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Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt class action suit proposed, Tesla stock could outperform in 2015

A class action suit has been proposed against General Motors for a steering problem in the Chevrolet Volt. The plaintiffs claim that a defect can cause the steering to freeze intermittently, and that General Motors either knows or should have known about the problem. The case, filed in New Jersey, also claims that defective parts are replaced with the same or similar parts, which are also defective. The plaintiffs say that claims for the 100-plus-member class exceed $5 million. Read more at Law360 or at BigClassAction. Tesla Motors stock (TSLA) has risen after weeks of losses. It gained 5.4 percent during the week ending December 19, when it closed at $219.29 per share. Since then, it rose slightly more, closing at $222.26 on December 24. Morgan Stanley lowered its target price on Tesla stock from $320 to $290, predicting lower sales on the upcoming Model III than expected before, but still called Tesla a good long-term investment. Analysts at CNBC predicted Tesla to be the best performing stock of 2015. Read more at ETF Daily News. Oslo- and New York-based architecture firm Snohetta has designed a zero-emissions house that also charges an electric car. The ZEB Pilot House, built in Larvik, Norway, uses a solar panel on the roof to power the house, which also provides enough excess energy to charge an EV. To make the most of energy most efficiently, the house uses smart technology to use as much energy as it can once it's harvested. This means one can turn on appliances like the washing machine remotely while the sun is at the optimum angle in the sky - perhaps during mid-day when the residents are at work. The house also uses organic materials and is designed to save as much energy as possible. Read more at Wired.

Deep discounts — $12K, $13K, $16K — are fueling a pickup price war

Heavy discounts of up to $16,000 per vehicle are fueling a "truck war" among full-size pickups sold in the United States by the Detroit Three, a Reuters analysis shows. Strong U.S. sales this year of the highly profitable big trucks have helped offset lagging passenger car sales. But it is not clear how much of the truck demand is linked directly to ample factory incentives and dealer discounts, or how far sales might decline without those subsidies. A Reuters survey of Ford, General Motors Co's Chevrolet and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's Ram truck dealers across the United States indicates stores are offering deep discounts the country's bestselling full-size pickup trucks. "The walls are not crashing down on full-size trucks," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Detroit-based automakers want to keep cranking out their high-margin trucks, he added, and "giving up a little of the profit is the cheapest way to do it." Stores are offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the 2018 Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling vehicle in the country, recording more than 80,000 sales in May. Discounts run up to $13,000 on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and as high as $16,000 on the Ram 1500. Average transaction prices for full-size pick-ups range from around $42,000 to $45,000, industry analysts and automakers say. All three companies are spending furiously - GM and Fiat Chrysler to help sell off carryover 2018 trucks to prepare for redesigned 2019 models, and Ford to sustain its long-held sales crown. A supplier fire that temporarily shut down production of the F-150 last month "changed the game," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive in Troy, Michigan said. The supply halt nudged Ford's crosstown rivals "to ratchet up incentives on the current models to go after weakness at Ford," he said. Deals advertised on the companies' official websites range from rebates and low-interest loans to ultra-cheap lease rates, but they are not telling the whole story. Ford, for instance, advertises a $2,000 rebate and a $500 financing credit on sales of certain F-150 models. But James Collins Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, is offering discounts of up to $12,215 on the 2018 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4. The price cuts are even steeper at a number of GM and Fiat Chrysler dealers. Quirk Chevrolet is selling the 2018 Silverado 1500 Double Cab at $13,000 off sticker.

GM won't sell 2014 Chevrolet SS in Canada

Allow us to be the first to extend our condolences to our friends to the north. General Motors has announced the 2014 Chevrolet SS will not be available in Canada. The Globe and Mail reports the automaker has confirmed the high-performance sedan won't hit Canadian dealers, though GM hasn't offered up any reasoning as to why that is.
Buyers here in the US of A, meanwhile, can look forward to getting their hands on the 415-horspower, rear-wheel drive SS by late summer. Something tells us it won't be long after that before Canadian officials start seeing individually imported 6.2-liter V8 four-doors in their neighborhoods. Fortunately, Canadian buyers will still be able to take home the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette. The C7 bowed at the Canadian International Auto Show last week, reportedly drawing sizable crowds and interest.