National Highway Traffic Safety Administration March 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Autocar Industries, LLC (Autocar Industries) and Hino Motors Sales U.S.A., Inc., (Hino), have determined that certain model year (MY) 2014-2018 Autocar Xpert trucks and certain MY 2014-2018 Hino heavy-duty trucks do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays. The petitioners have requested that NHTSA deem the subject noncompliances inconsequential to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces the grant of these petitions.

This document grants in full Nissan North America, Inc.'s, (Nissan) petition for exemption of the model year 2020 Versa vehicle line from the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard. This petition is granted because the agency has determined that the antitheft device to be placed on the line as standard equipment is likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of the Theft Prevention Standard.

This document grants in full the Porsche Cars North America, Inc.'s (Porsche) petition for exemption of the 2020 model year Taycan vehicle line from the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (Theft Prevention Standard). The petition is granted because the agency has determined that the antitheft device to be placed on the line as standard equipment is likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of the Theft Prevention Standard.

Nuro, Inc. (Nuro) has petitioned NHTSA for a temporary exemption from certain requirements in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 500, which establishes standards for ``Low-speed vehicles,'' on the basis that an exemption would make the development or field evaluation of a low-emission vehicle easier without unreasonably lowering the safety of that vehicle. The vehicle for which Nuro requests an exemption is a low-speed, highly automated delivery vehicle intended to be operated without any human occupants and thus designed without any seating. Specifically, Nuro requests exemptions from the requirements in FMVSS No. 500 that its vehicle be equipped with rearview mirrors, a windshield that complies with FMVSS No. 205, and a rear visibility (backup camera) system that complies with FMVSS No. 111. Nuro states that the absence of human occupants, combined with the vehicle's various safety design features, including the vehicle's Automated Driving System (ADS), make compliance with these provisions of FMVSS No. 500 either unnecessary for, or detrimental to, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. NHTSA is publishing this document in accordance with statutory and administrative provisions, and requests comments on this document and the petition submitted by Nuro. NHTSA will assess the merits of the petition and decide whether to grant or deny it after receiving and considering the public comments on this notice, the petition, public responses to the questions in this notice and such additional information as Nuro may provide.

This document announces decisions by NHTSA that certain motor vehicles not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because they are substantially similar to vehicles originally manufactured for sale in the United States and certified by their manufacturers as complying with the safety standards, and are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2017-2018 Forest River buses and school buses do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 205, Glazing Materials. Forest River filed two separate noncompliance reports, both dated November 30, 2017. Forest River then petitioned NHTSA on December 12, 2017, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces the grant of this petition.