MotorVehicleRegs.COM

Engine Stockpiling Prohibition

On June 26, 2009, EPA issued an NPRM concerning large marine diesel engines used in ocean going vessels. With the issuance of this NPRM, EPA is also proposing numerous technical amendments to existing motor vehicle and nonroad engine regulations. Among them is the codification of EPA’s informal policy prohibiting engine stockpiling. With the provision proposed, a new section within 49 CFR Part 85 would be created that would prohibit heavy vehicle manufacturers from stockpiling heavy duty engines to avoid having to purchase clean/more costly heavy duty engines. The proposal is partly a reaction to engine stockpiling that is believed to have occurred in 2006 in advance of the introduction of cleaner 2007MY engines. With the prohibition, vehicle manufacturers would only be allowed to use up normal inventory. Otherwise, the vehicle manufacturer must use engines of the same model year designation as the vehicle (i.e., 2010MY engines in 2010MY vehicles). Under the Clean Air Act, EPA has the authority to fine a manufacturer $25,000 for every vehicle or engine that is illegally stockpiled. For more information on the rulemaking, go to http://www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.htm#regs.

U.S. EPA Emissions Standards Reference Guide

On July 13 EPA launched the Emission Standards Reference Guide web site that contains federal standards for on-road and nonroad vehicles and engines, and related fuel standards. The Reference Guide is online at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/standards/index.htm.

Updated Certification Guidance for Alternative Fuel Converters

On June 20, 2009, EPA published a “Dear Manufacturer” letter that provides guidance to alternative fuel converters on the following:

• how to use the Verify certification system;
• how to certify conversions for gasoline vehicles to operate on vegetable oil and hydrogen;
• how to convert vehicles originally certified for gasoline to operate on ethanol, E85 or intermediate E85 gasoline blends;
• how to convert HD engines;
• how to establish test groups for the purpose certifying alternative fuel conversion technologies;
• how to convert vehicles that have exceeded their regulatory useful life.

For more details, see CISD-09-14.

NHTSA Rulemaking and Research Priority Plan 2009-2011

On July 1, 2009, NHTSA published a notice in the Federal Register at 74 FR 31387 requesting comment on its Rulemaking and Research Priority Plan for 2009-2011. The plan is an internal management tool as well as a means to communicate to the public NHTSA's highest priorities. Among them are programs and projects involving rollover crashes, children (both inside as well as just near vehicles), motorcoaches and fuel economy that must meet Congressional mandates or Secretarial commitments. The notice indicates that NHTSA is also in the process of developing a longer-term strategic plan that would encompass the period 2012 to 2020. That plan will be announced in a separate Federal Register notice.

Comments on the 2009-2011 plan are due August 31, 2009.

For a copy of the plan, see docket NHTSA-2009-0108.

Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act (CARS) (aka cash for clunkers)

NHTSA has published a summary of the CARS law and a copy is available online at http://www.cars.gov/files/day-one.pdf.

NHTSA has also created a CARS website (http://www.cars.gov) that is dedicated to the new law. NHTSA has until July 24th to publish rules to implement the program. Under the law, the program runs from July 1, 2009 to November 1, 2009.

Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs)

On June 29, 2009, NHTSA published a notice in the Federal Register at 74 FR 30993 denying a 2001 GM petition for rulemaking. In its petition, GM had requested NHTSA amend FMVSS 108 to require the installation of DRLs on passenger cars, MPVs, trucks, and buses with a GVWR < 4,536 kilograms (10,000 lbs). The notice indicates that NHTSA was unable to find solid evidence of an overall safety benefit associated with DRLs and that it maintaining a neutral position with respect to the safety benefits from the use DRLs. NHTSA contact: Markus Price, Office of Crash Avoidance Standards, 202-366-0098. Docket reference: NHTSA-2001-8876.

CARB Cool Car Standard Finalized

On June 25, 2009, CARB adopted a regulation that will require new cars sold in California, starting in 2012, to have windows that reflect or absorb heat-producing rays from the sun. This will help keep cars cooler, increase their fuel efficiency and reduce global warming pollution.

According to CARB, compared to cars currently in showrooms, windows that comply with the standard will block 33 percent more heat-producing rays from the sun. This will cool the vehicle's interior by approximately 14 degrees Fahrenheit for a car and 12 degrees Fahrenheit for a pickup or SUV. Lower temperatures require less use of air conditioning, both upon starting a car parked in the sun and while driving in sunny conditions.

The regulation has two steps. Over a three-year period starting in 2012 windows in new cars sold in California must prevent 45 percent of the sun's total heat-producing energy from entering the car, with the windshield rejecting at least 50 percent of the sun's energy.

In 2016 car manufacturers will be required to install windows in new cars sold in California that prevent at least 60 percent of the sun's heat-producing rays from entering the cars interior, or propose alternative technologies to achieve an equivalent result.

