Electric Cars are only as Green as their Power Supply.
Jan 22nd
Being environmentally conscious is not as easy as we all think. We have been told for years that relying on oil to power our cars is bad for the environment, but that is not necessarily true. A recent study by University of Minnesota professors shows that the environmental impact of all electric cars is not what it we think it is. Sure, electric cars have no emissions from their non existent tail pipes, but the power plants that supply that electricity to energize them sure do and it is far more harmful than you might think. A recent Minneapolis Star Tribune article talks about how coal power is still a common source of electricity that supplies the chargers used by electric cars in the United States and many countries worldwide. An electric car that is charged from coal power plants will cause four times more deaths from soot and smog than a gasoline powered vehicle. Although when you find a cleaner power grid such as natural gas, water, wind or solar to charge an electric car, the environmental impact does skew in the electric car’s favor. The key here is to find out where your electricity comes from. In Minnesota and the surrounding states, coal is the primary source used to generate power.
Some of the alternatives to gas or electric vehicles might not be friendly either. People often think ethanol is friendly for the environment since it is made of corn. It can actually be worse than gas or electric generated from coal when you take to account that is has to be farmed, refined and the tail pipe emissions are also not as good as gas or diesel. When shopping for a vehicle that is environmentally friendly find the most fuel efficient vehicle that is powered by gasoline or diesel. If you really want that electric car do some research on how your power is produced.
Watch this video for some more info on the subject.
Ford Focus RS is coming. . .
Jan 21st
Ford has been subtly hinting that the Focus RS is coming and on February 3rd we finally get to see what they have in store for us. Historically the Focus RS was only available in Europe and this newest platform will be available globally. We have been getting small amounts of info here and there about the probable 2.3l EcoBoost engine from the Mustang which should make between 325-350 hp. Hopefully the rumblings about the torque vectoring all-wheel drive are also true to help put all that power to the ground. The styling should be more aggressive with added aero features and bigger wheels to make room for the larger brakes to tame all that power. If they these features make it to production this RS should make the competition pretty nervous.
Based on the teaser video below we are marking our calendar!
90 Days of Giving | Another Season of Giving Back
Jan 21st
The third annual 90 Days of Giving has finally come to a close after another terrific year of giving back to the local Chippewa, Wisconsin Community. For three months during the Holiday Season Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda pays it forward by giving away much needed vehicles to nominated families. Following the format of previous giveaways, Morrie’s Chippewa Valley partnered with Gordy’s County Market to give three cars away packaged with a $500.00 gas gift card.
The most difficult part of making these wishes come true is going through the hundreds of nominations Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda receives every year for the 90 Days of Giving. Every story is heartfelt and narrowing it down to three is a difficult process. This year the vehicles that were given away went to three deserving people that not only needed a new car, but were relied on by their family and community for rides everyday as well.
Receiving the most notoriety and engagement this year, local news and radio stations crowded the three giveaways bringing the community even more awareness around the generosity of the Morrie’s and Gordy’s crew. Another big part in making these giveaways into a reality is keeping it a surprise. Morrie’s and Gordy’s go to some pretty extensive lengths to make sure the car recipient has a very special moment when they are recognized as a winner of the 90 Days of Giving. Bill, the General Manager at Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda, often will tell the winner “This is your day” making sure the recipient knows that this is a very special life changing moment for them. This year the giveaways took place at the first nominee’s house, the second was surprised in Gordy’s County Market, and the third nominee received their vehicle in Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda’s Service Drive.
We look forward to next year’s 90 Days of Giving and appreciate everyone who participated in this year’s giveaways.
Make-A-Wish: Grayson is going to California
Jan 16th
Meet Grayson. He’s a 4-year-old car nut who is going to be flying out to California to visit Disneyland and the Peterson Auto Museum, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Although Grayson was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, he hasn’t let that stop him from playing with his brothers and sisters and sharing his love of cars with others.
Morrie’s was honored to have the opportunity to team up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and help out for Grayson’s big gift reveal party this past Wednesday!
Morrie’s Auto Group covered the 2015 North American International Auto Show – Day 2
Jan 14th
After a bunch of big reveals from Nissan, Ford, Hyundai, Acura and more on the first day of the 2015 North American International Auto Show, we were excited for day two! Braving the cold temperatures and a food coma from the previous night, we tackled the show floor for another flurry of press conferences from the likes of Cadillac, Lincoln and others.
