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Regulatory and Legislative Tracking Reports for Vehicle Manufacturers and Suppliers

Since 1999, Kardos & Associates LLC has supplied the auto industry with the most comprehensive regulatory and legislative tracking reports available. We currently offer clients the following:

Motor Vehicle Safety & Emissions Regulatory Update (the REG UPDATE)

The REG UPDATE has been tracking US and Canadian regulatory activity impacting the auto industry for over twenty years. Regulations developed by the NHTSA, FMCSA, EPA, FCC, CARB, Transport Canada, and Environment Canada are the focus. For each rulemaking, the Reg Update provides a description of the rulemaking, comment deadlines, effective dates, a docket reference, and links to documents available online. Deadlines and critical path items are color-coded so that you can quickly identify what’s new and important. In addition to being an excellent tool for tracking regulatory activity, the Reg Update is a great archive of past actions. The report contains information on virtually every rulemaking affecting automakers from the past two decades. Approximately 400 pages in length.

U.S. Safety & Fuel Economy Regulatory & Legislative Update
The U.S. Safety & Fuel Economy Regulatory & Legislative Update provides a snapshot of the past month’s legislative and regulatory activities relating to safety, emissions and fuel economy. The report provides brief summaries of notices issued by DOT, EPA, CARB and others. With regard to federal legislation, the report covers newly introduced bills, information on committee hearings, etc. Activities at the state level pertaining to emerging technologies (e.g., automated vehicles, advance driver assistance systems, EVs and EV infrastructure, etc.) are also covered.

Federal Legislation Tracking Report
Our legislative tracking report focuses on matters relating to environment and energy, safety and fuel economy/climate change. The report covers two years-worth of bills (the length of each Congressional session) and includes summaries and status updates for each tracked bill. Links to bill text and related information are provided.

All of our reports are distributed monthly via email as a PDF. Subscribers also get access to an online archive of past reports.

For pricing, contact Dale Kardos at (202) 3064997 or [email protected]. For more information about Kardos & Associates LLC, see www.kardosllc.com.

For a PDF of this information, click here.

ZEV Program Amendments

On Monday (July 14, 2014), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will hold workshop at 10 am PST in Sacramento to discuss changes that are being considered for the ZEV program. 

According to the Staff presentation that was released Friday, the workshop will focus on amendments that would make the percent of sales requirement for Intermediate Volume Manufacturers (IVMs) more consistent with the percent of sales requirement applicable to Large Volume Manufacturers (LVMs).  IVMs include manufacturers like JLR, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Volvo.  If adopted, the percent of sales requirement for IVMs would, according to projections by CARB, change from 44% in 2025 to 18.4% in 2025 (assuming IVMs use TZEVs to comply). This is depicted in the figure below. 

  

At the workshop, CARB also intends to discuss changes that would reduce the compliance burden for IVMs that want the flexibility to pool compliance in ZEV states and to earn a reduced TZEV requirement. Currently, to have this flexibility, IVMs must deliver ZEVs to S.177 states prior to 2018, however, under the modifications being considered by CARB, IVMs would get an extra two years to comply with this requirement.

CARB will discuss the fast refueling and clarifying language related to that provision.

The schedule for finalizing the modifications that will be discussed at the workshop calls for the proposed amendments to be issued for public comment in early September and a Board Hearing in late October. 

Persons unable to attend in person may take part via webcast. The broadcast can be accessed on the day of the workshop at: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/broadcast/?BD0=1.  

Source: Mobilis Trading

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont LEV and ZEV Program Rules Updates

Earlier this year (1/23/14), Vermont adopted an amended regulation that brings it LEV and ZEV program rules up to date with changes made to the California program in 2012/2013.  The new rules became effective Feb. 14, 2014.  For a copy of the updated requirements, click here.

New Mexico LEV Program

On June 5, 2013, the NM Environment Department Air Quality Bureau sent a letter to stakeholders requesting comments on an options paper for amending the state's low emissions vehicle program.  NM is required by federal law to take action before the end of the year to amend its regulation so as to maintain consistency with the CA LEV program.  A formal public notice and comment process will get underway in July.

Download June 5 stakeholder ltr

Monthly Regulatory & Legislative Tracking Reports Available for 2013 - Sign Up Now!

