Should You Be Expecting a Gas Stipend?

March 28, 2022May 10, 2022 by andrewin Auto, Green LightLeave a Comment

March 28, 2022

Should You Be Expecting a Gas Stipend?

Everything You Need to Know About Gas Prices, Rebates, and Giveaways

The average US gas price hit an all time high at $4.33 this month and a handful of states are considering tax rebates to soften the blow for residents. Meanwhile federal lawmakers are considering something similar, but seem unlikely to actually pass anything. So unless you live somewhere like Chicago — where people are giving gas away — it’s unlikely you’ll see any windfall soon.

But it’s not all bad news. Prices seem to be stabilizing, and possibly even going down as lawmakers try to ease supply issues.

State Gas Rebates

As for state-level gas relief, the most aggressive proposal (from California Governor Gavin Newsome) would give Californians $400 for every car registered in their name. The state legislature proposed a similar plan that would issue smaller sums, but to more residents.

Other states, including Maryland and Georgia have temporarily suspended the state sales tax on gasoline. Georgia went so far as to suspend public bus fares as well. Lawmakers in West Virginia and Ohio are also considering suspending or cutting their fuel taxes.

US Federal Relief Unlikely

Last week, in a piece for Fast Company, Christopher Zara looked at the possibility of rebates or gas tax cuts at the federal level. His reporting shows there are certainly lawmakers pushing for a nationwide plan, but their success seems unlikely.

Good News: Gas Prices Stabilize

But we do have some good news! In a Monday-morning market summary, AAA reported prices have stabilized over the past week — dropping to $4.25. Even after leveling out, the average price-per-gallon is still $0.64 higher than last month and $1.39 higher than this time last year as of March, 28 2022.

Chicago Gas Giveaways

One Chicago businessman took matters into his own hands and gave away $1 million in free gasoline last week at four Chicago gas stations. This came after the same businessman gave out $200,000 in free-gas the week before.

A Personal Note

As for me, the charger on my Chrysler Pacifica hybrid isn’t working. If ever there was a time for my charger to break, this is not it.

Ford splits in two as it ramps up EV production

March 22, 2022September 21, 2022 by andrewin Auto, Green LightLeave a Comment

March 22, 2022

Ford splits in two as it ramps up EV production

Ford announced it will split in two earlier this month. The company will reorganize operations to separate its electric and internal combustion engine businesses within the legacy auto brand.

“We’re announcing one of the biggest changes in our history today,” said CEO Jim Farley.

Farley said the new organization will allow the EV side of development and production to move faster once untethered from the much larger legacy company.

“We are going all in, creating a separate but complementary business that gives us startup speed and unbridled innovation,” he said.

Dividing the operations while still keeping them in-house will help appease Wall Street analysts who have been pressuring legacy automakers to spin off their electric vehicle business to secure value that some investors have been offering some EV startups.

The move is expected to streamline its growing electric vehicle business and maximize profits. Farley said the new EV business will “produce as much excitement as any pure EV competitor, but with scale and resources that no start-up could ever match.”

As electric vehicles become more common in the general market, they’ll become more common on the used car market. That means they’ll be more common on the Carmigo marketplace too. So needless to say, we’re excited to see what Ford does next.

What We’re Loving: Turning Red

March 22, 2022May 10, 2022 by andrewin Green LightLeave a Comment

March 22, 2022

What We’re Loving: Turning Red

Pixar’s newest release, Turning Red, has been a real theme in the Carmigo chat this week. Not to toot our own horn, but we’ve probably contributed to 1% of the total views on Disney+.

Young Meilin stands in front of her Red Panda alter-ego in the movie poster for Pixar's new movie, Turning Red.

Turning Red is turning heads on Disney+, and we love it.

The movie follows 13-year-old Meilin as she adjusts to being a teenager. But she turns into a red panda anytime she gets too excited – which has got to be stressful for a very excitable 13-year-old.

Don’t take our word for it. The move has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

What the team’s saying about Turning Red:

Austin: First of all, I love Toronto (he says while wearing a Toronto Raptors shirt), and they recreated that city flawlessly in the movie. Additionally, I consider myself a die-hard Pixar fan and this one of by far the funniest on their roster. I was actually laughing my way through. 10/10, do recommend.

Nidhi: I was hesitant about Turning Red after how amazing Encanto was, but Disney/Pixar pulled it off yet again. I was excited to see the diversity in the movie and accurate portrayal of asain cultures.Turning Red was relatable and it was cathartic to see struggles with generational trauma and coming of age in a traditional asian household on the screen.

