MotorVehicleRegs.COM

SAE 2010 Government/Industry Meeting

SAE’s 2010 Government/Industry meeting will be held January 27-29 in Washington, DC.  Sessions will include:

- Crash Avoidance Technologies for Heavy Trucks

- Enforcement: CARS and CAFÉ

- Adding Up the Carbon of Renewable Fuels

- Second Generation Biofuels

- Front and Side Impact Crashworthiness

- Vehicle Rollover and Occupant Containment

- New Innovations in Advanced Safety Technology

- Crash Avoidance and Crash Causation

- Electricity -- The Fuel of the Future....Today?

- Return of the Plug-in Electric Vehicle -- Will the Sequel Succeed?

- Marketing Safety

- Safety Data

- Heavy-Duty Technologies & Solutions to Improve Efficiency and Emissions

- What's Next for Heavy-Duty Engine Regulations?

- Child Safety

- Pedestrian Safety

- Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety

- Light-Duty Powertrain Strategies -- Are IC Engines Taking a Back Seat?

- Biomechanics

- Who Pays for the High-Fuel Economy Vehicles of the Future?

- Distraction

For information on the upcoming meeting, go to http://www.sae.org/events/gim/.

CARB Plug-in Hybrid EV Test Procedure Amendments and Aftermarket Parts Certification Requirements

CARB issued a 15 day request for comment on November 2, 2009 to take comment on proposed modifications to the Plug-in Hybrid EV test procedure test procedure that would address previously-made amendments that inadvertently modified the ZEV regulation’s credit scheme in a manner that was not intended by CARB staff.  CARB is also proposing changes to address the optional butane canister loading method when conducting only exhaust emission testing for HEVs and making some clarifying changes to the Evaporative and Refueling Test Procedures.  

Comments on the changes are due November 17, 2009.

Testimony on EV Credits to EPA & DOT

At the EPA/NHTSA public hearing held Oct. 23, 2009 regarding the proposed rulemaking to establish light duty vehicle GHG emissions standards and CAFÉ standards, Shruti Vaidyanathan of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy testified that the proposed advanced technology incentives should be eliminated or strictly limited.  ACEEE testified that while they supported the tax credits for hybrids and PHEVs as well as the $2.4 billion allocated by the 2009 ARRA for electric vehicle programs, they say that the extra credit for advanced technology vehicles proposed by EPA will undermine efficiency improvement in the remainder of the fleet and invite unintended consequences.  According to ACEE, should EPA include the advanced technology credits in the final rule, they recommend that they be limited to a factor of 1.2 and that no consideration be given to an extension beyond 2016.

Tesla Won't Have To Pay Sales Tax On Equipment

Tesla Motors won't have to pay sales tax on $320 million worth of manufacturing equipment for building its electric cars, under an agreement California Treasurer Bill Lockyer announced Wednesday.  Tesla will purchase the machinery, but title to the equipment initially will be held by the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, which doesn't have to pay sales tax on equipment used to make advanced vehicles.

EV Charging Cord Safety Standard

On Oct. 19, 2009, UL issued a press release announcing a new set of requirements for indoor/outdoor cord sets for electric vehicles.  Product safety testing will include stationary and portable cord sets, including the attached plug, flexible power cord, personnel protection circuitry, electric vehicle cable and vehicle connector. Electric vehicle components that bear the UL Mark are tested for overload protection, shock and flammability. The future standard, UL Subject 2594, will comply with National Electric Code Article 625.

Conversion Vehicle Emissions Certification

On October 20, 2009, Senator Wicker (for himself and Sen. Inhofe) introduced the “Streamline Vehicle Conversions Act” (S.1809).  Among other things, S.1809 would:

·       -  exempt aftermarket conversion vehicle test groups from having to be recertified year after year;

·       -  permit aftermarket conversion system manufacturers to carry over and carry across emissions and OBD certification data;

·       -  permit aftermarket conversion system manufacturers to use EPA assigned deterioration factors without regard to sales limits imposed on small volume manufacturers;

·        - allow EPA to waive emission requirements pertaining to the fuel on which the vehicle was originally certified to run;

·        -  require EPA to issue less stringent OBD requirements for aftermarket conversion systems that take into account the inability of an aftermarket conversion system manufacturer’s ability to access proprietary OBD technology of the OEM; and

·       -  allow vehicles that are already beyond their regulated useful life to be exempt from the Clean Air Act’s tampering provision.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Workshop on 2050 Automotive Sector GHG Emissions and the Role of ZEVs

CARB will hold a workshop on Oct. 28, 2009 to discuss an automotive sector GHG emissions modeling effort being undertaken to inform the process of redesigning the ZEV regulation.  An information item on the ZEV Program including a policy review, technology assessment, and 2050 GHG assessment will be presented at the December 2009 Board Meeting.  The meeting will start at 1:30 and end at 5 pm.  For more information, see Mail-Out #MSC 09-33.

OBD

On October 20, 2009 CARB published a 15 day notice proposing modifications to the rule adopted by the Board last May 28th. Amendments are proposed for light duty and medium duty vehicle OBD II regulations as well as the HD OBD systems. Comments are due November 13, 2009. For a copy of the proposed modified regulatory text, click here.

$99.8 million DOE award to eTec

On Oct. 1, 2009, the Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc. (OTCBB:ETLY), announced it that it has signed a contract with the U.S. DOE for a grant of $99.8 million to undertake the deployment of EVs and charging infrasturcture. The project will include the deployment of 10,950 Level 2 (220V) chargers, 260 Level 3 fast-chargers and 4,700 Nissan LEAF EVs in five states: AZ, CA, OR, TN, and WA. The project officially commenced Oct. 1, 2009. The website for the project is www.theEVproject.com.

DOE FY2010 Budget

On October 15, 2009, the Senate approved the FY 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Conference Report and the bill was subsequently signed by President Obama. Some vehicle-related budgetary items include the following:

ATVM Program

• $20 million provided for administrative purposes. • Includes provision that would require DOE to reconsider applications that were filed prior to Jan. 1, 2009 involving ultra efficient vehicles (i.e., fully enclosed compartment vehicles designed to carry at least 2 persons) – the provision was added to cover Aptera’s 3 wheeled electric vehicle

Hydrogen Technology

• Provides $174 million for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies under the Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Technology program areas.

Ethanol

• Provides $7.5 million for coordination with the Vehicle Technologies program to expand and accelerate testing of intermediate fuel blends of ethanol and gasoline.

Vehicle Technologies

• provides $311,365,000 for Vehicle Technologies

Natural gas vehicles

• $5,000,000 for natural gas vehicle research and development.

Earmarks

• Boulder SmartGridCity - Plug-In Electric Hybrid Vehicles - $500,000 • Fast Charging Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project in Charlottesville, Virginia - $500,000 • HyperCAST R&D Funding for Vehicle Energy Efficiency (CO) - $750,000 • Multi-Hybrid Power Vehicles with Cost Effective and Durable Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell and Lithium Ion Battery for Ohio University - $600,000 • R&D of Clean Vehicle Technology - $1 million • San Francisco Electric Vehicle Initiative - $1million • Advanced Battery Manufacturing - $200k • Lithium Ion Battery for Ohio University - $600k