Costs for the windows are expected to average $70 for the 2012 standard, and about $250 for the 2016 standard, with annual savings in gas of $16 and $20 respectively. CARB says that costs will be recouped over a five to twelve year period.

SID-IIs Test Dummy

On June 23, 2009, NHTSA published a final rule that responds to petitions for reconsideration of a December 14, 2006 final rule establishing a new small adult female side impact crash dummy (SID-IIs). Among other things, the final rule modifies the iliac performance criteria to allow a new material formulation and design to be used for the iliac wing of the dummy’s pelvis, defines a time period in which accelerations are measured in the thorax with arm and pelvis acetabulum tests, slightly modifies some of the test procedures used in the qualification tests (e.g., by slightly lowering the impact speed of the Impactor in two tests and by increasing the recovery time for the pelvis-iliac and pelvis-acetabulum tests), adjust the performance corridors for the various impact tests of the dummy, and revises parts of the drawing package and the user’s manual for the dummy.

Tire Fuel Efficiency Rating Program for Replacement Passenger Car Tires

On June 18, 2009, NHTSA proposed a new replacement tire label which would include, for the first time, information about the tire’s impact on fuel economy and CO2 emission reductions. In addition to the new fuel efficiency ratings, the proposal from NHTSA would also provide ratings for wet weather traction and tread wear. All three ratings would be displayed on a removable label attached to the replacement tire at the point of sale.

Per the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, NHTSA is required to finalized the rule by December 19, 2009.

For a copy of the proposal and the proposed ratings label, click here.

Development, and Demonstration of Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Technologies

On June 16, 2009, DOE announced the selection of seven cost-shared research projects for the development of advanced batteries for electric drive vehicles. The total DOE investment for these projects is up to $10.96 million over three years, subject to annual appropriations. Private sector contributions will further increase the financial investment for a total of up to $19.36 million.

The projects, being funded by base annual appropriations, will focus on improving battery material performance, developing manufacturing processes to increase performance, and decreasing the cost of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) batteries. PHEVs are hybrid vehicles that can be driven in electric-only mode and recharged from a standard electric outlet. These vehicles provide fuel diversity and decreased petroleum consumption. The acceleration of lithium-ion battery development is a key step in the successful commercialization of PHEVs, which will be capable of traveling up to 40 miles without recharging.

These projects were selected under the battery materials and manufacturing topic area from the Vehicle Technologies Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement released on February 29, 2008. In December 2008, DOE announced the initial selection of three battery materials and manufacturing projects for negotiation of award from the FOA, including: 3M Company (St Paul, Minnesota), BASF Catalyst LLC (Iselin, New Jersey, and Elyria, Ohio) and FMC Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina). These three contracts total up to $13.9 million in cost-shared cooperative agreements; DOE share of up to $6.85 million, subject to annual appropriations. The additional selections announced today include:

A123Systems, Inc of Watertown, Massachusetts, has been selected for negotiation of an award for up to $1.1 million for a project to develop a high throughput electrode fabrication process for their lithium ion battery technology.

Angstron Materials LLC of Dayton, Ohio, teamed with Applied Sciences Inc. of Cedarville, Ohio; K2 Energy Solutions of Henderson, Nevada; General Motors Corporation of Detroit, Michigan; and HST Auto of Escondido, California; has been selected for negotiation of a three-year award of up to $3.2 million with a DOE share of up to $1.6 million, project to develop hybrid nano carbon fiber/graphene platelet-based high-capacity anodes for lithium batteries.

EnerDel Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been selected for negotiation of an award for up to $3.3 million for a project to develop a chemical shuttle agent that will eliminate the danger of overcharging lithium ion batteries developed for plug in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles.

MaxPower Inc. of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, has been selected for negotiation of an award for up to $500,000 for a project aimed at adapting MaxPower's present battery management systems (BMS) for lithium-ion batteries to recognize the imminent appearance of an internal short and to take action to operate the battery in a safe state.

North Carolina State University of Raleigh, North Carolina, teamed with American Lithium Energy LLC of San Marcos, California, has been selected for negotiation of an award for up to $1.35 million for a project to develop high-energy composite nanofiber anodes for materials for lithium ion batteries.

SION Power Corporation of Tucson, Arizona, has been selected for negotiation of an award for up to $800,000 for a project aimed at demonstrating the viability of their lithium sulfur (Li-S) rechargeable battery chemistry for electric drive vehicles.

TIAX LLC of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been selected for negotiation of an award for up to $2.36 million for a project aimed at understanding and preventing internal short circuits in lithium ion cells. Results from the proposed program will help develop guidelines to enable development of technologies for safe battery packs, guidelines that will permit original equipment manufacturers to develop their own proprietary technologies for mitigating short-circuit induced safety incidents.