The Chevy Tahoe is the Number One Choice Among K-9 Units

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - When it comes vehicles preferences of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the Chevrolet Tahoe is the number one choice among K-9 units. Choosing the type of vehicles used for the K-9 units is an important decision for the Oakland County Sheriff, and the ability to take the heat off of hard-working police dogs helps make the Chevy Tahoe Police Patrol Vehicle (of PPV) the country's most popular police vehicle for K-9 units.

So what makes the Tahoe a perfect K-9 unit vehicle? The spacious interior and the state-of-the-art climate control system are ideal for all three of the major components of a K-9 unit: the police officer, the police dog, and the vehicle they travel in.

 

 Like the video above states, dogs are extremely vulnerable to heat. The Tahoe PPV has more heating and cooling vents in the vehicle's third-row area than any other police utility vehicle. In the Tahoe PPV, the seat is eliminated to make room for the K-9 unit's kennel which allows the industry's only third-row upper and lower air vents to circulate cooled air to the back of the vehicle — which is why the Chevy Tahoe is the number one choice among K-9 units.

If you would like to learn more about the Chevrolet police portfolio, visit: www.gmfleet.com/police

If you would like to test drive any of our 2016 Chevy Tahoes, stop by and take one out today! At your local Alma area used car dealer, we have tons of beautiful new and used vehicles on site that are ALWAYS available to be taken out for a test drive! Visit us at your Graff Mt. Pleasant Chevy Dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac Dealershiplocated at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.


Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com

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Chevrolet Revealed The All-New 2016 Chevy Cruze

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - Last night in Downtown Detroit at the Fillmore, Chevrolet revealed the all-new 2016 Chevy Cruze to the delight of press, auto-insiders, writers and car-buyers. The all-new Cruze is more fuel efficient, lighter and longer, all things that buyers felt needed to be upgraded when Chevy initially started the new remodel. Currently, the Cruze is Chevrolet's best selling vehicle so it's exciting to see what new features and updates GM has in store for 2016.

John Cafaro, the Executive Director of Chevrolet Design, explained that Chevy wanted to keep a common styling theme that began with the new Impala, extended through the 2016 Malibu and now the Cruze. The new 2016 Cruze blends conservative and luxury designs perfectly together to create a vehicle that should run away with its segment, especially since the Cruze is such a globally popular model.

Chevrolet revealed the all-new 2016 Chevy Cruze, which takes giant leaps in the safety feature technology. There are 10 air bags, a side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure alert and forward collision alert. Within the updated and stylish interior, there is a completely redesigned 7-inch infotainment display that will showcase Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All these added technology and safety features are what make the new Cruze relevant once again, as Stephanie Brinley– an industry anaylist with IHS Auotmotive– states, "They've (Chevy) been pretty conservative in this segment for some time, but that has served them well in the market. What it needs to be is fashionable and help Chevrolet get more loyalty and bring new people into the brand."

We feel that brand loyalty will not be a problem once drivers and buyers realize how perfect the all new 2016 Chevy Cruze is for them! We won't get the new Cruze here at Graff Mt. Pleasant until the spring of 2016, but you can bet we will have all the information so when it does get here you'll be well informed! If you would like to take a look at any of our new or used Chevy models, call us to schedule a test drive! Visit us at our Chevrolet dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.

Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com 

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Recycled Volt Batteries Help Power GM's New IT Building

MT.PLEASANT, Mich. - General Motors has always been on the cusp of retooling and repurposing their products. Recently Chevy and GM released news that recycled Volt batteries help power GM's new IT building at its Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Mich. Since the Volt usually draws its power from a band of energy in the battery pack itself, there is a TON of leftover juice for stationary usage.

Currently, five Volt batteries are housed in the administration building's circuit breaker panel, where solar energy and two wind turbines feed the power which supplies the entire IT building. In the past, recycled Volt battery covers have been used in multiple ways, including material for bat houses to nesting boxes for endangered duck species. Chevrolet is now moving forward and is tapping the energy left in the first-generation batteries.

The first-generation recycled Volt batteries help power GM's new IT building, and this secondary use application is proving to be an area where GM is thriving. Pablo Valencia, senior manager of Battery Life Cycle Management states, "Even after the battery has reached the end of its useful life in a Chevrolet Volt, up to 80 percent of its storage capacity remains." You read that right: 80 percent! The reuse of these Volt batteries has also helped the data center in Milford attain a LEED Gold certification from the U.S Green Building Council.

