offer company vehicles as a perk, while less than half give allowances for employees to use their personal vehicles for work purposes.
The report says that one business still in the practice of handing out company cars is The Cheesecake Factory, which offers the benefit to top managers. And we're not talking about some econobox, either. The article indicates the restaurant chain hands out BMWs on a three-year basis - although the company's own report says that the type of vehicle "varies with the executive's level."
Still, we mostly agree with the article's conclusion that money is the best way to keep employees or attract new ones, even if a corporate car is a big perk. What do you think? Let us know, in the poll below, whether a company car could sway you to work for a certain company (not just the Cheesecake factory, where the "Glamburgers" portion of the menu alone is enough to keep a guy hanging around).

18,000 BMW models recalled for potential fuel pump failure

BMW will be recalling over 18,000 vehicles from the 2, 3 and 4 Series families, including vehicles from model years 2014 and 2015, due to potentially bad fuel pumps. The full roster of vehicles includes four- and six-cylinder models of all hardtop 2 Series models, rear-, all-wheel-drive and Gran Turismo versions of the 3 Series, and coupe, convertible, Gran Coupe, rear- and all-wheel-drive 4 Series models. The 3 Series ActiveHybrid is also included in the recall, although the 3 Series diesel line has been left alone. According to the bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "improper" nickel plating on some of the parts could lead to a failure of the fuel pump, leading to a stall situation. BMW is planning to notify owners and will begin replacing the fuel pumps of affected vehicles at the end of the month. Scroll down for the official NHTSA bulletin, which includes a complete breakdown of individual models affected by the recall. Related Video: Report Receipt Date: MAR 31, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V189000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 18,054 Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 228i Coupe, M235i Coupe, 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, ActiveHybrid 3, 328xi Sports Wagon, 428i Coupe, 428xi Coupe, 435i Coupe, 435xi Coupe, 428i Convertible, 428xi Convertible, 435i Convertible, 328xi Gran Turismo, 335xi Gran Turismo, and 2015 428i Gran Coupe, 428xi Gran Coupe, and 435i Gran Coupe vehicles. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing. CONSEQUENCE: If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 30, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recharge Wrap-up: Grimsel electric car breaks acceleration world record, electric Ford Raptor ATV debuts

An all-electric version of the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is now available... as an ATV. Made by Caddyshack Golf Cars, it features officially licensed Ford badging borrowed from the super-macho pickup. It has a lifted chassis with leaf springs in the front and rear, hydraulic shocks and off-road tires. Powered by a 48-volt motor, it can do 0-25 mph in 2.9 seconds. Range is an estimated 30 miles - plenty to get you through 18 of the most rugged holes of golf you've ever played. Caddyshack also offers other miniature electric Fords, including a Shelby GT500, Shelby Cobra and 50th Anniversary Mustang. Read more at Green Car Reports. Lexus takes a crack at the BMW i3 in a new video from Funny or Die. In the decidedly anti-EV film, a group of guys drives to Las Vegas for a "dad-chelor party" in a Lexus CT 200h and a BMW i3. The Lexus hybrid makes it to Sin City without any problems, while the BMW's occupants need to make several lengthy stops to charge along the way, missing much of the fun. The video lampoons the inherent range limitations of the EV (the BMW group ends up driving slowly through the desert with no AC or radio to save energy), all in a well produced, if somewhat misguided, short comedy film. Perhaps they should have considered the i3 with a range extender? See the video below, or read more at Green Car Reports. Students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University have set a new EV acceleration world record. Their "Grimsel" racing car was able to zoom from 0-100 kph (0-62.137 mph) in just 1.785 seconds in less than 30 meters (98.425 feet), crushing the previous record of 2.134 seconds. Even more impressive is that the Grimsel was built by the students themselves, as part of the Formula Student team at the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich. The car weighs just 370 pounds and provides 200 horsepower and 1,202 pound feet of torque from the four hub motors. The Grimsel uses traction control to manage torque for maximum acceleration. See the record acceleration run in the videos below or read more at Gizmag, at Electric Autosport or in the press release from ETH Zurich below. 'grimsel' breaks world record The 'grimsel' electric racing car today broke the previous world record for acceleration in electric cars. The vehicle accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.785 seconds in under 30 metres. The new record was set by students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, who also designed and built the vehicle.