Major automakers are funneling millions of dollars into building electric vehicles and an infrastructure to charge them, but many drivers are still hesitant to make the switch from the traditional gas-powered vehicles they have driven all their lives to a battery-powered ride. They have questions about range, charging, and driving long distances, as well as confusion about EV concepts like regen paddles, one-pedal driving, and more. Who better to ask these questions, than electric vehicle owners themselves? In this series, we will be sharing the experiences of Runde customers who have made the transition to being an EV owner. Meet Jacob Puls, of East Dubuque, who recently leased his first electric vehicle, a 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV. As a salesperson at Runde Chevrolet, Jacob has sold his fair share of electric vehicles, but had yet to own one. “In all honesty, I talked my brother into it (his twin brother is Jared Puls, whose EV story [...]

Major automakers are funneling millions of dollars into building electric vehicles and an infrastructure to charge them. But many drivers are still hesitant to make the switch from the traditional gas-powered vehicles they have driven all their lives to a battery-powered ride. They have questions about range, charging, and driving long distances, as well as confusion about EV concepts like regen paddles, one-pedal driving, and more. Who better to ask these questions, than electric vehicle owners themselves? In this series, we will be sharing the experiences of Runde customers who have made the transition to an EV. Meet Jared Puls, of East Dubuque, who bought his first-ever electric vehicle a few months ago when he joined [...]

Click here to start a live tour Now you can get the dealership experience on your phone, computer, or tablet without leaving the comfort of home with Chevy MyWay. The service launched on January 6 and offers you a live walk around and discussion with a Chevy product specialist. You can chat using your microphone or the chat box and the person will answer your questions, give you a complete tour of the vehicle (or vehicles!), and send you links for more information if needed. We tested out the service today and chatted with Jimmy, a product specialist. He was standing in a large brightly-lit studio in the metro Detroit area, and the room was full of 15 shiny new [...]

It’s one thing to call something a “family vehicle,” but it’s another to prove it. The Chevrolet Equinox was named to the Cars.com 2020 Car Seat Check Honor Roll, which recognizes it as being one of the best new cars for car seats! PLUS, it was awarded a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That means it makes parents’ jobs easier and keeps kids safer – exactly what a family vehicle should do. The ever-popular SUV seats up to five people and gets 31 miles per gallon highway (26 mpg city). It has available all-wheel drive for those Midwest winters and tons of safety options, including: • Standard rear-vision camera • Available adaptive cruise control • Available rear cross [...]

While electric vehicles are the future, many drivers don’t know what it’s like to own and drive one. Chevrolet wants to change that with its new Bolt EV Academy. The 15-video series aims to educate current and future Bolt EV owners on the advantages of living electric and how to get the most out of their electric vehicle. They hope to illustrate how fun, easy, and convenient it is to incorporate an electric vehicle into your lifestyle. The videos are hosted by engineers and experts who created the Bolt EV. They can be accessed on Chevrolet’s YouTube channel, Chevrolet.com, the MyChevy app, and in the Chevrolet Owner Center. Topics include: Home Charging Basics This video covers how to improve cost-effectiveness as well as customize your preferred charging [...]

Chevrolet has contributed more than $13 million to the American Cancer Society over the past 10 years with its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign. This year is no different, and it is so easy for you to participate as a part of #TeamRunde! For every post on Twitter or Instagram during the month of October that includes the hashtag #IDriveFor, Chevrolet will contribute $5 to the American Cancer Society (up to $220,000). So tell us, who do you drive for?

The mid-engine Corvette will be revealed via livestream on Thursday, July 18, in Orange County, California! The livestream opens at 9:30 p.m. on July 18 and can be accessed through media.chevrolet.com/nextgenCorvette​. The stream will include Corvette video footage, a hosted pre-show, and the reveal presentation. It will be available for viewing across the globe. “There is a large contingent of Corvette fans across the world waiting for the reveal of the Next Generation. We’re happy to give these fans, and all sports car enthusiasts, a way to see and learn about the vehicle at the same [...]

