Is this the future? Walgreens will install electric car charging stations at over 800 locations

Walgreens has announced they will have electric car charging stations installed in over 800 locations throughout the US. They have already begun to install these stations in Chicago and Texas. They will also install them in large metropolitan cities like Boston, LA, New York, and Washington D.C. among others.

The price to use the charging stations will depend on the location’s cost of electricity.

Is this a glimpse into the future? Will other retailers, such as Wal Mart, install electric car chargers too? Time will tell.

New government regulations means automakers must improve their fleet fuel economy average to about 34 MPG by 2016 and nearly 55 MPG by 2025. Electric motors will be a big part of automakers achieving such high MPG numbers.

Electric cars are starting to be introduced by automakers. Nissan introduced the all electric Leaf for 2011 and GM introduced the Chevrolet Volt, a plug in hybrid. Ford will soon release a electric version of the re-designed Ford Focus and the Ford C-Max, a hybrid/plug in hybrid hatchback. Toyota announced more versions of the Prius hybrid car that will include a plug in version of it.

Who knows how long before they come to Decatur or the Fort Wayne area in general? Before you know it we will have some electric cars on our lot at Custom Car Care and lots of retail stores like Walgreens will have charging stations. 

How to Keep Your Car Cool in Hot Weather

With the temperature reaching well over 90 degrees people want to know how to keep their vehicle cool. We put together a short list of ideas.

Try and keep your car in the shade. This sounds like a no brainer but a lot of people forget about it.

Cover your windows. Some people use windshield shades. You can find these at any local auto parts store. They go directly over the windshield and if you use one you should be parked facing the sun. It is really a good idea to cover all of your windows though. You can’t have to use an actual windshield shade. A white towel would work too.

Crack your windows a little. Letting a little air in the car would allow for some heat to get out. If you have remote start you can even start your car (with the A/C on) before you get in. A lot of people only think to use their remote start in the winter but it is nice to use in the summer too.

If you want to spend a little money you can tint your windows too. This will help cool the temperature of your vehicle too. 

Customer Service Complaints from Car Buyers

Customer service is important to your organization’s success; it doesn’t what where you work. CarGurus released a study regarding consumer’s top 5 complaints when it comes to car dealers.

#1 No response. Customers call or emails regarding a vehicle or issue but never hear back from the dealer.

#2 Bait and switch. This has been used by a lot of car dealers for years. The dealer advertises what seems like the perfect car and the right price only when you inquire about the car it has “just been sold”. It’s important to remember that sometimes if a dealer says that a car you are looking at has “just been sold” it might be true.

#3 Inconsistent communication. This happen consumers work with multiple employees at a dealership especially from different departments.

#4 Employee’s attitudes. No one wants to buy a car from someone who is rude or arrogant. It makes it even worse when they try and pressure customers into buying on the spot. People just want to be treated with respect and honesty.

#5 Wasted time. The worst is when someone drives to the dealership from a distance but the car they come to see is not available. Customers don’t like to wait in general. It doesn’t matter if you are in the checkout line at Wal Mart, having dinner at Pizza Hut, or buying a vehicle. No one likes the feeling of their time being wasted.

No More Spare Tire

For years a spare tire has been standard for all vehicles. A lot of people wont buy a vehicle unless it has a good spare tire. That will have to change.

Automakers are scrambling to improve fuel economy in order to meet new government regulations. One way they are doing this is getting rid of the spare tire and replacing it with a flat-fixing kit. This reduces the weight of the vehicle which improves fuel economy.

The no spare tire is a negative for many consumers. There are some bright spots besides better fuel economy though. The improvement in technology has decreased the chance of getting a flat tire in the first place. Another positive is roadside assistance. A lot of people have roadside assistance in some form which decreases the need for them to have a spare tire.

If having a spare tire is important for you to have you don't want to assume the next vehicle you buy will have one. If it is not important to you to have a spare tire you might want to consider taking the spare tire out of your vehicle and buying a flat-fixing kit.

Keep Track Of Your Fuel Economy

The average household will spend $700 more on gasoline this year then they did last year. Everyone wants to get the most miles per gallon out of their car. Few people know how to do this though.

The first step is to keep track of your miles per gallon. Data is used to keep track of performance in business, sports, etc. The key to keeping track of this data is being organized. People report that they see an improvement in their fuel economy just by keeping track of it and being aware of what it is.

FuelClinic.com allows you to be organized. It’s free to sign up and it will calculate your miles per gallon. You can read more about how it works here.

Saudi Prince doesn’t like the thought of alternative fuels

The 26^th richest man in the world doesn’t like the thought of alternative fuels. Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal said in an interview with CNN that he hopes that lower fuel prices will prevent America (along with other countries) from moving forward with alternative fuel vehicles.

Automaker’s fleet must reach an average of 35 MPG by 2016. The Obama Administration wants to raise that from 35 to anywhere from 47 to 62 MPG by 2025. Plus they are pushing the automakers to develop all electric cars. Nissan released the Leaf this year and Ford will offer an all-electric version of the Focus by the end of this year.

Bin Talal said he would like to see a barrel of oil between $70-$80 instead of the current price of over $100.  

Attention Prius Owners!

The Toyota Prius is the most fuel efficient car in America at over 50 MPG. It first went on sale in 2000. Toyota sold less than 6,000 Prius hybrid in the first year but sales have risen and they have been selling over 100,000 Prius hybrids annually. Toyota recently sold the 1 millionth Prius in the United States.

Toyota is celebrating the milestone of 1 million Prius sold in the United States by giving away "Prius Goes Platinum" badges to Prius owners. The first 1,000 Prius owners will get a custom-molded, adhesive-backed badge. The next 10,000 will get their badge in sticker form with the rest getting their badge digitally.

If you are a Prius owner you can get your badge by clicking here!