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NHTSA Test Procedures ANPRM

On Dec. 10, 2020, NHTSA will publish in the Federal Register a new Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public input on NHTSA compliance test procedures that may be candidates for replacement, repeal, or modification.  In the notice, NHTSA discusses how, in 2017, it received roughly 3,000 comments in response to a notice that sought public input on existing regulations that might be good candidates for repeal, replacement, suspension, or modification.  According to this latest notice, NHTSA now has plans to issue a series of ANPRMs on various regulatory reform topics (this ANPRM being but one of them).  In the notice, NHTSA gives examples of test procedures that are ripe for updating. These include test procedures like FMVSS 103 (windshield defrosting and defogging), FMVSS 104 (windshield wiping and washing), FMVSS 105/135 (braking), FMVSS 121 (air brakes), and FMVSS 126 (ESC).  NHTSA invites comments on these test procedures as well as others that are not discussed in the ANPRM.

Comments are due Feb. 8, 2021.

Docket reference: NHTSA-2020-0109. 

NHTSA contact: Mary Versailles, Office of Rulemaking, (202) 366-2057

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.

EPA Heavy Duty Engine Test Procedures NPRM

On May 12, 2020, the EPA published an NPRM in the Federal Register proposing changes to the test procedures for heavy-duty engines and vehicles to improve accuracy and reduce testing burden.  In the NPRM, EPA also proposes other regulatory amendments concerning light-duty vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, highway motorcycles, locomotives, marine engines, other nonroad engines and vehicles, stationary engines. These would affect the certification procedures for exhaust emission standards, and related requirements. EPA is proposing similar amendments for evaporative emission standards for nonroad equipment and portable fuel containers. These amendments would increase compliance flexibility, harmonize with other requirements, add clarity, correct errors, and streamline the regulations. 

Products affected by the rulemaking include:

• Light-duty vehicles
• Heavy-duty vehicles and engines
• Motorcycles (highway and nonroad)
• Marine engines
• Locomotives
• Other nonroad engines and equipment
• Stationary engines
• Portable fuel containers

Comments on the NPRM will be due June 26, 2020.

Docket reference: EPA–HQ–OAR-2019-0307.

EPA contact: Alan Stout, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Assessment and Standards Division, Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; telephone number: (734) 214-4805; email address: [email protected].

EPA Dear Mfr Letter CD-15-04 – Determination and Use of Vehicle Road-Load Force and Dynamometer Settings

On February 23, 2015, EPA published Dear Manufacturer Letter CD-15-04 which discusses the agency’s revised and clarified procedures to be used by vehicle manufacturers in establishing vehicle road-load force and dynamometer settings.  The letter clarifies manufacturer responsibilities when using the allowed flexibilities in determining road-load settings, sets the acceptable road-load force tolerance for production vehicle audits, and highlights consequences for testing compliance vehicles with inaccurate road-load force specifications.

For a copy, click here.

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]).

SAE Publishes Long-awaited J1711 Recommended Practice for Measuring the Exhaust Emissions and Fuel Economy of Hybrid-Electric Vehicles, Including Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles

On June 8th, SAE published a revised version of SAE J1711, Recommended Practice for Measuring the Exhaust Emissions and Fuel Economy of Hybrid-Electric Vehicles, Including Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles.  This SAE Recommended Practice establishes uniform chassis dynamometer test procedures for hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) that are designed to be driven on public roads. The procedure provides instructions for measuring and calculating the exhaust emissions and fuel economy of HEV's driven on the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) and the Highway Fuel Economy Driving Schedule (HFEDS), as well as the exhaust emissions of HEVs driven on the US06 Driving Schedule (US06) and the SC03 Driving Schedule (SC03). To purchase the standard from SAE, click here.

NHTSA Modifies Safety Rules for Electric Vehicles

On June 14, 2010, NHTSA published a final rule in the Federal Register at 75 FR 33515 amending FMVSS 305, Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection, so as to align the standard more closely with the April 2005 version of SAE J1766, Recommended Practice for Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Battery Systems Crash Integrity Testing.  As amended, the rule is intended to provide manufacturers greater flexibility, requiring them to design their electrically-powered vehicles so that, in the event of a crash, the electrical energy storage, conversion, and traction systems are either electrically isolated from the vehicle’s chassis or their voltage is below specified levels considered safe from electric shock hazards.

Compliance with revised version of FMVSS 305 will be required starting September 1, 2011.

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  [email protected].