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24
DEC

CHEVROLET AND ONSTAR HELP KIDS FIND SANTA ON HIS JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD


DETROIT — Whether you’ve been good or bad, starting Dec. 24, you can follow the big guy’s journey around the globe with the simple push of a button – and for each Santa location request in the United States, a donation will be made to the American Red Cross1.


Chevrolet and OnStar, in partnership with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), will provide callers with real-time, location-based updates along with an important reminder: Santa won’t visit your home until you’re fast asleep.


“The holiday season is all about spreading cheer, serving the community and connecting others, and OnStar is a key enabler for that,” said Lois McEntyre, OnStar’s director of Contact Centers Operations. “We receive thousands of Santa Update calls and OnStar advisors love helping callers experience the joys of Christmas.”


In the spirit of the season, OnStar will also donate $1 to the American Red Cross for each Santa Update button push received2.


Details:

  • ·         Santa Update calls can be made anytime between 6 a.m. ET on Dec. 24 through 6 a.m. ET on Dec 25.
  • ·         Chevrolet owners with an active OnStar subscription3 can press the blue OnStar button to request a Santa Update and learn Santa’s current location.
  • ·         OnStar advisors leverage data provided by NORAD to share specific location-based updates on Santa Claus’ annual journey.
  • ·         Eligible individuals without an OnStar subscription can push the blue button to activate a free trial of select OnStar services4by asking for “Three Years on Us.” New subscribers also receive a three-month trial of all OnStar services at no cost.
  • ·         OnStar is dedicated to the safety and security of its subscribers. Advisor staffing will be adjusted to support the increased call volume from Santa Update requests.
  
ABOUT CHEVROLET

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.


ABOUT ONSTAR
Launched in 1996, OnStar is a wholly owned subsidiary of GM Holdings LLC (“GM”) and offers emergency, security, navigation, connections and vehicle manager services in Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Opel and Vauxhall models. Totaling nearly 10 million customers in North America, Europe, China and South America, OnStar offers a range of standard, subscription and a la carte services such as Advanced Diagnostics, Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, OnStar Smart Driver and 4G LTE Wi-Fi.



1OnStar will donate $1 to the Red Cross societies in US, Canada and Mexico for every Santa Update blue button push by OnStar subscribers across US, Canada and Mexico from 6:00 am EST on December 24, 2017 through 6 a.m. EST on December 25, 2017, up to a  maximum donation of $10,000.

2The American Red Cross name and emblem are used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of any product, service, company, opinion or political position. The American Red Cross logo is a registered trademark owned by The American National Red Cross. For more information about the American Red Cross, please visit redcross.org. 

3Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details and system limitations. Services vary by model. Service plan required.


4The OnStar Basic Planais available for three years for new Subscribers of eligible 2011 model year or newer, OnStar-equipped, inactive vehicles. Basic Plan includes Advanced Diagnostics,b Dealer Maintenance Notification, and access to limited vehicle mobile app features.c Basic Plan does not include emergency, security, or Turn-by-Turn Navigation, which require a paid subscription plan. Ability to send a destination to a vehicle's in-dash navigation screen through a smartphone is available in Basic Plan for 2011 model year and newer vehicles with an embedded navigation system. Visit onstar.com for vehicle availability, coverage map, details and system limitations. Offer subject to change and must be redeemed by March 30, 2018.



20
DEC

Piedmont Natural Gas Aims for CNG Truck Conversions

Piedmont Natural Gas utilizes compressed natural gas in its fleet of dump trucks. (Photo: Piedmont Natural Gas)

Growth of an NGV Fleet

Of the 1,215 vehicles in Piedmont’s fleet, the natural gas company has converted approximately 38% to NGVs since 2009. As of June 2017, it expects that percentage to grow to approximately 42% by the end of the year.
The NGV fleet is predominantly used for customer service-related calls and natural gas pipeline construction and maintenance.
“We have several different models of NGVs in our fleet, with the majority being Ford F-150, F-250, or F-350 trucks. We also have some transit vehicles, such as the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Ford Transit Connect. We also have been adding CNG dump trucks to our fleet,” said David Nestor, director of CNG for Piedmont Natural Gas.
Piedmont Natural Gas Fleet
Asset Type% of Fleet
Car9%
SUV1%
Truck HD1%
Truck LD73%
Van16%
Grand Total100%

SOURCE: PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS
Piedmont Natural Gas is committed to promoting the use of natural gas vehicles as part of its commitment to sustainable business practices.
“We’ve experienced an approximate 30% growth in CNG from 2015 to 2016, and we expect our CNG business to grow up to another 30% in 2017,” Nestor said.
In 2016, Piedmont and its CNG customers together displaced more than 5 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel.

Challenges to Using CNG

The CNG industry is still relatively new, but as more companies choose to convert their fleets to natural gas vehicles, CNG infrastructure and technology will become more widely available.
CNG’s popularity is increasing as more fleet operators are realizing the benefits of compressed natural gas for transportation. According to NGVAmerica, there are currently more than 165,000 NGVs on U.S. roads and more than 1,640 CNG and 123 LNG stations in the U.S. to serve their fueling needs.
“Piedmont is doing our part to promote this technology by helping to build a network of both public and private refueling infrastructure throughout our service territory,” Nestor said.
Piedmont strategically locates its publicly accessible refueling stations near interstates and along major trucking routes.
“We just opened our 11th station, strategically located near the junction of I-40 and US 321 in Hickory, N.C., and we are continually looking at opportunities to expand our footprint and strengthen the CNG infrastructure at our existing stations,” Nestor added. “Our stations are professionally maintained by experienced Piedmont CNG technicians to ensure reliability for our customers. Our public CNG stations accept all major fleet cards for payment to make it easier for our customers.”
Piedmont is also building stations with larger horsepower compressors to accommodate the larger truck tank package and to also reduce the amount of time required to fill the tanks.
Approximately 73% of the Piedmont Natural Gas fleet is comprised of light-duty trucks, with a number of natural-gas-powered Ford F-150s. (Photo: Piedmont Natural Gas)

