This collection of photos features products for the Fiat 500 that were entered into the 2011 SEMA Show New Products Showcase. The Fiat 500 was selected at the SEMA Award winner for hottest sport compact.

This collection of photos features products for the Fiat 500 that were entered into the 2011 SEMA Show New Products Showcase. The Fiat 500 was selected at the SEMA Award winner for hottest sport compact.

Truck drivers may be on the road up to 11 hours daily but must take a minimum break of at least 30 minutes after eight hours under a new rule issued by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The “hours of service” rule covering commercial motor vehicles has been debated for more than a decade. The Department of Transportation reduced the maximum number of hours a driver can work during the week from 82 to 70. The requirement that there be a 34-hour rest period between the end of one week and the start of another remains unchanged. The new rule takes effect on July 1, 2013.

Although the rule is generally associated with long-haul carriers, any manufacturer, distributor or retailer may be impacted if shipping schedules or transportation costs are adjusted as a result of the new rule.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. 

Truck drivers may be on the road up to 11 hours daily but must take a minimum break of at least 30 minutes after eight hours under a new rule issued by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The “hours of service” rule covering commercial motor vehicles has been debated for more than a decade. The Department of Transportation reduced the maximum number of hours a driver can work during the week from 82 to 70. The requirement that there be a 34-hour rest period between the end of one week and the start of another remains unchanged. The new rule takes effect on July 1, 2013.

Although the rule is generally associated with long-haul carriers, any manufacturer, distributor or retailer may be impacted if shipping schedules or transportation costs are adjusted as a result of the new rule.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. 

In March 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule establishing test procedures to be used by tire manufacturers when rating the fuel economy, safety and durability characteristics of replacement tires. The NHTSA has modified the rule in response to several petitions for reconsideration. Of interest to limited-production specialty tire manufacturers, the NHTSA has clarified that there is an ongoing reporting requirement when claiming an exemption for a new tire model or removing an existing tire from the exemption list. The manufacturer must send a declaration statement to the NHTSA within 30 days of it being offered for sale.  

The Tire Fuel Efficiency Information Program itself has not yet gone into effect. The agency is still debating how to convey the information to consumers at the point of sale and online. The premise for the new program is to allow consumers to compare ratings for different replacement tires and determine the effect of tire choices on fuel economy or the potential tradeoffs between tire fuel efficiency (rolling resistance), safety (wet traction) and durability (treadwear life). The consumer information may be conveyed in the form of a 1–5 star rating system or some similar approach, and included on a label affixed to each tire. The exact label design has not been set.  

The program is required under a 2007 law, which contains a SEMA provision exempting tires that have been produced or imported in annual units of less than 15,000, and do not exceed 35,000 tires in total brand name production. The NHTSA originally asked the limited-production tire manufacturers to submit reporting data so that the agency could identify the tires for which the 15,000-35,000-unit low-volume exemption was claimed.

In comments submitted to the agency, SEMA convinced the NHTSA that such a paperwork burden was unnecessary. Instead, the NHTSA agreed to require that the limited production tire manufacturers provide a one-time list of its tire models/sizes, along with a statement that the tire models/sizes are excluded from the applicability of the regulation and, thus, are not rated. As noted, the manufacturer must update the list as circumstances change.

Questions: contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

In March 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule establishing test procedures to be used by tire manufacturers when rating the fuel economy, safety and durability characteristics of replacement tires. The NHTSA has modified the rule in response to several petitions for reconsideration. Of interest to limited-production specialty tire manufacturers, the NHTSA has clarified that there is an ongoing reporting requirement when claiming an exemption for a new tire model or removing an existing tire from the exemption list. The manufacturer must send a declaration statement to the NHTSA within 30 days of it being offered for sale.  

The Tire Fuel Efficiency Information Program itself has not yet gone into effect. The agency is still debating how to convey the information to consumers at the point of sale and online. The premise for the new program is to allow consumers to compare ratings for different replacement tires and determine the effect of tire choices on fuel economy or the potential tradeoffs between tire fuel efficiency (rolling resistance), safety (wet traction) and durability (treadwear life). The consumer information may be conveyed in the form of a 1–5 star rating system or some similar approach, and included on a label affixed to each tire. The exact label design has not been set.  

The program is required under a 2007 law, which contains a SEMA provision exempting tires that have been produced or imported in annual units of less than 15,000, and do not exceed 35,000 tires in total brand name production. The NHTSA originally asked the limited-production tire manufacturers to submit reporting data so that the agency could identify the tires for which the 15,000-35,000-unit low-volume exemption was claimed.