Since 1995, Dale Kardos & Associates, Inc. (DKA Inc.) has been supplying automakers, automotive suppliers and their trade associations with comprehensive detailed regulatory and legislative tracking reports.  Each month, DKA Inc. publishes the following three related, but uniquely-focused, tracking reports:

The Reg Update

The Reg Update is a monthly report that tracks the status of all North American regulatory activity concerning emissions, fuel economy (CO2) and safety (we track all regulatory actions of NHTSA, EPA, California Air Resources Board, Transport Canada, Environment Canada, and Section 177 States (i.e., states that have adopted CA’s Low Emission Vehicle program rules). For each rulemaking, the Reg Update provides electronic links to the latest official publications and includes information concerning comment period deadlines, anticipated future actions, projected implementation dates, and more.  In print since 1998, the Reg Update also serves as a tremendous archive of past actions. 

U.S. Motor Vehicle Safety and Legislative Update

The U.S. Motor Vehicle Safety & Legislative Update is a monthly report summarizing the past month’s legislative and regulatory activity concerning motor vehicle safety, emissions, and fuel economy/GHG issues.  The report provides brief summaries of and electronic links to key Federal Register notices, Congressional bills, public laws, NHTSA interpretation letters, recall listings, defect reports, NCAP test results, etc.  The report also covers financial incentive program announcements coming out of the Department of Energy, California and elsewhere.

Status of Motor Vehicle Related Legislation in the 113^th Congress

This report is devoted to keeping automakers and supplier up-to-date on the status of all legislation pending in the U.S. Congress that may potentially affect the auto industry.  We cover the introduction of all new bills and track their status over the course of the next two years.  We’ll provide updates on any official new activity related to the bill, increases in sponsorship, etc.  The report typically groups bills into the following categories:  Appropriations, Climate Change/GHG/Environment, Financial Incentive Programs, Biofuels and Flex Fuel Vehicles, Funding for Vehicle Development, Safety, Toxic Chemicals, misc.

 Report samples are available via the links below:

1.  Download REG UPDATE (SAMPLE - DEC 2012)

2. Download US Motor Vehicle Regulatory and Legislative Update (Dec 2012)

3. Download 111TH CONGRESS MOTOR VEHICLE LEGISLATION TRACKING SUMMARY (SAMPLE)

Pricing: The above reports can be purchased individually or at a discount (as a package).  A one year subscription is required (12 monthly updates).  For pricing and/or questions, please send an email to Dale Kardos ([email protected]).

Arizona Repeals LEV Program

On Feb. 3, 2012, a Notice of Final Rulemaking was published in the Arizona Administrative Register repealing the AZ Clean Car Standards.  The repeal was effective Jan. 10, 2012.  See AZ Administrative Register, Feb. 3, 2012, Vol. 18, Issue 5

Arizona proceeds to eliminate Clean Car Program

On November 10, 2011, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) released its Notice of Final Rulemaking to repeal its Clean Car Standards (which had included a ZEV mandate).  For a copy of the notice, click here.   The final rule package will be considered at a hearing of the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.   ADEQ is requesting that the rule become effective immediately upon filing with the Office of the Secretary of State.

 

EPA Cross-Border Sales Policy for 2011 MY and Later Vehicles

On May 3, 2011, EPA issued a “Dear Manufacturer Letter” (CISD-11-06) which updates the agency's Cross-Border Sales Policy pertaining to sales of “California vehicles” for model years 2011 and beyond. 

Under this policy, manufacturers may introduce into commerce 2011 and beyond model year vehicles certified by California and EPA to California regulations, but not federal regulations, into California and any of “the 177 states” (i.e., states that have adopted and placed into effect the CARB regulations for a vehicle class or classes in accordance with Section 177 of the Clean Air Act).  This policy is applicable for vehicles classified by CARB as passenger cars (PC), light-duty trucks (LDT), medium-duty vehicles (MDV), and heavy-duty vehicles (HDV).  EPA will not prevent manufacturers from introducing vehicles certified as meeting California regulations into commerce in the states that are not one of “the 177 states” but are contiguous to either California or any of “the 177 states.” 

 

Revised Massachusetts LEV and ZEV Program Rules

Massachusetts amended its LEV and ZEV program rules in March to reflect the latest changes to the LEV/ZEV program rules in CA.  For a copy of the redline version of the MA rules, click here.

 

Oregon Low Emission Vehicle Program Rules

On April 21, 2011, the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) will take action on proposed rules for the Oregon Low Emission Vehicle Program. The proposed rules align Oregon’s program with California’s emissions program. Any state opting in to the California Low Emission Vehicle Program must keep its program rules in alignment with changes and updates to the California program. Oregon adopted California’s standards in 2005, and is one of 14 states that have adopted the California program.  For the staff memo to the EQC, copy of the proposed amendments and related rulemaking documents, click here.