Upfitter Integration, on behalf of General Motors Vehicle Engineering and GM Fleet & Commercial Operations, is extending an invitation to SEMA Manufacturer members to attend a product review for the 2008 Express/Savana vans and cut chassis, August 21 and 22, at the Wentzville Assembly Center in Wentzville, Missouri.

Discussions on product changes for the 2008 model year G van and G cutaway chassis, as well as the introduction of the 2009 model year G Cutaway Commercial Chassis (14,050 GVW; gas and diesel), will anchor the session agenda.

Upfitter has a complete program scheduled, including a plant tour for those who wish and a reception/dinner at Bear Creek Country Club on August 21.

The following day registration and continental breakfast at the Wentzville Assembly Center begins at 7:30 a.m., with product presentations, walk around, and wrap-up Q&A to follow. Lunch will be provided, and the meeting is expected to conclude by 2:30 p.m.

"Business casual" attire is requested, and due to the size of this preview, attendance is limited to the first 200 requests per advance registration, with only (2) persons per company allowed. A confirmation letter with a complete detailed package (maps, agenda, hotel recommendations) will be e-mailed upon receipt of registration form.

All attendees are required by General Motors to sign a confidentiality statement (click here) and please be aware that cameras, video cameras, tape recorders or recording devices of any kind are prohibited inside the facility. This includes camera cell phones.

Due to the sensitive nature of this preview, all attendees are required to provide photo identification at the registration desk. Completed registration forms for each attendee should be faxed to 586/492-1085 and responses must be received no later than August 10, 2007.

Any questions, please contact:
Norma Muriel - 586/492-4982
Tom Vaclavik - 586/492-2331

For more information, visit www.sema.org/oem.

SEMA’s upcoming Technical Briefing Seminar on Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems will provide members with an overview of the impact of ESC implementation on the specialty-equipment industry. Representatives from Toyota, Bosch and Mechanical Simulation Corporation will be on hand to offer attendees a basic technical understanding of ESC, as well as practical approaches for determining compatibility and system integration of a given aftermarket product with ESC.

Methodologies and ways to assess the interaction between ESC and specific specialty-equipment product lines will be discussed and demonstrated with typical chassis and vehicle modification examples. This seminar, as well as all of the vehicle technology briefing seminars, will be highly interactive and responsive to immediate questions, concerns and priorities.

Key Topics will include:

• Why should the aftermarket be aware of ESC?
• What are the basics of ESC?
• Which aftermarket products could affect ESC performance?
• What methods are available to assess how your product might affect ESC?
• What are the options for changing the product interactions with ESC?
• What are the positive and growth aspects of ESC for the aftermarket?
• What advanced and emerging technologies will soon be introduced?

Toyota will present an overview of its current chassis control technologies, as well as new trends in stability control in Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles. Toyota has been a leading OEM in embracing specialty-equipment suppliers and using their capabilities to provide customization and accessorization of their products. As an industry leader, Toyota's actions have a profound impact on all OEMs.

Similarly, Bosch is a preeminent Tier 1 supplier, well known for their expertise in a wide variety of automotive products. Bosch was developing ESC with Mercedes from the very beginning of its introduction to the market. They produce ESC systems that are used on vehicles that range from the BMW 750 to the Chevrolet Silverado (The hybrid Silverado was a 2006 SEMA Design Award Vehicle). Bosch's approach to the aftermarket will also have a strong influence on the aftermarket supplier base.

Mechanical Simulations provides the de facto industry standard tools for vehicle dynamics simulation. Dr. Tom Gillespie is the co-founder of the company and a renowned expert on vehicle dynamics. He has authored one of the leading textbooks on vehicle dynamics that is widely used at universities and companies throughout the automotive industry.

The laptop computer-based tools that Mechanical Simulations provide will aid specialty-equipment companies in assessing the effect of their product on key ESC parameters. Basic capabilities and applications will be presented and discussed during the presentation. Depending on member interest and feedback, SEMA would help provide access to these capabilities on an as-needed basis.   

In addition to these interactive presentations, there will be further panel discussions and the opportunity to review the latest vehicle technology offerings from Toyota and hands-on use of Mechanical Simulations programs.

