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GM will compensate SUV owners for fuel-economy error [UPDATE]

General Motors will offer debit cards to owners of some of its crossover SUVs after it was discovered that GM overstated the vehicles' fuel economy on window stickers, Automotive News says. GM will offer reimbursements to about 135,000 customers that are worth between $450 and $1,500 each. Some owners will also have the option of being provided with an extended warranty free of charge instead of the debit card. GM overstated fuel economy on about 170,000 vehicles by one to two miles per gallon because of what it has said was an inadvertent error stemming from not factoring the impact of emissions-related hardware into the EPA window-sticker figures. As a result, GM put a temporary stop-sale on the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave before switching out the window stickers on about 60,000 vehicles. Automotive News says letters and debit cards will be sent out next week, and Reuters is estimating that the reimbursement program will cost GM about $100 million. With automakers ranging from Hyundai/Kia to Ford to, more recently, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi being ensnared by emissions or fuel-economy-rating issues, GM is working quickly to address the problem. For those curious, the reimbursement totals, factoring in current gas prices, the SUVs' combined fuel economy, and typical driving of about 12,000 miles a year, will provide between three and 12 months worth of free gas for those drivers (the models get either 17 or 18 miles per gallon combined, depending on front- or four-wheel-drive configuration). While about 135,000 customers will be reimbursed, Automotive News says the fleet buyers of about 35,000 crossovers haven't been addressed yet. UPDATE: GM spokesman James Cain, in an e-mail to Autoblog on Sunday, confirmed that the company will reimburse about 135,000 customers. Purchase customers will be given the option of a pre-paid debit card or a 48-month/60,000-mile protection plan, while lease customers will be offered the pre-paid debit cards. Most of the cards will have a value of between $450 and $900 on them. "We want all of our customers to have a great ownership experience, so we designed this reimbursement program to provide full and fair compensation in a simple, flexible, and timely manner," he wrote.

GM to make most cars LTE hotspots for 2015

General Motors isn't the first automaker to deliver in-car Internet access, but a proposed plan announced today could make the technology more widespread than any of its competitors have offered. By the 2015 model year, most Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC products in the US and Canada will offer 4G LTE mobile broadband access. Initially, GM will just be pairing with AT&T to deliver this service, but additional carriers will be revealed in the future.
Current in-car Wi-Fi hot spots are limited to 3G, but GM says that 4G LTE is 10 times faster than 3G service and will allow for full Internet access, including streaming video for entertainment as well as services like real-time traffic updates and navigation driving directions. There is also no need for a paired smartphone with this new system, which should make it easier to use, and GM and AT&T will also be working together to develop new apps for customers.
Buyers can expect to start seeing 4G LTE in their cars starting next year, and GM is already planning to expand the service to other global markets as well. All of the information from GM's announcement is posted in a press release below.

GM trademarks 'GearOn,' possibly for pickups

On May 27, a week before General Motors applied for a trademark for the word "Zora," GM filed a trademark application at the US Patent and Trademark Office for "GearOn," characterized as a "truck bed cargo system comprised of tiered storage cross rails, utility rack stanchions, cargo dividers and cargo tie down rings."
We have no idea what it will be or if we'll see it used on anything, but GM Authority reckons it could be GM's name for a pickup truck feature to rival the BoxLink system Ford introduced on the 2015 F-150. BoxLink has been described as having "dozens of configurations of stowable cargo ramps and lockable die-cast aluminum tie-down cleats," giving owners the ability to arrange the bed in they way they need and load unwieldy items like motorcycles without needing extra equipment.
Getting purely speculative, a month ago GM pickup truck engineers said there would be more and more regular updates for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra starting next year. Beyond the suspected capability and fuel economy changes GearOn could be one of the "neat things coming in a whole host of areas."