The energy pulled from the used Volt batteries, paired with a 74-kilowatt ground-mounted solar array and two 2kW wind-turbines, produces approximately 100Mwh of energy annually,which is enough to power 12 average households. It's no surprise that GM and Chevy are leading the way when it comes to energery conservation, and we are excited to see what they have in store for us next! If you're interested in talking about more ways Chevy is staying innovative, stop by and see us! Visit us at our Chevrolet dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.

Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com 

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Chevrolet Is Throwing Its Hat Into The Self-Driving Concept Car Game

MT.PLEASANT, Mich. – Chevrolet is throwing its hat into the self-driving concept car game! Recently, a sharp-edged self-driving vehicle was developed at General Motors' Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center joint venture in Shanghai. 

The vehicle itself looks liking something out of a science fiction movie, and was revealed ahead of the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai this past spring. The low-slinging body and bubble-like windshield are packed with sensors and roof-mounted radar that can read the three dimensional mapping that allows cars to navigate through traffic and steer clear of various objects. Hubless motors fit into the wheels, while dragonfly doors define the smooth side of the vehicle. 

The concept vehicle comes with a ton of cool features, including the Chevy Intelligent Assistant, which enables the owner to start the vehicle through recognition of the iris in his or her eye. See? Strait out of a science fiction film! In self-pricing mode, the vehicle's front seats can swivel 180-degrees to face the rear seats, which creates a more intimate setting. The driver can switch back into manual mode through the gesture control feature.

Chevrolet is throwing its hat into the self-driving concept car game, but GM has not revealed how far the self-driving concept car is from full-scale production. However, GM is showing that the auto company is paying attention to what is quickly becoming the industry's assumed next frontier. It's so exciting to represent a company that is always on the cusp of integrating new technology into the public domain! For more information on ANY of Chevrolet's models, feel free to stop by and pay us a visit! Visit us at our Chevrolet dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.

Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com 

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Summer Car Care Tips

MT. PLEASANT, Mich.– To say winters here in Michigan are hard on our vehicles is an intense understatement. What many Michiganders don't know is that summer can be JUST AS TOUGH on your vehicle as winter. Intense heat can destroy batteries, and put stress on the tires and cooling system. Thanks to the lowest summer gas prices since 2009, many Americans will be hitting the road this summer for vacation. By making sure your vehicle is running smoothly you can avoid breakdowns or car problems that will definitely put a thorn in your summer plans. To insure a safe trip you may want to check out these summer car care tips:

• The greatest cause of summer breakdowns is cooling system failure. The cooling system should be completely flushed out and refilled every two years. Be sure that you understand the level, condition and concentration of the coolant should also be checked periodically, especially when it first starts to warm up after the long winter. 

• Your brakes have been working hard all winter, make sure they're okay! Your brakes have kept you from sliding off the road since January, so make sure they are up to par before you head out this summer. If you notice pulsations, grabbing noises or longer stopping distances, bring your vehicle to a certified technician ASAP. 

• Maintain and check up on your air conditioning. Nothing, and we mean NOTHING, is worse than the air conditioning going out in the middle of the summer. Driving around in a car when it's 80+ degrees out is hard enough on your vehicle. Take out the air conditioning and good luck trying to go anywhere fast. Even a marginally operating system will fail in the hot weather, so have your air conditioning checked out by a qualified technician. 

• Check your windshield wipers. Your windshield wipers have been working overtime since January. A dirty windshield causes eye fatigue and can also pose a safety hazard. Replace worn windshield wiper blades and have plenty of windshield wiper fluid handy. 

• Heat zaps life away from your battery.  Many car owners believe that battery problems only occur in the winter, which could not be further from the truth. Heat and vibration are the two WORST things for a car battery, and ultimately lead to engine failure. If your car's battery is more than three years old, have it checked by a certified technician before heading out on the road. 

By making sure you vehicle is good to hit the road, you can avoid any awkward waiting-on-the-side-of-the-road-for-a-tow-truck events. If you would like to schedule a service appointment with any of our certified technicians, feel free! We would love to check out your car to make sure it's safe and ready to hit the open road. Schedule an appointment online today! Visit us at our Chevrolet dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.

Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com 

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Chevy Will Bring The 2016 Sixth-Gen Camaro To Lansing

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - General Motors announced last week that Chevy will bring the 2016 sixth-gen Camaro to Lansing, Michigan, to be built in Michigan's capital city. Chevrolet will hire back 500 second shift jobs at the plant to help build the new muscle car.

