Regulations/Standards

Wheelchair-accessible taxi exhibited in New York The MV-1 from Vehicle Production Group is a purpose-built body-on-frame vehicle for wheelchair use with an access ramp and greater interior room than converted taxis. Read full story

Editorial: Selling electrification Government EV mandates don't necessarily match with consumer demand, but hybrid enthusiasm among Gen Y consumers might swing future car buying in the electrified direction. Until then the regulatory authorities may need to help persuade a skeptical public. Read full story

Cadillac XTS first U.S. car with R-1234yf A/C The Cadillac model comes out in late spring, with ATS to follow in mid-summer also with R-1234yf. Paperwork regulatory issues delay production from DuPont-Honeywell joint venture plant in China. SAE committee chairman asks EPA to expedite approvals for service equipment. Read full story

National Academies offers ideas on NHTSA capabilities in vehicle electronics Though supportive of the decision by NHTSA, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to close its investigation related to cases of unintended acceleration in some Toyota models, an arm of the National Academies has issued a report describing as "troubling" NHTSA's inability to convincingly address public concerns about the safety of automotive electronics. Read full story

GM beefs up Volt against potential battery fires Structural reinforcements to better protect the battery pack in side impacts and improvements to the pack’s liquid cooling system are the “fix” that General Motors engineers have developed to prevent a real-world occurrence of a post-crash fire in the Chevrolet Volt produced during testing by the U.S. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Read full story