Fisker Automotive; Receipt of Application for Temporary Exemption From Advanced Air Bag Requirements of FMVSS No. 208, 30900-30902 [2010-13122]

Download as PDF 30900 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 2, 2010 / Notices ACTION: Notice of RTCA Special Committee 223: Airport Surface Wireless Communications meeting. SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 223: Airport Surface Wireless Communications. DATES: The meeting will be held June 15–16, 2010 from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at RTCA, Inc., 1828 L Street, NW., Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: RTCA Secretariat, 1828 L Street, NW., Suite 805, Washington, DC, 20036; telephone (202) 833–9339; fax (202) 833–9434; Web site https://www.rtca.org. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), notice is hereby given for a RTCA Special Committee 223: Airport Surface Wireless Communications meeting. The agenda will include: • USAS WG Status Report and Plenary Guidance • Establish Agenda, Date and Place for the next plenary meeting • Review of Meeting summary report • Adjourn—Expected by 3 p.m. on June 16th Attendance is open to the interested public but limited to space availability. With the approval of the chairmen, members of the public may present oral statements at the meeting. Persons wishing to present statements or obtain information should contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. Members of the public may present a written statement to the committee at any time. Issued in Washington, DC, on May 25, 2010. Francisco Estrada C., RTCA Advisory Committee. [FR Doc. 2010–13142 Filed 6–1–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–13–P Tuesday, June 15, 2010 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Tuesday Morning—Plenary • Opening Session (Welcome, Introductions, Administrative Remarks, Approve/Review Meeting #3 Summary, RTCA Paper No. 084– 10/SC223–007) • Special Committee Leadership • Designated Federal Official (DFO): Mr. Brent Phillips • Co-Chair: Mr. Aloke Roy, Honeywell International • Co-Chair: Mr. Ward Hall, ITT Corporation • Agenda Overview • AeroMACS Profile Working Group Status • AeroMACS User Services & Applications Ad-Hoc Working Group Status • 3rd Plenary action item status • Assignment of MOPS working group leader • AeroMACS test and evaluation interim results Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Tuesday Afternoon—Profiles WG Breakout Session • Document Structure • Technical work on AeroMACS Profile sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Wednesday Morning—User Services & Applications (USAS) Breakout Session • User services and applications definition Wednesday Afternoon—Reconvene Plenary • Profiles WG Status Report and Plenary Guidance VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:08 Jun 01, 2010 Jkt 220001 Sunshine Act Meetings; Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board of Directors AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. Time and Date: June 9, 2010, 8 a.m. until 12 Noon, Mountain Daylight Time. Place: This meeting will take place telephonically. Any interested person may call Place: This meeting will take place at the Hotel Park City, 2001 Park Avenue, Park City, UT 84060. Any interested person may call Mr. Avelino Gutierrez at (505) 827–4565 to receive the toll free number and pass code needed to participate in this meeting by telephone. Status: Open to the public. MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board of Directors (the Board) will continue its work in developing and implementing the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement and to that end, may consider matters properly before the Board. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Avelino Gutierrez, Chair, Unified Carrier Registration Board of Directors at (505) 827–4565. Issued on: May 28, 2010. Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy and Program Development. [FR Doc. 2010–13396 Filed 5–28–10; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P PO 00000 Frm 00131 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA–2010–0069] Fisker Automotive; Receipt of Application for Temporary Exemption From Advanced Air Bag Requirements of FMVSS No. 208 AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for temporary exemption from certain provisions of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection. SUMMARY: In accordance with the procedures in 49 CFR part 555, Fisker Automotive Corporation has petitioned the agency for a temporary exemption from certain advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208. The basis for the application is that compliance would cause substantial economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard.1 This notice of receipt of an application for temporary exemption is published in accordance with statutory provisions. NHTSA has not made any judgment on the merits of the application. DATES: You should submit your comments not later than July 2, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Glancy, Office of the Chief Counsel, NCC–112, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building 4th Floor, Room W41–326, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366–2992; Fax: (202) 366–3820. Comments: We invite you to submit comments on the application described above. You may submit comments identified by docket number at the heading of this notice by any of the following methods: • Web Site: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the electronic docket site by clicking on ‘‘Help and Information’’ or ‘‘Help/ Info.’’ • Fax: 1–202–493–2251. • Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 30, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 1 To view the application, go to https:// www.regulations.gov and enter the docket number set forth in the heading of this document. E:\FR\FM\02JNN1.SGM 02JNN1 sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 2, 2010 / Notices • Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC, between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and docket number. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act discussion below. We will consider all comments received before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated above. To the extent possible, we will also consider comments filed after the closing date. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https:// www.regulations.gov at any time or to 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Telephone: (202) 366–9826. Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78) or you may visit https://www.dot.gov/ privacy.html. Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any information under a claim of confidentiality, you should submit three copies of your complete submission, including the information you claim to be confidential business information, to the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, at the address given under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. In addition, you should submit two copies, from which you have deleted the claimed confidential business information, to Docket Management at the address given above. When you send a comment containing information claimed to be confidential business information, you should include a cover letter setting forth the information specified in our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR part 512). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:08 Jun 01, 2010 Jkt 220001 Fisker Automotive (Fisker) has submitted a petition for exemption from certain requirements of FMVSS No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection, pursuant to 49 CFR Part 555, Temporary Exemption from Motor Vehicle Safety and Bumper Standards. Specifically, the petition requests an exemption from paragraphs S15, S17, S19, S21, S23, and S25 of FMVSS No. 208, which relate to the advanced air bag requirements. Fisker has requested an exemption for the Karma model, and that the exemption period run from the date of the grant until May 24, 2011. In recent years, NHTSA has addressed a number of petitions for exemption from the advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208. The majority of these requests have come from small manufacturers which have petitioned on the basis of substantial economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard. NHTSA has granted a number of these petitions, usually in situations where the manufacturer is supplying standard air bags in lieu of advanced air bags.2 In addressing these petitions, NHTSA has recognized that small manufacturers may face particular difficulties in acquiring or developing advanced air bag systems. The basis for Fisker’s application is substantial economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard. According to the petition, Fisker is a privately held company incorporated in the State of Delaware, with headquarters in California. Its total motor vehicle production during the 12 months preceding the filing of the petition was 0 vehicles. The petitioner stated that the Fisker Karma is a completely new passenger car model. Design and development of the Karma began in late 2007. The Karma is being designed and developed to meet all applicable FMVSS and EEC regulations, including the installation of eight air bags on the coupe version and six air bags on the convertible version. Fisker stated the air bag system is being developed through cooperation with Takata, Tass, and Bosch, which have been granted contracts to complete the development of the air bag systems. The petitioner stated that these companies were retained in 2008/2009 and are continuing the efforts to develop an air bag system that is fully compliant with the requirements of FMVSS No. 208. Fisker stated that it subcontracted the advanced air bag system development to 2 See, e.g., grant of petition to Panoz, 72 FR 28759 (May 22, 2007), or grant of petition to Koenigsegg, 72 FR 17608 (April 9, 2007). PO 00000 Frm 00132 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 30901 experienced outside companies, and that the air bag development costs represent a very significant expenditure to the company. It cited a $7,714,857 cost figure, and provided information about what that figure includes. Fisker stated that without a temporary exemption, which would enable the company to generate funds through the sale of vehicles, it may not be able to sustain the air bag and vehicle development programs, causing substantial financial economic hardship to the company. Fisker stated that it estimates that full compliance with FMVSS No. 208 will be achieved before May 24, 2011. The petitioner stated that if the exemption petition is approved, the Karma models sold under the exemption will be compliant with all FMVSS regulations with the exception of certain sections of FMVSS No. 208. Fisker stated that the coupe version will be equipped with eight functional air bags (front, side, knee and curtain air bags), and the convertible version will be equipped with six functional air bags (front, side and knee air bags). Both versions will include seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters. Also, according to the petitioner, both models will be compliant with the 50th percentile unbelted test requirements contained in section 13 of the standard. Fisker argued that sales of the Karma are in the public interest. It stated that the Karma ‘‘is leading the way towards the introduction of advanced lowemission vehicle technologies to the US and world markets.’’ Fisker stated that the Karma will be the first plug-in hybrid passenger car available for purchase by the general public. It also cited benefits of employment opportunities. Upon receiving a petition, NHTSA conducts an initial review of the petition with respect to whether the petition is complete and whether the petitioner appears to be eligible to apply for the requested petition. The agency has tentatively concluded that the petition is complete and the petitioner eligible to apply for the requested petition. The agency has not made any judgment on the merits of the application, and is placing a nonconfidential copy of the petition in the docket. We are providing a 30-day comment period. After considering public comments and other available information, we will publish a notice of final action on the application in the Federal Register. E:\FR\FM\02JNN1.SGM 02JNN1 30902 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 105 / Wednesday, June 2, 2010 / Notices Issued on: May 26, 2010. Stephen R. Kratzke, Associate Administrator for Rulemaking. [FR Doc. 2010–13122 Filed 6–1–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–59–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; U.S. 231 Dubois County, IN AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of intent. SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in cooperation with the Indiana Department (INDOT), is issuing this notice to advise the public that FHWA will prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the U.S. 231 Jasper Huntingburg project in Dubois County, Indiana. Since publication of the 2004 U.S. 231 Draft EIS in March 2004, FHWA and INDOT has continued to evaluate the project and has developed additional alternatives for consideration. The SDEIS will re-evaluate the Preferred Alternative identified in the 2004 U.S. 231 DEIS and compare those impacts to the additional build alternatives. The SDEIS will focus on the project modifications, the existing environment and impacts, and any new information that has developed since the 2004 DEIS as required by 23 CFR 771.130. DATES: Comments on the scope of the SDEIS for the proposed project should be forwarded no later than July 2, 2010. ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Tim Miller, Environmental Manager, HNTB Indiana, Inc., 111 Monument Circle, Suite 1200, Indianapolis, IN 46204, Telephone: (317) 636–4682, E-mail: tnmiller@hntb.com. sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice Osadczuk, Planning/ Environmental Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, Indiana Division, 575 North Pennsylvania Street, Room 254, Indianapolis, Indiana, Telephone: (317) 226–7486. SUPPLEMENTARY BACKGROUND INFORMATION: U.S. 231 extends approximately 304 mi from U.S. 60 in Owensboro, Kentucky, north through Indiana to U.S. 41 near the Illinois border. Due to the importance of the route, U.S. 231 is included in the National Highway System (NHS). The NHS includes all Interstate routes, a VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:08 Jun 01, 2010 Jkt 220001 large percentage of roads classified as principal arterial highways and roads important for national defense. The NHS includes 5 percent of the national roadway network but serves approximately 40 percent of the nation’s highway travel. U.S. 231 is also a part of the National Truck Network, a national network of highways that allows the passage of trucks of specified minimum dimensions and weight. Designated as a Regional Mobility Corridor and Commerce Corridor, U.S. 231 serves as a connection to smaller cities and regions, feeds traffic to the major mobility corridors and provides for regional accessibility. As a Commerce Corridor, U.S. 231 directly facilitates intrastate, interstate or international commerce or travel. Approximately 12 mi of existing U.S. 231 through Dubois County is rural 2lane roadway. The roadway becomes 3or 4-lane through Huntingburg and Jasper and is a north-south arterial that divides both communities. Traffic flow in Huntingburg is affected by delays at an at-grade railroad crossing. In Jasper, U.S. 231 makes two right-angle turns, both of which have substandard corner radii and are difficult for larger vehicles to negotiate. In March 2004, FHWA released the U.S. 231 Draft EIS. FHWA and INDOT have continued to evaluate the project and have developed additional alternatives for consideration and a Final EIS has not been released within three years of the publication of the Draft EIS. The SDEIS will re-evaluate the Preferred Alternative identified in the 2004 U.S. 231 DEIS and compare those impacts to the additional build alternatives. The SDEIS will focus on the project modifications, the existing environment and impacts, and any new information that has developed since the 2004 DEIS as required by 23 CFR 771.130. Environmental Issues: Possible environmental impacts include viewshed impacts, impacts to water resources, wetlands, farmed wetlands, prime farmland, sensitive biological species and habitat, land use compatibility impacts, impacts to agricultural lands, displacement of commercial and residential properties, and potential effects to historical properties or archaeological sites. Alternatives: The SDEIS will consider alternatives that include: (1) Taking no action; (2) re-evaluation of the Preferred Alternative identified in the 2004 DEIS; and (3) additional build alternatives not previously identified in the 2004 DEIS. Public and Agency Scoping and Comment: FHWA encourages continued broad participation in the SDEIS process PO 00000 Frm 00133 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 and review of the resulting environmental documents. A resource/ regulatory agency meeting is scheduled for May 17, 2010 to re-initiate agency participation again as FHWA continues with the development of the SDEIS, Final EIS, and Record of Decision. This