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GM contacting Chevrolet Volt owners as NHTSA investigates battery fire

General Motors on Monday said it is contacting all owners of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to reassure them that the car is safe as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigates a battery fire from a Volt that was crash-tested. GM said any Volt owner who had safety concerns would be offered a different GM car as a loaner vehicle. Executives also stressed during a teleconference that the battery issues were seen only in vehicles in the crash tests.

Richard Petty Experience branches out, adds exotic-car driving programs

Stock-car legend Richard Petty is in the market for a few new cars: a couple of Ferraris, a pair of Lamborghinis, an Audi R8 and a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. That's because the Richard Petty Driving Experience is branching out from offering rides and drives in NASCAR-style stock cars. Beginning in January, at least one of the Petty facilities will offer rides and drives in exotic cars.

Daimler plans to offer a pilot Smart car rental program in Texas

With Smart's U.S. sales continuing to drop dramatically, Daimler AG is launching a pilot program in Austin, Texas, for short-term rental of the micro car. The program, called car2go, would allow registered users to pick up an available Smart, use it for as long as needed, and return it to designated locations in the city.