The 2020 Chevy Silverado HD is coming! The most capable and advanced Silverado ever, it will also be the third all-new Silverado model from Chevy in just 18 months. “We know the needs and priorities of heavy-duty customers are different than those of either light-duty or medium-duty customers,” said Jaclyn McQuaid, chief engineer, Silverado HD, in a press release. “As such, we built a heavy-duty truck tailor-made for them that has more differentiation than ever before from light-duty models, offers advanced towing technologies to improve towing confidence, and includes new features such as the integrated Bedstep, which makes it easier to access the bed while pulling a fifth-wheel trailer.” Built in Flint, Michigan, the 2020 Chevy Silverado HD exterior shares only the roof with the Silverado 1500 – every other [...]

Chevrolet’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign is back for the eighth year to help finish the fight against breast cancer! Runde Chevrolet is proud to once again participate in this important program. Who do you drive for? Join Chevrolet and #TeamRunde in the fight against breast cancer this October! For every post on Twitter or Instagram that uses the hashtag #IDriveFor October 1-31, Chevrolet Making Strides Against Breast Cancer will donate $5 to the American Cancer Society (up to $400,000)! PLUS, if you stop in to Runde Chevrolet and take a photo with our #IDriveFor sign, you will get a couple free PINK Runde koozies! Nearly $10 million has been contributed to the American Cancer Society since the start of this program in 2011.

This model year marks the 100th anniversary or the Chevy Truck Centennial for the production of the very first Chevy truck! A century and more than 85 million trucks later, Chevrolet has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world. “The Chevy Truck Centennial is a huge milestone for us, and is equally important to our customers,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Trucks advertising and marketing director, in a press release. To celebrate, Chevrolet will have: New 2018 Silverado and Colorado Centennial Special Editions A national rollout of the Chevy Truck Legends program Branded merchandise featuring an all-new Chevy bowtie The Silverado and Colorado Centennial Editions will include the distinctive Centennial Blue paint color and exclusive heritage bowtie emblems and 100 years badges.

Indy fans get ready because the 2014 Chevrolet C7 Vette Stingray has been selected as the official pace car for this year’s Indianapolis 500. This will mark the 12th time the Corvette model has served as pace car for the grand-daddy of all races … and how appropriate since the Corvette is essentially a race car that’s designed for urban streets.  The exterior color for the pace car will be Laguna Blue Tintcoat and there will be no exterior mods to the car. Jim Campbell, GM’s VP of performance vehicles had this to say about the selection, “It is an honor to help inaugurate the all-new C7 Vette y at the hallowed Brickyard and further the legacy between Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500. The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s performance was influenced by racing, making this prestigious [...]

If you noticed fireworks lighting up the western skies this past Friday, what you were probably witnessing was part of the festivities for the Annual Peosta Parade and Fun Day.   The sixth annual Peosta Days event was held in conjunction with the Annual Fireman’s Auction and the extravaganza promised something for kids of all ages. Friday’s events included the brilliant fireworks, skydivers, good food & drinks and live music featuring the band Hard Salami. On Saturday, the Peosta Days Parade took place and Doug Weig and his wife Angela were able to get some great shots of the Runde Chevrolet truck they drove in the parade.  It started at Mi-T-M and it ended up at the Peosta Rec Center. Doug said that it was a good time for everyone.   But the most intriguing event was one that I had never heard of … Cow Pie Bingo.  Doug said that he wanted to play, but it [...]

Amanda Elston from Ossian Iowa loves to help animals. As a mobile veterinarian she needs a reliable truck to hold all of her medicine and equipment. Despite a two hour trip to get to here, Amanda knew that she would find what she was looking for at Runde Auto Group. And we asked her to reflect on her pleasant experience. Where are you from? I’m from Ossian Iowa It’s just South of Decorah, IA. It’s about a three hour drive. My boss and I made the trip. What led you to Runde’s? I’m a veterinarian and I needed a truck for work. I needed a 3/4 ton regular cab, long box truck which was actually really hard to find, but you guys had four or five of them here. Runde’s had the a great selection and options we were looking for so we decided to make the long trip to go here to get [...]