agency meeting will be held to solicit input from the resource and regulatory agencies on the nature and extent of issues, concerns and potential impacts to be addressed in the SDEIS, including methods by which they will be evaluated and discuss any changes since the release of the 2004 DEIS. A public information meeting will be conducted in the City of Huntingburg in the summer of 2010, re-initiating the public scoping process on the SDEIS, which will be widely publicized well in advance of the meeting. Comments, questions, and suggestions related to the project and potential environmental concerns are invited from all interested agencies and the public at large to ensure that the full range of issues related to the proposed action and all reasonable alternatives are considered and all significant issues are identified. These comments, questions, and suggestions should be forwarded to the address listed above. Notices of availability for the Supplemental Draft EIS, Final EIS, and Record of Decision will be provided through direct mail, the Federal Register and other media. Notification also will be sent to Federal, State, local agencies, persons, and organizations that submit comments or questions. Precise schedules and locations for public meetings will be announced in the local news media. Interested individuals and organizations may request to be included on the mailing list for the distribution of meeting announcements and associated information. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 20.205, Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to the program.) Authority: 23 U.S.C. 31.5; 23 CFR 771.123; 49 CFR 1.48. Robert F. Tally, Division Administrator, Indianapolis, Indiana. [FR Doc. 2010–13103 Filed 6–1–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–M E:\FR\FM\02JNN1.SGM 02JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30900-30902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13122]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0069]


Fisker Automotive; Receipt of Application for Temporary Exemption 
From Advanced Air Bag Requirements of FMVSS No. 208

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for temporary exemption from 
certain provisions of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 
208, Occupant Crash Protection.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the procedures in 49 CFR part 555, Fisker 
Automotive Corporation has petitioned the agency for a temporary 
exemption from certain advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208. 
The basis for the application is that compliance would cause 
substantial economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good 
faith to comply with the standard.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view the application, go to https://www.regulations.gov 
and enter the docket number set forth in the heading of this 
document.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This notice of receipt of an application for temporary exemption is 
published in accordance with statutory provisions. NHTSA has not made 
any judgment on the merits of the application.

DATES: You should submit your comments not later than July 2, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Glancy, Office of the Chief 
Counsel, NCC-112, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building 4th Floor, Room W41-326, 
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-2992; Fax: (202) 366-3820.
    Comments: We invite you to submit comments on the application 
described above. You may submit comments identified by docket number at 
the heading of this notice by any of the following methods:
     Web Site: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the electronic docket site by 
clicking on ``Help and Information'' or ``Help/Info.''
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC 20590.

[[Page 30901]]

     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC, between 9 am and 5 pm, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. Note that all comments received will be posted without 
change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act discussion below. We 
will consider all comments received before the close of business on the 
comment closing date indicated above. To the extent possible, we will 
also consider comments filed after the closing date.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov at any time or to 
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays. Telephone: (202) 366-9826.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
https://www.dot.gov/privacy.html.
    Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any 
information under a claim of confidentiality, you should submit three 
copies of your complete submission, including the information you claim 
to be confidential business information, to the Chief Counsel, NHTSA, 
at the address given under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. In 
addition, you should submit two copies, from which you have deleted the 
claimed confidential business information, to Docket Management at the 
address given above. When you send a comment containing information 
claimed to be confidential business information, you should include a 
cover letter setting forth the information specified in our 
confidential business information regulation (49 CFR part 512).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Fisker Automotive (Fisker) has submitted a petition for exemption 
from certain requirements of FMVSS No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection, 
pursuant to 49 CFR Part 555, Temporary Exemption from Motor Vehicle 
Safety and Bumper Standards. Specifically, the petition requests an 
exemption from paragraphs S15, S17, S19, S21, S23, and S25 of FMVSS No. 
