Consumer Reports (CR), the Green Science Policy Institute, and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) today delivered more than 32,000 petition signatures to the headquarters of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), calling on the agency to update its outdated flammability standard for car interiors and child car seats. Currently, to meet this […]
NHTSA Proposes Updated Fuel Economy Standards for MY2027 and Later Vehicles
Mirrors April EPA proposal that vehicle manufacturers criticized as unachievable in the proposed timeline. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a proposal Friday, July 28 to update corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) standards for passenger cars and light trucks. A 60-day public comment period will begin after the proposal is […]
NHTSA Proposes Automatic Emergency Braking Requirements for New Vehicles
Rule would replace the 2016 voluntary agreement between manufacturers, NHTSA and IIHS that led 14 manufacturers to install braking system in 95% of their vehicles by last September. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) yesterday announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require automatic emergency braking and pedestrian AEB […]
Coalition Unveils Expanded, Updated Recommendations for Universal Terms for Advanced Driver Assistance Technology
A coalition of the nation’s leading experts in automobiles and auto safety—AAA, Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, National Safety Council, PAVE, and SAE International—released a set of expanded and updated recommendations for universal terms for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features. The six overarching categories on the list are collision warning, collision intervention, driving control […]
Consumer Reports Survey Finds Americans Support the Right to Repair
More than half of consumers say there isn’t enough choice on where to get something repaired. Consumers show small preference for local shops certified by vehicle manufacturers versus uncertified facilities. Consumer Reports (CR) released findings from a nationally representative survey about consumer attitudes toward repairing and replacing broken products, including vehicles, and the choices available […]
General Motors Plans to Sell Only Electric Light Vehicles by 2035
Company says 40 percent of its U.S. models will be battery electric vehicles by 2025. GM announced that it plans to become carbon neutral in its global products and operations by 2040 and “aspires” to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. One prominent consumer group, however, questioned if the company’s stated “aspirations” […]
U.S. DOT and EPA Announce Final Rule on 2021-2026 Fuel Economy Standards
Auto industry supports gradual increases in fuel economy, opponents promise lawsuits. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule setting corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and CO2 emissions standards for model years 2021-2026 passenger cars and […]
NTSB Says Tesla Crash Investigation Demonstrates Limitations of Today’s ADAS Systems
Board warns of insufficient federal oversight of partial driving automation systems. Issues nine safety recommendations for regulators, technology companies and auto industry. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a public board meeting Tuesday during which it determined the probable cause for the fatal March 23, 2018, crash of a Tesla Model X in Mountain […]
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces New Road Safety Initiatives
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Elaine L. Chao today spoke at the 99th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) where she announced new transportation initiatives aimed at harnessing new and existing technologies to improve safety for the traveling public and first responders. Among the initiatives was an endorsement of a call by […]
Four Vehicle Manufacturers Meet Automatic Emergency Braking Commitment Ahead of 2022 Target
Four vehicle manufacturers equipped virtually all the light vehicles they produced for the U.S. market between Sept. 1, 2018, and Aug. 31, 2019, with automatic emergency braking (AEB), three years ahead of a 2022 target. Audi and Volvo joined Mercedes-Benz and Tesla, which hit the target last year, in outfitting all their light passenger vehicles […]