MotorVehicleRegs.COM

Cash for Clunkers

NHTSA’s CARS program website now includes a link to the December 2009 report to Congress on the CARS program.  The reports covers:

1.         Establishment and Operation of the CARS Program
2.         Summary of CARS Transactions
3.         CARS Consumer Survey Data
4.         Economic Benefits
5.         Non-Market Effects
6.         Administrative Costs
7.         Conclusions
 
For a copy of the report, click here.

California ZEV Regulation

 On January 19, 2009, CARB released papers written by four external experts who were invited to provide independent scientific advice on the documents released by CARB staff on November 25, 2009 which summarized the ARB’s assessment of the need to revise the ZEV program regulation.  Links to the expert opinion papers are below. 

·             Dr. Menahem Anderman, Advanced Automotive Batteries
·             Dr. David Green, Oakridge National Laboratory
·             Dr. Joan Ogde, University of California, Davis
·             Dr. Giorgio Rizzoni,  Ohio State University
 
To access the staff documents published last November, click here.

New MGA Research Facility Opens Outside Washington, DC

MGA Research recently expanded its operations to the northern Virginia and Washington DC area.  MGA Research’s dedication towards advancing worldwide passenger safety and transportation quality over the last 30 years will be augmented by this new operation as they grow to meet industry needs.  To view a presentation describing the new facility and the associated initiatives, click Download MGA VA Announcement.  Also, for more information about MGA,  please visit www.mgaresearch.com or contact Robert Schnorenberg at the new MGA facility by phone (571) 292-1036 or email  robert.schnorenberg@mgaresearch.com.

Driver Distraction

On January 12, 2010, Tuesday, January 12, 2010, DOT Secretary LaHood and National Safety Council President Janet Froetscher announced the creation of FocusDriven, a nonprofit organization that will be devoted to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. The group will be led by Jennifer Smith, an advocate against distracted driving.

FocusDriven is modeled after Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). According to the press release issued by DOT, FocusDriven hopes to provide support for victims of distracted driving but also expand its mission to include education and the evaluation of new technologies.

For more information about preventing distracted driving, please visit www.distraction.gov, www.nsc.org, and www.focusdriven.org.

DOE to Provide $187 Million to Improve Vehicle Efficiency for Heavy-Duty Trucks and Passenger Vehicles

On Jan. 11, 2010, at an event in Columbus, Indiana, DOE Secretary Chu announced the selection of nine projects totaling more than $187 million to improve fuel efficiency for heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles. The funding includes more than $100 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and with a private cost share of 50%, will support nearly $375 million in total research, development, and demonstration projects across the country. The nine winners have stated their projects will create over 500 jobs, primarily researchers, engineers, and managers who will develop these new technologies. By 2015, the projects expect to create over 6,000 jobs—many in manufacturing and assembly. 

Three projects will focus on cost-effective measures to improve the efficiency of Class 8 long-haul freight trucks by 50%. These projects will receive more than $115 million in funding to develop and demonstrate systems-level fuel efficiency technologies by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, reducing engine idling technologies, waste heat recovery to increase engine efficiency, advanced combustion techniques, and powertrain hybridization.  The remaining six projects totaling more than $71 million will support efforts to increase the fuel economy for passenger vehicle engines and powertrain systems. The goal is to develop engine technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 25-40% by 2015 using an engine-only approach.

 The following projects have been selected for awards under two topic areas:

Systems Level Technology Development, Integration, and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTrucks)

• Cummins Inc. - $38,831,115 - Columbus, Indiana: Develop and demonstrate a highly efficient and clean diesel engine, an advanced waste heat recovery system, an aerodynamic Peterbilt tractor and trailer combination, and a fuel cell auxiliary power unit to reduce engine idling.
• Daimler Trucks North America, LLC - $39,559,868 - Portland, Oregon: Develop and demonstrate technologies including engine downsizing, electrification of auxiliary systems such as oil and water pumps, waste heat recovery, improved aerodynamics and hybridization.
• Navistar, Inc. - $37,328,933 - Fort Wayne, Indiana: Develop and demonstrate technologies to improve truck and trailer aerodynamics, combustion efficiency, waste heat recovery, hybridization, idle reduction, and reduced rolling resistance tires.