208, which relate to the advanced air bag requirements. Fisker has 
requested an exemption for the Karma model, and that the exemption 
period run from the date of the grant until May 24, 2011.
    In recent years, NHTSA has addressed a number of petitions for 
exemption from the advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208. The 
majority of these requests have come from small manufacturers which 
have petitioned on the basis of substantial economic hardship to a 
manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard. 
NHTSA has granted a number of these petitions, usually in situations 
where the manufacturer is supplying standard air bags in lieu of 
advanced air bags.\2\ In addressing these petitions, NHTSA has 
recognized that small manufacturers may face particular difficulties in 
acquiring or developing advanced air bag systems.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See, e.g., grant of petition to Panoz, 72 FR 28759 (May 22, 
2007), or grant of petition to Koenigsegg, 72 FR 17608 (April 9, 
2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The basis for Fisker's application is substantial economic hardship 
to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the 
standard. According to the petition, Fisker is a privately held company 
incorporated in the State of Delaware, with headquarters in California. 
Its total motor vehicle production during the 12 months preceding the 
filing of the petition was 0 vehicles.
    The petitioner stated that the Fisker Karma is a completely new 
passenger car model. Design and development of the Karma began in late 
2007. The Karma is being designed and developed to meet all applicable 
FMVSS and EEC regulations, including the installation of eight air bags 
on the coupe version and six air bags on the convertible version. 
Fisker stated the air bag system is being developed through cooperation 
with Takata, Tass, and Bosch, which have been granted contracts to 
complete the development of the air bag systems. The petitioner stated 
that these companies were retained in 2008/2009 and are continuing the 
efforts to develop an air bag system that is fully compliant with the 
requirements of FMVSS No. 208.
    Fisker stated that it subcontracted the advanced air bag system 
development to experienced outside companies, and that the air bag 
development costs represent a very significant expenditure to the 
company. It cited a $7,714,857 cost figure, and provided information 
about what that figure includes. Fisker stated that without a temporary 
exemption, which would enable the company to generate funds through the 
sale of vehicles, it may not be able to sustain the air bag and vehicle 
development programs, causing substantial financial economic hardship 
to the company. Fisker stated that it estimates that full compliance 
with FMVSS No. 208 will be achieved before May 24, 2011.
    The petitioner stated that if the exemption petition is approved, 
the Karma models sold under the exemption will be compliant with all 
FMVSS regulations with the exception of certain sections of FMVSS No. 
208. Fisker stated that the coupe version will be equipped with eight 
functional air bags (front, side, knee and curtain air bags), and the 
convertible version will be equipped with six functional air bags 
(front, side and knee air bags). Both versions will include seat belts 
with pretensioners and load limiters. Also, according to the 
petitioner, both models will be compliant with the 50th percentile 
unbelted test requirements contained in section 13 of the standard.
    Fisker argued that sales of the Karma are in the public interest. 
It stated that the Karma ``is leading the way towards the introduction 
of advanced low-emission vehicle technologies to the US and world 
markets.'' Fisker stated that the Karma will be the first plug-in 
hybrid passenger car available for purchase by the general public. It 
also cited benefits of employment opportunities.
    Upon receiving a petition, NHTSA conducts an initial review of the 
petition with respect to whether the petition is complete and whether 
the petitioner appears to be eligible to apply for the requested 
petition. The agency has tentatively concluded that the petition is 
complete and the petitioner eligible to apply for the requested 
petition. The agency has not made any judgment on the merits of the 
application, and is placing a non-confidential copy of the petition in 
the docket.
    We are providing a 30-day comment period. After considering public 
comments and other available information, we will publish a notice of 
final action on the application in the Federal Register.


[[Page 30902]]


    Issued on: May 26, 2010.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2010-13122 Filed 6-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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