Issues
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a report detailing crashes involving motorists in 2021. The increase in crashes from 2020 to 2021 outpaced the increase in vehicles on the road for the same time period. In 2021, 42,939 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a 10% increase from the 39,007 fatalities…
Post content here.The EPA approved California’s Advanced Clean Truck rule intended to leave very few gas-powered heavy-duty vehicles on the roads in the state by 2035. Truck manufacturers will be required to sell an increasingly greater share of zero-emission trucks relatively to gas-powered vehicles. California joins Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and Oregon…
A bipartisan group of State and U.S. Territory Attorneys General signed a letter urging Congress to pass “Right-to-Repair” legislation. Addressed to the chair and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, the letter specifies that the law should cover automobiles, agricultural equipment,…
March 9, 2023 – Washington, DC – On Tuesday, earlier this week, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell notified the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts that her office will begin enforcing the Data Access Law on June 1, 2023. Approved by voters through a ballot measure in 2020, the law requires automobile manufacturers with sales operations…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule on the “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards” today. This final rule seeks to further reduce air pollution, including ozone and particulate matter (PM), from heavy-duty engines and vehicles across the United States. The final program includes new emission…
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with John Deere that ensures farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to repair their own equipment. The MOU requires John Deere to provide farmers and independent repair facilities access to the tools, information, and software required to make repairs to John Deere equipment. “[The…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a rule today that will require heavy-duty trucks sold in 2027 to significantly decrease their air emissions of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants. This rule is a result of the Biden administration’s initiative to eliminate carbon emissions from the transportation sector. Although these emissions restrictions are significant, the…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released rules this week for eligibility for the revamped electric vehicle (EV) tax credit. This follows the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) re-ups the $7,500 consumer tax credit for EVs, but adds…
In this bonus episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Bob Redding, the Automotive Service Association’s Washington, D.C., representative, joins editor Chris Jones for a look at how California’s decision to become a zero-emissions state by 2035 will affect the automotive aftermarket. We also discuss the significance of the decision by the California Air Resources Board to intervene…
Take Action! Send a letter to your U.S. Congressmen using this link. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is asking shops to send a letter to their U.S. House of Representatives members encouraging them to join the newly established Vehicle Data Caucus. The U.S. House of Representatives Vehicle Data Caucus is a bipartisan group formed…