Automotive News [sub] points us to a notice in the Federal Register, which notes that
In accordance with the procedures in 49 CFR Part 555, Tesla Motors, Inc., has petitioned the agency for renewal of a temporary exemption from certain advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208. The basis for the application is that the petitioner avers that compliance would cause it substantial economic hardship and that it has tried in good faith to comply with the standard…
Not so bad, right? As a small manufacturer, Tesla simply has to prove that it still isn’t in the financial shape to put advanced airbags in its money-losing Roadster… after all, nothing has fundamentally changed since the initial waiver was granted. But it turns out that NHTSA isn’t going to give out these waivers like candy anymore…
Notwithstanding those previous grants of exemption, NHTSA is considering two key issues–
(1) whether it is in the public interest to continue to grant such
petitions, particularly in the same manner as in the past, given the
number of years these requirements have now been in effect and the
benefits of advanced air bags, and(2) to the extent such petitions are granted, what plans and
countermeasures to protect child and infant occupants, short of
compliance with the advanced air bags, should be expected.While the exemption authority was created to address the problems of small manufacturers and the agency wishes to be appropriately attentive to those problems, it was not anticipated by the agency that use of this authority would result in small manufacturers being given much more than relatively short term exemptions from recently implemented safety standards, especially those addressing particularly significant safety problems.
Given the passage of time since the advanced air bag requirements were established and implemented, and in light of the benefits of advanced air bags, NHTSA is considering whether it is in the public interest to continue to grant exemptions from these requirements, particularly under the same terms as in the past. The costs of compliance with the advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208 are costs that all entrants to the U.S. automobile marketplace should expect to bear. Furthermore, NHTSA understands that, in contrast to the initial years after the advanced air bag requirements went into effect, low volume manufacturers now have access to advanced air bag technology. Accordingly, NHTSA tentatively concludes that the expense of advanced air bag technology is not now sufficient, in and of itself, to justify the grant of a petition for a hardship exemption from the advanced air bag requirements
And guess what? NHTSA should be pulling Tesla’s waiver. After all, if a couple of guys importing Shuanghuan Noble gliders in small batches and converting them to CNG power are complying with NHTSA’s Advanced Airbag requirement, why shouldn’t a well-funded, public company that has received hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer support?
Next up: Elon Musk is busted in an FBI sting operation trying to move a kilo of blow to raise operating capital for the company.
Oops, wrong failing car company…
Forgive me, but it’s Friday, it’s 5pm, and that’s really funny, so to quote Nelson Muntz: “HA-HA!”
…this has absolutely nothing to do with tesla; lotus’ federal exemptions for the elise and exige just expired and they’ve decided that north american sales weren’t worth the costs of further federalising the platform, so this week lotus announced plans to pull their 111 models from the north american market…
…tesla’s hands are simply tied to the fate of their repackaged lotus rollers…
Do Tesla and Elise roadsters really need “countermeasures to protect child and infant occupants”? These cars are not among soccer mom’s favorites.
Yes because Angelina Jolie Pitt might just buy one.
Why not hire Tiger Woods? He’s the best person to sell golf carts.
I can’t believe that the political impetus to fast-track goofy golf carts is already crumbling. I thought for sure that the global warming hysteria would be forever, just like dot-com stocks and disco music.
FWIW, in my country we still call dance clubs as disco.
Super Prez wants a million electric cars on the road in three years, we have to start somewhere.