JB: I’m a watch-it-once kind of guy, but my two kids get obsessed with movies and will watch the same one over and over for a week. So I’m always happy when a new movie with great music and funny jokes comes around. And Turning Red has that in spades, plus lots of great lessons for kids about accepting their bodies as they change.

Hannah: I don’t watch animated movies. I mean, I’m not opposed to it. (We’re all in agreement that Hannah is too cool for Pixar movies).

5 Fuel Efficiency Tips to Combat Rising Gas Prices

March 22, 2022May 10, 2022 by andrewin Green Light, Tips & TricksLeave a Comment

March 22, 2022

5 Fuel Efficiency Tips to Combat Rising Gas Prices

Fuel efficiency is a hot topic as gas prices continue to set new records. But with a few small tweaks you can save hundreds of dollars at the gas pump each year, improve road safety, and prevent wear and tear on your vehicle.

The easiest and most effective way to improve the fuel efficiency of any vehicle is to modify your driving habits, but it’s not as hard as you may think. Adopt these five fuel-efficient driving techniques and you’ll see your gas bill start to drop:

1. Accelerate Gently

The harder and faster you accelerate, the more fuel you use. Avoid rapid acceleration and hard brakes.

2. Use Cruise Control

When your speed fluctuates, you use more fuel and spend more money. To avoid this, use cruise control on highways where conditions permit.

3. Avoid High Speeds

Stick to the speed limit and save on fuel. While every vehicle is different, the fuel economy of most cars, vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs typically peaks between 30 and 50 miles per hour. Above this speed, vehicles use increasingly more fuel the faster they go.

4. Coast to Decelerate

Each time you use your brakes, you waste your forward momentum. You will conserve fuel and money by taking your foot off the accelerator and coasting to slow down instead of using your brakes.

5. Anticipate Traffic

Monitor the traffic ahead and time your approach to stoplights to maintain momentum and avoid unnecessary acceleration or braking. Observing what other cars and pedestrians are doing and preparing for what they will do next, can help keep your speed as steady as possible and use less fuel.

Lay off the Pedal and Save at the Pump

Saving money on gas is like getting into shape. It takes some discipline and there are no quick fixes to get the results you want.

Road Trip Watch: Super Nintendo World Opening in Hollywood

March 22, 2022May 10, 2022 by andrewin Green Light, TravelLeave a Comment

March 22, 2022

Road Trip Watch: Super Nintendo World Opening in Hollywood

Mark your calendars and prepare your hearts, Super Nintendo World is making its way stateside next year. Earlier this month, Nintendo announced its plans to open the new theme park at Universal Studios Hollywood sometime next year.

Nintendo already opened a Japanese version of the theme park in 2021, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. And from what we’ve seen, they’re right. The park in Japan looks super cool.

Super Nintendo World brings Nintendo's legendary video games to life. This giant piranha plant can be seen at the Super Nintendo World in Japan.

When Does Super Nintendo World Open?

The Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood will open in 2023, but there’s no official date set — not that “grand opening” dates matter much in the waning days of COVID. After all, the park at Universal Studios Japan delayed its opening to March 18, 2021, after COVID caused multiple delays.

Don’t fret if you live in the eastern US, Universal Studios Orlando will get its own Nintendo theme park in 2025.

Nintendo Plans to Expand

And all Nintendo fans will be excited about the company’s commitment to the theme park experience. Only a year after the park’s opening, the company announced plans to add a Donkey Kong section to its Japanese park in 2024. We can only hope they plan to expand the Hollywood and Orlando parks as well.

So pick your park, make a note on your calendar (sometime in 2023 or 2025), and start saving up to take the whole family. We’ll certainly be checking it out as soon as we can. Here’s to hoping the entrance is a big green pipe.

If that’s not enough Nintendo excitement for you, Illumination Studios (Despicable Me, Sing) has an untitled Mario movie in development expected to release at the end of 2022.

$8.5 Billion Valuation Suggests a Self-Driving Future

March 7, 2022May 10, 2022 by andrewin Auto, Green LightLeave a Comment

March 7, 2022

$8.5 Billion Valuation Suggests a Self-Driving Future

The Toyota-backed Pony.ai just recently closed their latest round of funding – placing the company at an $8.5 billion valuation.

Promises of full self-driving services such as Waymo and Cruise have dominated headlines over the past few years, but now with this aggressive valuation on the books, we may begin to see this technology hit the streets sooner rather than later.

