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GM will stop reporting monthly U.S. vehicle sales

DETROIT — General Motors said on Tuesday it will stop reporting monthly U.S. vehicle sales, saying the 30-day snapshot does not accurately reflect the market, and will instead issue quarterly sales. GM will also no longer report monthly sales in China, its largest market, and Brazil. GM will provide monthly data to the U.S. Federal Reserve, industry associations and government agencies across the globe, but that data is not made public. Analysts and investors rely on monthly U.S. vehicle sales not just to track the performance of individual automakers, but as a barometer of the health of the world's second-largest auto market and as an indicator of consumer confidence in the U.S. economy overall. GM and its Detroit rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler have relied heavily on sales of high-margin pickup truck and SUV sales to boost profits. GM's total U.S. sales, its second-largest market, are down 3.2 percent for the first two months of 2018, reflecting a 6.8 percent drop in retail sales to individual customers, the company reported last month. GM executives have expressed frustration that comparisons of monthly U.S. sales results among rival automakers are distorted by short-term discount programs, and by differences in strategy for selling vehicles in bulk to rental car fleets. "Thirty days is not enough time to separate real sales trends from short-term fluctuations in a very dynamic, highly competitive market," Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president for sales operations said in a statement. GM's actions could prompt other automakers to also switch to quarterly U.S. sales reports. Major automakers will report March U.S. new vehicle sales on Tuesday. Until the early 1990s, most U.S. automakers released sales results every 10 days. The former Chrysler Corp. stopped reporting sales on a 10-day basis in 1990, and rivals followed suit over the next three years. GM executives are betting that investors will quickly adapt to receiving U.S. sales data every three months, as investors in other retail sectors already have. Retailers such as Walmart report sales on a quarterly basis. Reporting by Joe WhiteRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Green Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC US

Engine block heater issues force GM to recall 324,226 diesel heavy duty trucks

General Motors has issued a recall on 324,226 diesel heavy duty trucks that could be susceptible to short circuits, and consequently, potential fire. The recall affects several models of heavy duty Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras with optional engine block heaters. GM is recalling seven different truck models spread across three years. The recall affects the 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, 2017-2019 Silverado 3500HD, 2019 Silverado 4500HD, 2019 Silverado 5500HD, and 2019 Silverado 6500HD, plus the 2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500HD and 2017-2019 Sierra 3500HD. Specifically, it includes these models with the 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engines and the optional engine block heater. The recall technically deals not with the engine block heater itself, but the way it is connected. According to NHTSA campaign No. 19V328000, the engine block heater cord or the terminals that link the cord to the heater could short circuit. A short circuit could potentially damage engine components and result in a fire. According to The Detroit News, 19 fires have been reported but nobody has been injured. GM has yet to figure out a fix, and thus has not yet released a notification schedule for affected customers. If you believe your vehicle is part of the recall, contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733 and use reference number N182206310.

Goodbye Chevy Bolt, hello baby Ram and electric Chrysler 300 replacement? | Autoblog Podcast # 779

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. They kick things off this week with some news. The Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV will be discontinued. The McLaren 750S gets revealed and a four-door new flagship McLaren are rumored. Did Chrysler show dealers an electric 300 replacement, did we spy a new compact Ram, and are we closer to a production version of the Genesis X Convertible? Also, Greg recently visited Michigan Central Station, which Ford is revitalizing. In this week's fleet, your hosts discuss driving the Genesis Electrified GV70, Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition and the Polaris RZR XP. Finally, they take to Reddit for this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast # 779 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News Chevy Bolt EV and EUV, two of the most affordable EVs, ending production McLaren 750S revealed, adding power and lightness to the old 720S McLaren reportedly confirms four-door model and next flagship supercar Chrysler reportedly showed its dealers an electric 300 replacement Ram small pickup truck spy photos show scaled-down 1500 looks Are we closer to a production version of the Genesis X Convertible? Bill Ford's dream takes shape: Historic Detroit building turns tech incubator Cars we're driving 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70 2023 Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition 2024 Polaris RZR XP Spend My Money: Swap a 2023 Kia Stinger GT2 AWD for a 2022 Audi SQ5 Prestige? Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Podcasts Chevrolet Chrysler Ford Genesis McLaren RAM Truck Convertible Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance Supercars Sedan