"FJ80WaitinForaLSV8" (fj80waitinforalsv8)
02/20/2014 at 17:04 • Filed to: None
0
8|
"FJ80WaitinForaLSV8" (fj80waitinforalsv8)
02/20/2014 at 17:04 • Filed to: None | 0
| 8 |
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today proposed a rule concerning new alternative fuel vehicles. According to the summary of the rule ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) NHTSA would like auto makers to:
1) Identify each vehicle capable of running on an alternative fuel by means of a permanent and prominent display affixed to the exterior of the vehicle.
2) add proposed text describing the capabilities and benefits of using alternative fuels to the owners' manuals provided for alternative fuel vehicles.
3) and identify each vehicle that is capable of running on an alternative fuel by means of a label in the fuel filler compartment.
If implemented, these three requirements would be mandated by federal law on all new alt fuel vehicles.
The first requirement strikes me as the most outlandish. NHTSA defines prominent as "standing out or projecting beyond a surface or line." In other-words, NHTSA wants manufactures to put a an additional plastic badge near the model designation badge identifying the car as alt fuel. While NHTSA states that it "does not intend to require that the proposed badges take visual or physical precedence over existing vehicle manufacturer brand logos, model names, or designations," it fails to convincingly argue why it should regulate how and where badges should go on a vehicle.
NHTSA's main argument is that mandatory badges will help draw awareness to alt fuel vehicles. In order to do this the proposed regulation would require badges be a minimum of 15 mm high and have a minimum of 5mm text size. Additionally, the agency has designated certain "natural" phrases to describe different alt fuels. For example, if the car is a plug-in vehicle the badge must include the phrase "Plug-In Hybrid Electric."
I am truly curious how much attention these badges will draw to alt fuel vehicles. Most non-car people don't know the name of most vehicles even though every car has its name printed on it. What makes NHTSA think people will notice these badges? It also limits automaker creativity. What if they want to make a murdered out version of a vehicle sans badges - it wouldn't be the first time... Addtionaly NHTSA is dictating how and automaker brands its vehicles and technology. The picture I included above of a Ford C-max shows a badge that would not be compliant under this rule as it does not include the proper "natural" phrase describing the vehicles technology.
As for the second aspect, I'm sure their owners manual are already chock full of their vehicles capabilities. It seems that part of the intent of this rule is to convince people to buy an Alt fuel car, however, who on earth reads an owners manual before they buy a car? Maybe 5 people in the country?
As for the third, I don't know for a fact but I would bet that car companies are already labeling the type of fuel a vehicle should use on its fuel cap.
In total, if this annoys you as much as it annoys me please go to regulations.gov and submit a comment to NHTSA about the complete waste of government resources this rule represents. What are your opinions Oppo?
Frosted
> FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/20/2014 at 17:10 |
|
They should make it so diesel cars have to have a diesel fuel only badge or sticker on the fuel filler door. So maybe people won't put regular unleaded gas in them.
Textured Soy Protein
> FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/20/2014 at 17:14 |
|
Doesn't really annoy me. I know the American car companies have been pretty close to this labeling standard on their Flex Fuel cars for a while.
At least they're not mandating gigantic H-Y-B-R-I-D badges like this:
|
FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
> Textured Soy Protein
02/20/2014 at 17:20 |
|
According the rule they would have to call those vehicles Ethanol Vehicles not Flex Fuel.
|
Textured Soy Protein
> FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/20/2014 at 17:25 |
|
Ehh...so the car companies have to mess around with some badging. On the list of things for one to get worked up about, this doesn't rank very highly.
puddler
> FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/20/2014 at 17:27 |
|
alternative fuel emblem?
like this.
TheJWT
> FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/20/2014 at 18:00 |
|
(EPA test mule shown)
Axial
> Frosted
02/20/2014 at 18:30 |
|
If I had a diesel truck I would surround the fuel filler door with a ring of yellow/black hazard stripes.
KnifeKnut
> FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
02/24/2014 at 21:53 |
|
Federally Mandated Advertising?