Pony.ai is currently operating in four cities: Guangzhou, Beijing, Irvine, CA, and Fremont, CA. Riders can hail a driverless taxi via the Pony.ai app, but as of right now, safety drivers are still required to be behind the wheel during the duration of the trip.

Great progress has been made in the driverless sector in recent years. Elon Musk went on record in January saying that Tesla cars will achieve full self driving capability by the end of 2022. However, the industry is still reeling from the fatal self-driving Uber accident in 2018.

One thing is clear: a major hurdle for full adoption of the technology will be consumer’s confidence in the safety of the product. But for now, Pony.ai said their focus is on hiring and expanding their test markets.

Alfa Romeo Makes a Splash in the NFT Game

March 1, 2022May 10, 2022 by andrewin Auto, Green LightLeave a Comment

March 1, 2022

Alfa Romeo Makes a Splash in the NFT Game

Tired of hearing about NFTs just yet?

We can’t prove it, but we’re pretty sure nobody actually understands exactly what they are or what they do. That hasn’t stopped Alfa Romeo from issuing an NFT with each purchase of their new Tonale SUV.

With this move, Alfa Romeo claims to be the first brand to fully adopt “digitization” in the auto industry. But, what does it actually do?

This is where things get interesting. Unlike other notable NFT projects that claim ownership and community as the key tenet of their value, the Tonale actively records info about the vehicle to the NFT over time.

Maintenance records, miles driven, accidents and wrecks – it’s automatically recorded to the token via the blockchain. That’s if you get it serviced only at certified Alfa Romeo service centers, of course.

In many ways this feels like the first iteration of how crypto enthusiasts say blockchain technology will eventually change our lives. It certainly feels preferable to have a singular, undisputed record of a vehicle’s life span, but we’ll see how much the market values this brand new feature.

3 Auto Insurance Companies Rebuilding the Industry

February 26, 2022May 10, 2022 by andrewin Auto, Green LightLeave a Comment

February 26, 2022

3 Auto Insurance Companies Rebuilding the Industry

You may feel like you can’t escape the barrage of insurance ads that are literally everywhere. And for good reason — Geico, State Farm and Progressive spent $2 billion collectively on advertising in 2020.

It’s a cutthroat, high-competition industry with a lot of revenue on the line, and it’s been that way for decades. Cue the disruptors.

As the world’s attention (and wallets) have turned to tech, new players have entered the insurance game promising lower premiums, easier to understand terms, and a friendlier user experience.

Here are three insurance companies promising to shake up the auto insurance game for good, and without the cost of a talking lizard’s salary.

Root

Root Insurance’s mobile app has got to be one of the best out there. The clean design and easy to understand terms are clearly laid out while browsing coverage options.The experience resembles ordering an Uber more than shopping insurance. The app is also used to log your driving habits to better personalize coverage, file claims and order roadside assistance.

2. Lemonade

Using Lemonade’s app and website might be the only “fun” way to shop for insurance.The company’s AI assistant, Maya, personalizes the full process for you, and tailors coverage based on your needs and driving history.

3. Metromile

Metromile’s “Pay-Per-Mile” model makes it a perfect option for those with shorter commutes. You pay a base monthly rate, and then a few cents for each mile you drive. Depending on your driving habits, this can save some drivers thousands of dollars each year.

What is the Carmigo process in Huntsville, AL?

October 25, 2021October 6, 2022 by andrewin Green Light, Service Areas, Tips & TricksLeave a Comment

What is the Carmigo process in Huntsville, AL?

Who knew selling your vehicle could be this easy?

Basic Vehicle Info

Submit your vehicle’s information to start your car's profile on the Carmigo Marketplace.

Build Your Listing

Use our AI technology to take pictures of your vehicle and build your listing.

Start the Auction

Once built, your listing is uploaded to our marketplace, where dealers can competitively bid on your vehicle for one day (24 hours).

Auction Ends

If the final bid meets your satisfaction reserve (set before the auction), then your vehicle is sold. If your reserve was not met, we negotiate with the buyer on your behalf.

You Get Paid

We handle the paperwork, transportation, and even money transfer. And if you have a loan on your vehicle, we will pay it off and give any remaining profits back to you!

Only pay if your car sells!

You only pay for the service we provide if your vehicle sells, so there is no risk to list.

National Headquarters Setting up Shop in Tupelo

October 19, 2021June 17, 2022 by andrewin PressLeave a Comment

October 19, 2021

National Headquarters Setting up Shop in Tupelo

Andrew Warmath(Co-Founder/CEO – Carmigo) breaks down how they got their start, and how they are bringing jobs to North Mississippi by locating their headquarters in Tupelo.