In comments submitted to the agency, SEMA convinced the NHTSA that such a paperwork burden was unnecessary. Instead, the NHTSA agreed to require that the limited production tire manufacturers provide a one-time list of its tire models/sizes, along with a statement that the tire models/sizes are excluded from the applicability of the regulation and, thus, are not rated. As noted, the manufacturer must update the list as circumstances change.

Questions: contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

 

	Want to join the SEMA Action Network? Get the simple process started here.

With the new year comes new legislative initiatives across the United States and Canada to be closely tracked and analyzed by SEMA’s government affairs office. Every year association staff screens thousands of bills and identifies hundreds that may be of interest to member companies and enthusiasts. The most pressing of these bills result in Action Alerts being shot out to members and highlighted in SEMA News and the SEMA Action Network’s (SAN) monthly publication, Driving Force.

SEMA has expanded this bill-tracking effort into an online compilation provided on the SAN website, www.semasan.com. Along the top menu bar of the SAN website you will find ‘LEGISLATION’.  Select ‘State’ and then choose the state of interest to view a list of pending legislation. 


Some of the bills listed on the site will never progress past introduction; others will go on to become the laws of tomorrow. The time period following a bill’s introduction is critical to its success or failure. It is at this time, immediately following introduction, that the SAN aims to inform members and enthusiasts and encourage their participation in the legislative process through e-mails and phone calls to state representatives. Such correspondence has a proven and direct impact on the decisions of legislators.



We encourage you to visit www.semasan.com. The information on this site will provide you with the tools you need to help affect real change, protect the industry and hobby from detrimental state laws, and proactively support favorable ones. If you are not yet a member of the SAN, we encourage you to join and remain active with our efforts. 

Joining the SAN is a simple process. Most importantly, it’s FREE and carries no obligations.  

Contact Greg Dooley at gregd@sema.org if you have any questions. He would be happy to provide you with any bill’s full text, current status and committee information.

 

	Want to join the SEMA Action Network? Get the simple process started here.

With the new year comes new legislative initiatives across the United States and Canada to be closely tracked and analyzed by SEMA’s government affairs office. Every year association staff screens thousands of bills and identifies hundreds that may be of interest to member companies and enthusiasts. The most pressing of these bills result in Action Alerts being shot out to members and highlighted in SEMA News and the SEMA Action Network’s (SAN) monthly publication, Driving Force.

SEMA has expanded this bill-tracking effort into an online compilation provided on the SAN website, www.semasan.com. Along the top menu bar of the SAN website you will find ‘LEGISLATION’.  Select ‘State’ and then choose the state of interest to view a list of pending legislation. 


Some of the bills listed on the site will never progress past introduction; others will go on to become the laws of tomorrow. The time period following a bill’s introduction is critical to its success or failure. It is at this time, immediately following introduction, that the SAN aims to inform members and enthusiasts and encourage their participation in the legislative process through e-mails and phone calls to state representatives. Such correspondence has a proven and direct impact on the decisions of legislators.



We encourage you to visit www.semasan.com. The information on this site will provide you with the tools you need to help affect real change, protect the industry and hobby from detrimental state laws, and proactively support favorable ones. If you are not yet a member of the SAN, we encourage you to join and remain active with our efforts. 

Joining the SAN is a simple process. Most importantly, it’s FREE and carries no obligations.  

Contact Greg Dooley at gregd@sema.org if you have any questions. He would be happy to provide you with any bill’s full text, current status and committee information.

The E85 ethanol-powered C6.R run by Corvette Racing in the 2008 American LeMans Series marries horsepower and greenpower.

A new conference is being held to address how the high-performance motorsports business is connecting with today's advancements in green automotive applications.

"The Race Goes Green" is a one-day business event taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center on the opening day of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Thursday, April 16, 2009. Industry leaders will reveal new technologies that are making it possible for today's race cars and other high-performance vehicles to be more fuel- and energy-efficient.

"The event is about how today's cars and trucks can be both 'cool' and 'green'," said John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of vehicle technology. "Through new vehicle technology and advanced engineering, horsepower and green power are able to coexist."

Waraniak is among the featured presenters of the conference. He will be joined by SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson, Pete Spence, group vice president technical director, Toyota Racing Development USA, Don Taylor from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Herb Fishel, former GM Motorsports executive, and others.

"Participants will leave with a good understanding of what green vehicle technologies exist, and the emerging business opportunities this presents," said Waraniak. "Equally important is the opportunity that attendees will have to meet and network with senior executives and decision makers from major automakers and motorsports companies."

The conference is presented by SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, and the Motorsports Industry Association (MIA). Both organizations represent companies in the motorsports industry and seek to provide members with timely and relevant news to help their businesses grow and succeed.

To learn more about the event or to register, visit the Motorsport Industry Association.