Category Archives: motor vehicles

Anatomy of a MultiState Connected Car Coalition. 3 Policy Areas of Focus.

Michigan, Ohio & Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation have joined forces with universities to focus on automated and connected vehicle initiative.

3 Target Research Areas to Guide Policy Decisions:

  • Connected and automated applications in work zones
  • Commercial freight opportunities in testing, including platooning (connecting more than one vehicle) and potential coordination on interstates. (
    • Bonjour, TAMU’s freight project at the Houston Port.
  • Incident management to improve…

State Reg. Trend. Smart Roads. The Numbers behind the trend.

Delaware DOT is partnering with agencies, automobile manufacturers and technology companies, and network segmentation to fine tune smart roads. The test road- a restretch of I-95.

Why the rush to start testing smart roads?

  • 220 million connected cars will be on the road by 2020
  • 3/4 of the 92 million cars shipped globally with have connectivity
  • 62% of consumers say hackers will breach connected cars

State Tech | The Connected Vehicle Revolution Makes Cybersecurity Top of Mind

AG Opinion Request. Testing the Waters on Manufacturers & Dealerships.

Opinion Request, RQ-0170-KP, from texas Department of Motor Vehicles wants the Attorney General to answer this question:

  • Whether wholly owning a motor vehicle manufacturer results in affiliation with that manufacturer for purposes of section 2301.476(a)(2) of the Occupations Code.

 

What does DMV point out in its opinion request?

  • Forest River (FR) is a vehicle manufacturer
  • Berkshire Hathaway Automotive  (BHA) operates dealerships
  • Berkshire Hathaway (BH) owns Forest River
  • BHA is a…

TREND. Self Driving Car laws. Federal Regulator says states should chill & look to this federal law for drafting inspiration.

Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Maureen K. Ohlhausen, said lawmakers should:

  • ease up on self driving car laws
  • and if we’re protecting consumer information when it comes to self driving and connected cars, lawmakers should look to HIPPA as a drafting example

Why the call for caution? because too many different self driving car laws and rules will:

  • create unnecessary or duplicative regulation
  • innovation could slow or stop
  • ultimately consumers could be worse off.

SC Media | FTC chair…

TREND. Failed Bill Leads to Regulatory Negotiation for Direct Sales. Case Study.

North Carolina Legislature failed to pass a bill for the direct sales of automobiles, because of opposition not from dealers but from auto manufacturers.

Lemons were turned into organic, naturally sweetened organic lemonaide.

Tesla and North Carolina’s Department of Motor Vehicles are negotiating a compromise to allow for 6 direct sales locations.

Electrek | Tesla’s direct-sale bill is shelved in North Carolina

Legal Trend. Manufacturer Sales. Direct Sales Win in Western Red State. Key Economic Argument.

Tesla secured the right to sell vehicles in Arizona, and here’s how:

  • The Key Economic Argument from the administrative law judge found that the intent of the dealer law was to prevent an automaker from unfairly competing against franchises selling its brands
  • As Tesla has no dealerships, the law doe not to prohibit Tesla direct sales or any direct sales.
  • Auto dealers sued in Maricopa County Court which upheld the Administrative Law Judge’s ruling

Arizona Republic | Yes, you can buy a Tesla…

Lonestar State Rulemaking to Watch: TCEQ. Electric Car Rebates.

The re-authorization of TERP’s $2500 electric car rebate in Texas opens rulemaking to the following issues:

  • which cars qualify?
  • do cars purchased out of state qualify?
  • are rules limited to cars purchased at Texas dealerships?
  • when must cars be purchased to qualify?

The pre-2017 rebate program exlcuded Teslas.

Houston Chronicle | Abbott signs electric car rebates into law

Utility Dive | Texas revives $2,500 electric vehicle credit

Electrek.co | Texas brings back $2,500 electric vehicle…

Key Element of Direct Sales Legislation in the Empire State.

On June 2nd, S6600/A8248, was filed in the New York Legsislature to expand the ability of Tesla to sell directly to New York Consumers/

What limiting language does this bill contain?

  • Applies only to manufacturers of zero emissions vehicles

Does the bill have any location limits? 

  • Yes, it permits 20 locations.

New York law Journal | Inside Tesla’s Lobbying Push to Expand NY Sales

Pro-Con Arguments Used in the East to Support Direct Auto Sales + A compromise deal

State: Connecticut

What are the arguments supporting direct sales of vehicles in Connecticut?

  • Opposing direct sales shows an opposition to technology and dissaudes tech start ups from 
  • Denying Connecticut residents the ability to buy directly in Connecticut costs Connecticut jobs and revenue
  • neighboring state Massachusetts is getting the sales and the revenue

 

What are the arguments opposing direct sales in Connecticut?

  • job losses
  • job loss argument is maintained by auto dealers and…

Business Trend. Company Sponsors State Department of Transportation Road Side Assistance Program

State: Connecticut

Company: State Farm

What does the partnership entail?

  • Renaming the agency’s Connecticut Highway Assistance Motorist Patrol (CHAMP) to the CTDOT State Farm Safety Patrol

Is this new for State Farm?  No, it has Partnerships in 15 other states, including:Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania

Benefit to the state: State can continue providing the same…