GM's High Truck Sales Allow Financing for Self-Driving Cars

MT. PLEASANT, Mich -- General Motors is pushing ahead in the electric/self-driving car game, and their self-given deadline to deploy a fleet of autonomous vehicles for ride-sharing is fast approaching! 

In a press conference in February, when asked about the corporation's progress on the project, Mary Barra stated that GM was "continuing to make rapid progress with the technology" and that they were "the only player out there with the hardware and the software under one roof". 

But that kind of progress comes with a fair amount of spending, so how is the corporation able to afford this project? They're relying on their core business: trucks. GM reported a net profit of $2.1 billion for the first quarter, up from $1.1 billion a year ago! 

Numerous skeptics on Wall Street, and from other automakers have come out with statements that express doubt towards GM's ability to hold to their established timeline, but the Detroit carmaker is not backing down from their promises. Do you think GM will be able to meet their deadline of releasing a self-driving fleet of vehicles by late this year/early next? Why or why not? 

At Hank Graff Mt. Pleasant we strive to provide our customers with a car buying experience that is accommodating, stress-free and fun! 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.

3 Important Ways General Motors Honors Military Heroes

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. -- General Motors has a long history of supporting our military and focuses on assisting veterans in three ways: jobs, vehicles, and homes. We at Graff Mt. Pleasant are proud to be part of a company that honors our nation's heroes and seeks to give back to them in return for everything they do to ensure our freedom and safety. 

Here are 3 important ways that General Motors honors our military veterans.

1. JOBS

The unemployment rate amongst veterans 3.7 percent nationally. Thanks to companies like GM, it is below 3.5 percent in the state of Michigan as they currently employ over 5,000 vets and will hire 500 more this year.

2. VEHICLES

The General Motors Military Discount Program gives a special discounted purchase or lease price on eligible GM vehicles to active duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, veterans within 3 years of discharge, and retirees of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. 

Effective June 1st, GM is expanding its military discount program to include First Responders. Find out more on the official website.

3. HOMES

Through their support of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Tower Foundation and the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund of Michigan, GM helps to place vets in Smart Homes so they can live the lives they deserve.

Through the Smart Home Program, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Tower Foundation has committed to building a minimum of 200 mortgage-free, custom-designed homes to meet the specific needs of injured service members. The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund of Michigan, an all-volunteer group of private citizens, offers essential financial assistance to our state's veterans of the post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and their families.

Over the years, GM has raised more than $8 million dollars towards the support of our military veterans through these two charities with the help of their customers, dealers, and employees. Find out more about the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund of Michigan and see how you can join the cause!

Those were 3 important ways that General Motors gives back to our nation's heroes for everything they give to us, and Graff Mt. Pleasant is honored to be apart of it. With Memorial Day coming up, we encourage you to keep the families of fallen service members in your heart and mind and be sure to thank a veteran or active duty member for the sacrifices they've made and continue to make to ensure our freedom and safety.

During the month of May, military service members can share their GM military discount with a family member! Contact us to get started.

At Hank Graff Mt. Pleasant we strive to provide our customers with a car buying experience that is accommodating, stress-free and fun! 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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GM Launches New Car Sharing Program

MT.PLEASANT, Mich. – A big change in the city for New Yorkers! It’s not worth having a car in the city because of the hassle and cost, but GM launched a new car-sharing program called Let’s Drive NYC, and it's the perfect solution.

GM has paired with The Ritz Plaza, a 479-unit apartment building, and Icon Parking, owner of 200 parking structures in the city, to design their new car-sharing program, Let’s Drive NYC.

The only people eligible to use GM’s new car-sharing program are the residents of The Ritz Plaza. Each has a GM-developed app on their phone that will reserve a vehicle and parking for them within the city. Options for vehicles are 10 Chevrolet cars including eight Trax and two Equinox, but more are to be added later.

Considering the lease payments of the residents, The Ritz Plaza has given credit for three hours of rental per month. Any additional time will cost renters less than $10 an hour and up to $75 for a 24-hour reservation. 

The Ritz Plaza is proud to make the lifestyle of its residents better and easier with GM, a leader with an urban mobility strategy. GM also has car-sharing programs with partners in China and Germany so they can better understand and continue to address problems with urban transportation.

We’ll have to wait a little longer until we get a car-sharing program of our own in Michigan, but until then check out our new Chevy cars for sale. We can also take care of your oil changes and any other auto service you need at our dealership near Big Rapids.

At Hank Graff Mt. Pleasant we strive to provide our customers with a car buying experience that is accommodating, stress-free, and fun! 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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GM Could Potentially Boost Production of Full-Size SUVs

General Motors©

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. - Many automotive insiders agree that the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, 2015 GMC Yukon, 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe are responsible for somewhere around $3 billion of General Motors' annual profit. Due to this extreme success, GM could potentially boost production of full-size SUVs.

These celebrated GM vehicles are produced in the Arlington, Texas plant and according to GMAuthority.com , the plant will be producing an additional 48,000 - 60,000 vehicles for the 2016 model year. This tip came quickly after a plant spokesperson confirmed the addition of overtime shifts being added on Saturdays at Arlington, which began back on August 1. Currently, the factory can produce an average 1,200 vehicles per day.

The news that GM could potentially boost production of full-size SUVs goes hand-in-hand with the $1.4 billion investment announcement for the Arlington plant. Many believe that the recent drop in gas prices nationwide is one of the main reasons the Crossover, Small SUV and Full-Size SUV segments have become so popular and sold so well in the last year and half.

If you would like to check out any of these General Motors SUVs, feel free to check out our online inventory, or stop by for a test drive! 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 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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GM is Driving Safer with a New Active Safety Test Area

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI – GM just opened a brand new Active Safety Test Area at its Milford Proving Ground costing $14 million, and stretching 52 acres. Safety engineers will develop and test safety technologies for vehicles around the world here.

The 2016 models of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac will offer 22 different active safety technologies, all ranging from alerts to ones that can assist drivers in dangerous situations.

Some examples of the new technologies include:

• City Speed Automatic Braking: While city-driving at a lower speed, the system will detect if you get too close to a car and brake for you to reduce the damage of the accident or stop it completely.

• Front Pedestrian Braking: Also while driving at a low speed, the vehicle will detect a pedestrian walking in front of your car and apply the brakes to minimize the severity of the accident or stop it completely.

•  Rear Camera Mirror: Rather than your traditional mirror, the camera provides a bigger and less obstructed view of what’s behind you. This makes changing lanes and backing up much easier on the driver.

• Night Vision: This is an infrared image of the area lit in front of the headlamps. It also gives the driver alerts of any pedestrians or large animals crossing.

• Curb View Camera: When you’re parking your car the system gives the driver a look at what’s immediately in front of their car. The system will display this right on the center stack to help the driver avoid curbs, poles, and other vehicles.

The new GM Active Safety Test Area makes it easier to test all safety technologies in one place. Some of the features of the new facility include a: 

• 6-acre dynamics pad to test a number of robot-controlled and automated vehicles.

• Highway simulation with six lanes, on/off ramps, and signs to match roads around the world.

• Parking test area with a variety of curbs types and landscaping.

• Pedestrian test area with a 90-degree intersection specially designed for exact dummy movement.

• Simulated tunnel with walls and posts.

• Building for indoor testing and observation, as well as hoists for test prep and a robotic control situation.

GM wants to set a new standard for global product safety and to continue being the leading developer of safety technologies for vehicles.

If you have questions about any of the safety options you can get with your next vehicle come to our St. Louis area used car dealership, they can help you find the perfect used car for you.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 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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