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GM program sees dealers taking on way more loaner cars

Given the volume of vehicles we're talking about, this is a significant development for GM's bottom line. Bring your car into the dealership for service, and you may need a loaner car in exchange. And with so many recalls being carried out, that means a lot of loaners – especially at General Motors dealerships. That could be one of the reasons why GM is massively expanding its loaner fleet program. While many Chevrolet and Buick-GMC dealerships have an on-site rental car location operated by a third party like Enterprise (which may or may not provide a GM vehicle), others manage their own loaner fleets. But while the range of dealerships operating such fleets was once small, reports Automotive News, the number has been growing rapidly: from the locations responsible for only 20 percent of those brands' sales two years ago to about 90 percent today. The impetus for that growth comes down to a massive expansion of GM's Courtesy Transportation Program. The initiative encourages dealers to ramp up their loaner fleet to a maximum size determined by GM, with a mix determined by the dealer itself, so that a showroom in Texas can be bolstered with a fleet of pickup trucks and a dealer in California can employ more Volt and Camaro Convertible loaners. The dealership gets a $500 credit for each vehicle its puts in its fleet, and can use those vehicles as loaners for service customers, as multi-day test drivers or to rent out separately. The vehicles remain in the dealer's fleet for 90 days or 7,500 miles, then they can be sold as used, but with new-car incentives. The dealer gets a fleet of loaners, customers get to use the loaners, try out a new car overnight or buy a barely used car with attractive incentives, and GM gets to clock more sales. But therein lies the kicker: the automaker counts the dispatch of the loaner new vehicle to the dealership as a new-car sale, which could end up distorting its sales figures. Counting loaner vehicles as sold vehicles is something of an industry-standard practice, but given the volume of vehicles we're talking about, this is a significant development for GM's bottom line. One dealership - Paddock Chevrolet in Kenmore, NY, for example - had no loaner fleet two years ago, but now runs a fleet of 50 vehicles. Multiply that by the 4,000 or so dealers GM has across America and you're talking about the potential for hundreds of thousands of these sorts of sales.

Recharge Wrap-up: EVs poll well in Portland, Tesla seeks office space

In a poll of drivers in Portland, more than 80 percent said they would be driving an EV in the next 10 years if they weren't already. The poll was small and not scientific, with just 218 votes cast, but it does reflect a slice of a certain population with changing attitudes toward electric mobility, and 80 percent is an impressive figure. Additionally, 43 percent of respondents planned to have an EV in the next five years, and only 18 percent said they prefer gasoline-powered vehicles. With EVs in many ways repeating the adoption process that hybrids went through a decade ago, the five- or ten-year timeframe for more widespread use seems only natural. Read more at the Portland Business Journal. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee parks like an idiot, or rather, his security detail does. His Chevrolet Volt has been ticketed for parking six times since he took office. Granted, those street-sweeping signs are tough to keep track of, but his car has been photographed blocking at a bus stop while grabbing a burrito (who hasn't sinned in the name of a delicious burrito?), and was even caught parked in a crosswalk. The tickets were all dismissed. Read more from the SF Gate. Tesla is looking for office space in Silicon Valley. As the electric car company continues to search for a place to build its $4- to $5-billion battery Gigafactory, it also needs some real estate to expand its operations near its Palo Alto home. Tesla has expanded from 3,000 to 6,000 California-based employees since the end of 2012, and plans to add 500 more by the end of the year. It is currently looking for 200,000 to 300,000 square feet of office space close to its Fremont factory, according to sources in the real estate industry. Read more at the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Related Gallery 2014 Chevrolet Volt View 11 Photos News Source: Portland Business Journal, SF Gate, Silicon Valley Business JournalImage Credit: Paul Sakuma / AP Green Chevrolet Tesla Electric recharge wrapup portland silicon valley parking ticket

GM recalls trucks and SUVs for brake pedal problem

The Basics: General Motors will recall over 473,000 North American examples of the 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD, and police pursuit versions of the Chevy Tahoe. These include 426,573 vehicles in the US and 46,837 in Canada, according to Reuters. The Problem: The brake pivot nut can loosen over time, which can render the pedal inoperative. This would be a danger to drivers trying to stop the vehicles. In some cases, the "Service Engine Soon" light might come on. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: Dealers will inspect the pivot bolt, and if necessary they will apply adhesive to it and reinstall the part with increased torque. If You Own One: "We expect to start customer notifications shortly," GM spokesperson Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog. Related Video: Transport Canada Recall # 2016053 Recall Date 2016/02/04 Notification Type Safety Mfr System Brakes Manufacturer Recall Number 20760 Units Affected The number of vehicles or components affected by the recall. 46,837 Category Light Truck & Van, SUV Recall Details On certain Heavy Duty and Police Pursuit vehicles, the brake pedal pivot nut may become loose, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative. If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, it could interfere with the accelerator pedal, and/or the driver may be unable to safely stop the vehicle through application of the brake pedal, potentially affecting stopping distances and increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the pivot bolt installation to determine whether the vehicle has already received the production remedy. If not, the dealer will add adhesive to the nut, and reinstall the nut at an increased torque. Note: This condition may result in the "Service Engine Soon" light illuminating, and brake lights may stay on longer than expected. Make Model Model Year(s) Affected CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2015 2016 CHEVROLET TAHOE POLICE PURSUIT VEHICLE 2015 2016 GMC SIERRA 2015 2016