How can you mention Michael Jordan and the Chevy Volt in the same sentence?  Isn’t that basketball sacrilege?  Well, let me explain.  I was reading an article from CNN Money that was saying the new Chevy Volt didn’t rank as one of the top ten “greenest” cars in America.  Now based on all that I have learned about the Volt so far, I found this very hard to believe.  The Volt is primarily an electric car that can travel for about 40 miles on just the power produced from the lithium ion battery pack following a 10 hour overnight charge from a regular 110V outlet (or 4 hours from an installed Voltec 240V charger). I just don’t understand why the CNN Money article and other articles [...]

If you’ve ever wondered how many miles per gallon the Chevy Cruze Eco gets, well then you’re in the right place as we’re attempting to try to answer that question today.  Over the past few years, the EPA has made changes to the way they test the fuel efficiency of vehicles.  They’ve tried to make their testing more accurate by putting the cars and trucks on “real world” road ways instead of the traditional track testing that they used to do.  Here at Runde’s, our sales associates field questions daily from customers who want to know what type of mileage all types of vehicles get … not just the Cruze Eco.   To be completely honest, it always comes down to what type of driving the customer does, where they live, and [...]

2011 officially marks the 100th year for Chevrolet and when you stop to think about it, 100 years of Chevrolet is quite a bit of time for any business to stay up and running. But boy, is it running smooth. Through the years Chevrolet has become a leader in the automotive industry and only shows signs of growing stronger. Lets take a look back to see how it all started. GM was started by automotive marketer William C. Durant in 1908. Through the years Durant took notice of the famous racer, Louis Chevrolet, as he set the land-speed record in 1905 for reaching 111 MPH in a special open race car. Durant hired Chevrolet to do big races and promotional drives for his company. Being cast [...]

The king of late-night, Jay Leno, is adding yet another vehicle to his QUITE expansive car collection. You guessed it … it’s the Chevrolet Volt. Jay  is so impressed by the Volt that he is putting aside his 55 Buick Roadmaster to make the Volt his daily driver. Jay Comments on how he thinks the Volt is part of the future and that the Toyota Prius, while having had a head start (in the fuel economy race) is old technology. Another thing he mentions, which I believe is the biggest benefit of the Volt over the competition is that it uses gasoline when the electric juice runs out. So you picked up a Nissan Leaf, an all-electric car which the EPA just announced will last [...]

One of our relatively recent additions to the Runde team is Mariah Diedrich. We just about caused mass mayhem by dragging her away from her phone, but Mariah gladly took a few moments to allow us to get to know her a little better. How long have you worked for Runde’s and what  do you do here? Um, it’ll be going on a year.  I can’t remember if I was hired in August or September.  I work in the accounting department and do accounts payable. What’s the best thing about your job? The people I work with.  Except for Becky.   We understand.  What is the worst thing about your job? Being interviewed by those annoying blog people.  Just kidding … I’d probably have to say Becky. Do you have a favorite spot in the Tri-State area? I live in Shullsburg about 40 minutes away in Wisconsin, so it’s like [...]

If you follow the Runde Blog, you may recall a story that we ran back in the spring of this year about Mardy Gilyard, who purchased a new 2010 Camaro SS from Runde Chevrolet.  At that time, he had finished up at the University of Cincinnati, where he starred as a wide receiver and kick returner.  He was on his way to the NFL Draft Combine where he would show NFL scouts just what he was made of.   Everyone in Cincinnati and his home state of Florida already knew that Mardy was a world-class athlete and at the NFL Combine (an invite-only event) back in February, he put his talent on display for the rest of the world to see.   The St. Louis Rams took particular notice of him and, after they took Sam Bradford as the [...]