The 2016 Chevy Camaro will end its summer promo tour at the Los Angeles Auto Show before coming home to Lansing to begin production in November. It will be available to buyers near the end of the 2015 fourth quarter, and consumers are counting down the days till they can get their hands on Chevy's new muscle car.

Currently, the fifth-gen Camaro is being built across the border in an Ontario plant. While GM is excited the new Camaro will be built in Lansing, they are also investing over $170 million into Lansing's facility for new equipment that includes new paint systems to accommodate new Camaro-only colors: Summit White, Bright Yellow and Red Hot. Currently, General Motors also builds the Cadillac ATS and CTS models at the Lansing Plant.

The mayor of Lansing, Mayor Virg Bernero, stated, "Gearing up for full-scale production of the legendary Chevy Camaro is a new high point in the more than two decades of extraordinary partnership between the City of Lansing, General Motors and the UAW." This investment into the Lansing plant is just a small part of the current $2.8 billion investment that General Motors is putting into a multitude of its facilities across the country. These include a $439 million investment at the Corvette plant in Kentucky and a $1.2 billion investment at its truck facility in Indiana.

The all-new sixth-generation Camaro was revealed in Detroit last month, and since then has been going toe-to-toe against the 50th Anniversary Edition Mustang and the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Chevy will bring the 2016 sixth-gen Camaro to Lansing in the fall and you can bet that Hank Graff of Mt. Pleasant will have the best inventory around! Visit us at our Chevrolet dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.

Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com 

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Chevrolet Has Recently Announced Its Next Big Reveal: The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze

MT.PLEASANT, Mich. – Chevrolet has recently announced its next big reveal: the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. The all-new Chevy Cruze will offer both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as blogged about previously, and will debut in Detroit on June 24^th.

Beginning at the start of 2015, Chevrolet has been on a whirlwind pace of overhauling their entire lineup. It started at this year’s Detroit Auto Show with the reveal of the 2016 Volt. The 2016 Malibu and Spark had their big reveal in New York, while the much anticipated 2016 next-gen Camaro was released in grand fashion on Belle Isle in May. After those four revels, Chevrolet has recently announced its next big reveal: the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze.   

While we don’t know exactly what the 2016 Cruze will look like in its e

ntirety, spy shots show that the U.S-spec model will has a similar overall shape as China’s Cruze (pictured above), but will look more like a mix between the Volt and Malibu designs, intriguing right? The Cruze has been immensely successful for GM a Chevrolet, both domestically and abroad, since its introduction into the U.S market in 2010. We at Hank Graff Mt. Pleasant cannot WAIT to see the 2016 Cruze, as well as its innovative Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto!

Here at Graff Mt. Pleasant, we'll be posting updates and news on the 2016 Cruze as it comes down the line! If you would like to chat more about Chevy’s 2016 lineup, give us a shout-out! Visit us at our Chevrolet dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.

Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com 

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General Motors Partners With Apple And Google To Stop Distracted Driving

Apple CarPlay in the 2016 Chevy Cruze

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – This week, General Motors partners with Apple And Google to stop distracted driving with Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. The communication system will link directly to Chevrolet's 7-inch MyLink infotainment system on 14 new models later this year. This makes it possible for both iPhone users as well as Android users to have access to this new technology, however due to testing issues, Android Auto is still a few months behind and will not be available until AFTER Apple's CarPlay.

Finally, someone is coming up with a great way to fight distracted driving! We do not have to go over the statistics and facts about how bad texting and driving is so we won't, and it looks like General Motors has finally said that enough is ENOUGH! So how does it work? The two smart-phone systems integrate the iPhone or Android functions with the Chevy vehicle in the central display. Android Auto is built completely around Google, Google Now and Google Maps but also has access to streaming apps such as Spotify. Apple's CarPlay uses Siri as well as the iPhone's phone, messaging and map functions as well as iTunes and Maps.

General Motors partners with Apple And Google to stop distracted driving and this marriage between smart phones and automakers is long coming and completely obvious, as GM notes that there are more than 2.3 billion smart phones currently in use globally. GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement this week, "For most of us, our smartphones are essential. Partnering with Google and Apple to offer CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility across the widest ranges of models in the industry is a great example of how Chevrolet continues to democratize technology that's important to our customers."

If you would like to talk more about Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto, feel free to stop by or give us a call! Visit us at our Chevrolet dealership located at 4580 E Pickard Rd in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 or our Buick GMC Cadillac dealership located at 116 N. Mission St in Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.

Websites: Chevrolet: HankGraffMtPleasant.com and Buick GMC Cadillac: GraffBGC.com 

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