 Advanced Technology Powertrains for Light-Duty Vehicles (ATP-LD)

• Chrysler Group LLC - $14,458,572 - Auburn Hills, Michigan: Develop a flexible combustion system for their minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.
• Cummins Inc. - $15,000,000 - Columbus, Indiana: Develop a fuel-efficient, low emissions diesel engine that achieves a 40% fuel economy improvement over conventional gasoline technology and significantly exceeds 2010 EPA emissions requirements.
• Delphi Automotive Systems LLC - $7,480,572 - Troy, Michigan: Develop a novel low-temperature combustion system, coupled with technologies such as continuously variable valve control and engine downspeeding, to improve fuel economy by at least 25%.
• Ford Motor Company - $15,000,000 - Dearborn, Michigan: Achieve a 25% fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a 2010 mid- to large-size sedan using technologies including engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection, and a novel exhaust aftertreatment system.
• General Motors Co. - $7,705,862 - Pontiac, Michigan: Develop an engine that uses lean combustion and active heat management, as well as a novel emissions control system, to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration vehicle by 25%.
• Robert Bosch - $11,953,786 - Farmington Hills, Michigan: Demonstrate a high compression, turbo-charged engine based on homogenous charge compression ignition technology (a combustion technology that allows for lower emissions and higher efficiency) to achieve up to 30% fuel economy improvement in a gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicle.

 

Vermont BEV Tax Incentives Proposed

Last week, legislation was introduced in Vermont that would give taxpayers of VT who buy or lease a plug-in electric drive motor vehicle purchased between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2015 a tax credit worth up to $5,000.  The credit amount depends on the battery capacity.  The bill (S.234) also calls for establishing a committee to examine incentives to encourage the placement of battery electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Vermont.   The bill has been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

$2.3 Billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits Announced

On January 8^th, President Obama announced the award of $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States. Among the 183 projects involved, those below directly relate to motor vehicles:

Aerovironment - $310,800

Aerovironment plans to manufacture a patent pending Mobile Charger that combines a battery pack with a Level 3 DC connector. It is designed for on-road service trucks to provide a quick charge to stranded battery electric vehicles similar to an “out-of-gas” situation.

Aerovironment - $369,600

Aerovironment plans to purchase equipment for manufacturing 25kWh LiTiO advanced battery packs and battery management systems. 

PPG Industries - $1,260,000          

PPG Industries will manufacture Hi Sil 190 G and Hi Sil HDP 320 G, highly dispersible silica and to sell to tire manufacturers.  The product, when incorporated into the tire rubber, will create a tire with reduced rolling resistance.  The resulting product will  increase vehicle fuel efficiency.

Rogers Foam Automotive Corp. -  $300,000

Rogers Foam Automotive Corporation will manufacture a component to be used in the thermal management system of Lithium Ion Battery assemblies for electrical vehicles.  This sub-component consists of an outer gasket, which locates the component in the assembly, a multi-layer pressure conformable membrane,which provides the constant pressure and a bonding agent, which attaches the outer gasket and membrane.  The resulting product will aid domestic battery manufacturing for electric vehicles.

Think North America - $16,970,145

Think North America will establish a U.S. manufacturing operation/facility (a vehicle assembly operation as well as facilities for fabricating vehicle components) for the Think City light-weight EV-dedicated vehicle for sale throughout North America.

W.L. Gore -  $604,350        

W.L. Gore will retool a manufacturing facility with next-generation equipment used to produce a key component of fuel cell systems that will be used to improve fuel efficiency in vehicles and other applications.

ZF Steering - $28,560,000 

ZF Steering plans to re-equip its manufacturing facility in order to increase its production of welded and fabricated component kits used in 2MW and 3MW wind turbines.

For the complete list of projects, click here. 

SCR Guidance for Heavy Duty Engines

On December 30th, EPA issued revised SCR guidance for heavy duty engines.  The new letter attempts to clarify that the letter to manufacturers issued last February was intended to be used as guidance and not constitute binding requirements. The revised guidance stems from the petition for review filed by Navistar. 

FMVSS 217 Bus emergency exits and window retention and release

On December 28, 2009, NHTSA published a notice in the Federal Register at 74 FR 68558 proposing two “housekeeping” measures relating to FMVSS 217, “Bus emergency exits and window retention and release.”  The two issues addressed by the proposal are: 1) permissible locations of exterior release on rear emergency exit doors, and 2) the number of force applications required to open a window or roof emergency exit.  According to NHTSA, both amendments are consistent with current industry practice.

Comments on the NPRM are due February 26, 2010.

Designated Seating Position

On December 23, 2009, NHTSA published a notice in the Federal Register at 74 FR 68185 which responds, in part, to petitions for reconsideration of an October 2008 final rule that amended the definition of the term, “designated seating position (DSP).”  With this latest notice, NHTSA is delaying the effective of the new DSP requirements to Sep. 1, 2011.  A future notice will address the remaining issues that were raised in the petitions for reconsideration.