TESTIMONIALS FROM RUNDE’S CUSTOMERS We are very very pleased with our Chevy Traverse that we recently purchased from Runde Auto Group. It is by far one of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever driven. We have been on 3 road trips and love how it handles the road!! Sure hope this Traverse lasts us a long time! We love it!!!! Thank you for making it possible when we came to see you!! I also want you to know how impressed we are with Runde’s! Awesome people and awesome service! Keep it up! Take care! Paul and Ellen S. of Dubuque, IA We still have the Jeep Commander and all is well with it. Best vehicle and experience we’ve [...]

Ed Whitacre, the CEO of General Motors, announced that GM has paid back all of the borrowed money in full to the government with interest. This gigantic announcement demonstrates a level of confidence within the company that has surfaced mainly due to a slimmed down product line, a more refined company focus, and exciting new products like the Chevy Equinox, the Chevy Camaro, and the Buick LaCrosse that are selling almost as quickly as they arrive on dealers’ lots. With this move, they are basically saying that they wholeheartedly believe GM is now on the right track to profitability. And here at Runde Auto Group, we know without-a-doubt that GM is back on track and ready for the road ahead. The tank is full, the engine is humming, and the GPS is set … Destination … Success.  It’s full speed ahead for Chevrolet, Buick and GMC.  

I came across this child safety seat tutorial video and like it a lot. There’s nothing entertaining here … it’s just S-A-F-E-T-Y. Straightforward, plain and simple, but it’s also pretty comprehensive. It demonstrates how to install a front facing type of car seat. I have installed a car seat or two in my day and I really never thought to put your full weight on the seat or base like the demonstrator does in the video. I have pressed down on the seats and bases in an effort to get them tight and synched up, but seeing the video it makes sense and I’ll probably try to tighten up my car seats when I go home tonight. I know that a lot of car sales people take car seats for granted, but it is really not something that shouldn’t be overlooked. In my opinion, a lot of car salespersons would benefit from viewing a child [...]

Crusing down the road, windows down, music up, you are in the “zone” with this sweet new track playing on the radio. You start trying to sing parts of the chorus, and completely butcher the rest of the song. Full of emotion, you utter slightly slurred words mixed with gibberish to comprise what would surely amount to  a migraine for anyone unfortunate enough to be in the same car with you.   You get to the end of the song and look forward to the radio announcer revealing the name of the song and artist so you can download it on iTunes later.  But what the…the announcer reveals the details of the song you loved so dearly while your friend was yelling at you to get him some aspirin. Dang it all to [...]

Marty Frank is first and foremost a Cubs fan.  He’s also one of the truly dedicated worker who spends his days prepping and cleaning all of the new vehicles that drive off the Runde Chevrolet lot here in East Dubuque. We interrupted Marty’s work for a few minutes to have him answer a couple of our questions. RAC: What do you do here at Runde’s?   MF: I work in the wash rack cleaning up all of the new cars, keeping Lenny out of trouble, and trying to convert him to being a Cubs fan. How long have you worked here? Three years and still going. What is your favorite part about working here? Any time they bring in pizza for us or put together potluck dinners and that kind of stuff, the food is just so good. Are you originally from the area? Yeah, but I moved here from Santa Cruz, CA when I [...]

John Riley, who manages our Chevy Sales Department, received the following email message from the husband of Kathie Thor this week.  Hi John: Here’s a few photos for your scrap book. Thanks for all your help with Kathie’s Christmas Surprise. She had no idea I had made a deal with you for a new vehicle. There was a lot of excitement at the Thor household Christmas morning. Thanks again, Randy Randy Thor of Cuba City, WI surprised his better half, Kathie Thor, with a sophisticated new set of wheels.  He grabbed some quick photos of Kathie beside her new ride (my guess is that he didn’t have to ask her to smile).  Kathie was completely caught off guard by the new Chevy Equinox that was waiting for her at home and the Thor’s had a very Merry X-Mas.  [...]