Morrie’s Auto Group heads to 2015 North American International Auto Show – Day 1
Jan 13th
January means a lot of things to a lot of different people. While most folks don’t necessarily equate the frigid temperatures and icy roads with shiny, fast cars, car people like us know that there’s no better time for the North American International Auto Show, which takes place in Motor City itself: Detroit.
Although January might not be the best time to visit Detroit, we make sure to attend so we can bring back all the latest news from all the major auto manufacturers represented at the show. Since Monday kicked off the start of the media days for the 2015 North American International Auto Show, we thought we’d share some highlights and show you some of the most beautiful and interesting vehicles from the show floor.
Subaru gets ready to go racing with the 2015 STI and BRZ
Jan 9th
While plenty of people know all about Subaru’s rally heritage, the company has plenty of track experience too. Now, for 2015, Subaru debuted a race-prepped 2015 Subaru WRX STI in advance of the 2015 Nurburgring 24 Hour Race at the Tokyo Auto Salon. While no doubt highly modified, Subaru chose not to elaborate much on what the racing modifications included beyond beefed up brakes, sticky race tires, and the obligatory roll cage.
2015 Subaru WRX STI N24 – Photo courtesy of Autoblog.com
Alongside the racy STI, Subaru also rolled out a super low, super wide, Japanese Super GT-spec BRZ. Built to fit within the GT300 class of the Japanese Super GT Series, this lean and mean BRZ should offer a great platform to go racing.
2015 Subaru BRZ GT300 – Photo courtesy of Autoblog.com
In either case, it looks like 2015 is going to be a busy year for the Subaru factory racing teams!
Source: Autoblog.com
2016 Cadillac CTS-V Press Release | 640 HP and 200 MPH | Morrie’s Cadillac
Dec 22nd
In late Summer 2015 the all new 2016 Cadillac CTS-V with 640 HP will be hitting show floors. The CTS-V will be the most powerful vehicle to launch in the prestigious 112-year heritage lifespan of the Cadillac brand – it will also be the 3rd generation of the V-Series which began just a decade ago with the first generation CTS-V. With the aforementioned 640 HP and 630 lb-ft of torque this CTS-V is going to be placing itself into the conversation of the luxury exotic category. With more power than the competing BMW and Mercedes the CTS-V is capable of outstanding performance without suffering in luxury and comfort. Featuring a 0-60 time of just 3.7 seconds this powerful 6.2L supercharged V8 engine will be an enormous boost in performance, and with a track honed setup to match the aggressive styling and features, the 2016 CTS-V will have German tuned sedans and coupes feeling a little nervous – and rightly so.
The interior will be fitted with Recaro seats, matte-finished carbon fiber trim and suede microfiber accents to accompany a host of advanced safety and luxury comfort features. “With the performance the new CTS-V is capable of delivering, the interior needs to be as functional as the other vehicle systems” - Andrew Smith, executive director, Cadillac Global Design. Inside those Recaro seats will be 20-way heated and ventilated seats and Navigation through Cadillac’s CUE system with bluetooth and wireless inductive phone charging. Amazing technology meshed with the performance you could expect from a touring car championship series the CTS-V will be a sure hit when it hits show floors late next Summer.
Stay in tune with our blog for more information on the upcoming 2016 CTS-V as well as the 2016 ATS-V. We will be providing video coverage from the North American International Auto Show in January on our YouTube Channel at youtube.com/morriesauto.
For more information check out the official Cadillac Press Release: http://bit.ly/1sQwfhq
Morrie’s Minnetonka Partners with Pause 4 Paws
Dec 18th
This Saturday, December 20th, Pause 4 Paws will be located at our Minnetonka Subaru location to help consumers get involved with their fundraising program. They’ll also be bringing along a group of their furry pals to help pass the time.
Taking the ‘Cave’ out of Man Cave
Dec 17th
We all want to spend more time in our garage right? I do, but no matter how much you try to keep bare concrete clean it never really seems to work and frankly it just doesn’t look good. There are a couple of common ways to spruce up your garage floor: epoxy coating or a floating floor tile. In the hunt to find something to dress up our ~4300 sq. ft. of a warehouse space, I took some time to research these 2 choices. I know 4300 sq. ft. is bigger than a typical garage, but the tips for deciding on what works best is the same for a 1 car garage all the way up to a warehouse with the amount of space we have. More >