Approximately 73% of the Piedmont Natural Gas fleet is comprised of light-duty trucks, with a number of natural-gas-powered Ford F-150s. (Photo: Piedmont Natural Gas)

Tips from the Field

Piedmont’s experience in growing a natural gas fleet has been positive, with continued growth on the horizon. For fleets looking to start a conversion, or convert even more vehicles to natural gas, Nestor had some advice.
“Businesses that are considering alternative-fuel sources as part of their sustainability initiatives should consider natural gas. NGVs produce significantly fewer emissions when compared to gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles,” Nestor said.
In addition, Nestor said the largest growth opportunity is in fleet operators who operate heavy-duty trucks. Furthermore, fleets that run regular routes and return to a fixed refueling base, such as delivery vehicles and refuse trucks, can benefit from using CNG.
National and regional fleets can use the CNG station locator on the Department of Energy’s website (www.afdc.energy.gov) to explore more strategic transportation routes that can help a fleet owner increase their CNG utilization.
One major recommendation Nestor had for fleets looking to grow the number of NGVs in use is to have vendors in place to help configure the vehicle correctly for its application.
“In addition, have access to maintenance providers who have facilities set up to work on natural gas vehicles with trained technicians,” Nestor said.
Also, don’t forget to contact your local Clean Cities coalition for networking opportunities and additional assistance. 




20
DEC

Piedmont Natural Gas Aims for CNG Truck Conversions

Piedmont Natural Gas utilizes compressed natural gas in its fleet of dump trucks. (Photo: Piedmont Natural Gas)

Growth of an NGV Fleet

Of the 1,215 vehicles in Piedmont’s fleet, the natural gas company has converted approximately 38% to NGVs since 2009. As of June 2017, it expects that percentage to grow to approximately 42% by the end of the year.
The NGV fleet is predominantly used for customer service-related calls and natural gas pipeline construction and maintenance.
“We have several different models of NGVs in our fleet, with the majority being Ford F-150, F-250, or F-350 trucks. We also have some transit vehicles, such as the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Ford Transit Connect. We also have been adding CNG dump trucks to our fleet,” said David Nestor, director of CNG for Piedmont Natural Gas.
Piedmont Natural Gas Fleet
Asset Type% of Fleet
Car9%
SUV1%
Truck HD1%
Truck LD73%
Van16%
Grand Total100%

SOURCE: PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS
Piedmont Natural Gas is committed to promoting the use of natural gas vehicles as part of its commitment to sustainable business practices.
“We’ve experienced an approximate 30% growth in CNG from 2015 to 2016, and we expect our CNG business to grow up to another 30% in 2017,” Nestor said.
In 2016, Piedmont and its CNG customers together displaced more than 5 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel.

Challenges to Using CNG

The CNG industry is still relatively new, but as more companies choose to convert their fleets to natural gas vehicles, CNG infrastructure and technology will become more widely available.
CNG’s popularity is increasing as more fleet operators are realizing the benefits of compressed natural gas for transportation. According to NGVAmerica, there are currently more than 165,000 NGVs on U.S. roads and more than 1,640 CNG and 123 LNG stations in the U.S. to serve their fueling needs.
“Piedmont is doing our part to promote this technology by helping to build a network of both public and private refueling infrastructure throughout our service territory,” Nestor said.
Piedmont strategically locates its publicly accessible refueling stations near interstates and along major trucking routes.
“We just opened our 11th station, strategically located near the junction of I-40 and US 321 in Hickory, N.C., and we are continually looking at opportunities to expand our footprint and strengthen the CNG infrastructure at our existing stations,” Nestor added. “Our stations are professionally maintained by experienced Piedmont CNG technicians to ensure reliability for our customers. Our public CNG stations accept all major fleet cards for payment to make it easier for our customers.”
Piedmont is also building stations with larger horsepower compressors to accommodate the larger truck tank package and to also reduce the amount of time required to fill the tanks.
Approximately 73% of the Piedmont Natural Gas fleet is comprised of light-duty trucks, with a number of natural-gas-powered Ford F-150s. (Photo: Piedmont Natural Gas)

Approximately 73% of the Piedmont Natural Gas fleet is comprised of light-duty trucks, with a number of natural-gas-powered Ford F-150s. (Photo: Piedmont Natural Gas)

Tips from the Field

Piedmont’s experience in growing a natural gas fleet has been positive, with continued growth on the horizon. For fleets looking to start a conversion, or convert even more vehicles to natural gas, Nestor had some advice.
“Businesses that are considering alternative-fuel sources as part of their sustainability initiatives should consider natural gas. NGVs produce significantly fewer emissions when compared to gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles,” Nestor said.
In addition, Nestor said the largest growth opportunity is in fleet operators who operate heavy-duty trucks. Furthermore, fleets that run regular routes and return to a fixed refueling base, such as delivery vehicles and refuse trucks, can benefit from using CNG.
National and regional fleets can use the CNG station locator on the Department of Energy’s website (www.afdc.energy.gov) to explore more strategic transportation routes that can help a fleet owner increase their CNG utilization.
One major recommendation Nestor had for fleets looking to grow the number of NGVs in use is to have vendors in place to help configure the vehicle correctly for its application.
“In addition, have access to maintenance providers who have facilities set up to work on natural gas vehicles with trained technicians,” Nestor said.
Also, don’t forget to contact your local Clean Cities coalition for networking opportunities and additional assistance.