Toyota will be bringing its latest advanced technology platform vehicle, the Lexus IS-F, to showcase the future of chassis stability and control technologies and a special edition "Sport Version" of Toyota's Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM).

The content of this Technical Briefing Seminar on ESC is aimed at company owners, technical directors, engineers, and product planners. SEMA's goal is to provide the latest vehicle technology understanding and information on ESC to help address the challenges of compliance with NHTSA's rule on ESC, and turn these challenges into solutions and opportunities for member companies.

Presenters:

• John Waraniak, VP Vehicle Technology, SEMA
• Ed Browalski, SEMA ESC Advisor and Founder ACEC
• Paul Williamsen, National Manager, Lexus College, Toyota Motor Sales
• Scott Dahl, Marketing Director, Chassis Control Systems, Robert Bosch Corp.
• Tom Gillespie, Director, Product Planning, Mechanical Simulation Corporation

Technology Briefing Seminar
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Systems
Thurs., Sept. 6, 2007
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Location:
SEMA Headquarters - AAA Building
1575 S. Valley Vista Dr.
Diamond Bar, CA 91765

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Regardless of diameter, wheel sales via online auction were uniformly down in the second quarter. Some sizes showed more resilience than others, most notably those 20 inches and larger.

16- and 18-inch wheels fared worst in the second quarter, dropping 10 and 11% respectively, according to data from Terapeak, a developer of market-focused research software that monitors online sales and auctions. July results looked no more promising, with sales of 18-inch wheels continuing to fall 9% compared to June. Sixteen-inch wheels meanwhile fell 4%, yet remained the clear favorite of all sizes in terms of total sales. 

Rims 20 inches and larger however, remained nearly even quarter-to-quarter, down less than 0.1 percent. A significant jump in July - 9% - demonstrates that big wheels haven't yet fallen out of enthusiast favor, even with the fuel economy concerns that accompany big wheels.

17-inch wheels also showed a July increase, although an incremental amount at 0.5 percent. 19-inch wheels fared better, posting a 1.5% gain.

May proved to be the most precipitous month of Q2 for nearly all sizes, except 20-inch and larger, which instead dipped in June.

Do online sales tell us anything about how parts move across countertops from brick and mortar retailers? Maybe.

Patti Freeman Evans, a senior analyst who monitors the retail industry for JupiterResearch, explains that while online sales are only a fraction of actual retail transactions, the Internet is a key influencer in buying decisions.

"We see online retail plateauing at 10-15% of total retail down the road - about double the penetration that catalogs ever got," Evans says.

She notes that as online commerce sites continue to develop more sophisticated tools to make purchasing easier and safer, some consumers will shift more of their wallet online.

"But that growth will really be organic, not dramatic. We look to the Internet to remain a highly influential channel for retailers to affect customer purchasing regardless of what channel the actual transaction occurs in."

Terapeak's Motors P&A Research provides sellers with access to comprehensive research on the past year of online auction data and allows users to get in-depth research reports on the competition and themselves. More at www.terapeak.com/motors.

We’re not yet tired of forthcoming BMW 1-series spy shots, like these from Brenda Priddy & Co. of a red coupe caught in Germany. Priddy tells us that this particular car's front fascia is slightly different than other spied 1-series, possibly representing a second performance package, this one likely powered by the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo found in the current 335i. 

Priddy adds that although engine options aren’t yet confirmed, BMW officials have said they have no plans to offer a 4-cylinder in North America, although European markets may get one. Expect a magnesium/aluminum 3.0-liter 6-cylinder in addition to the aforementioned twin-turbo to power the 1-series when it arrives sometime in 2008.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill to establish new efficiency standards for appliances, lighting and buildings. Lawmakers, however, put off until this fall a decision on how high to boost Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for automobiles. 

SEMA has actively urged members of the House to support legislation (HR 2927) backed by the auto industry calling for a tough, but attainable, hike in CAFE standards, around 32-35 miles per gallon by mid-year 2022 for both cars and light trucks. CAFE numbers for cars and trucks would be measured according to vehicle size and weight. Over 160 members of Congress have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill, a number which continues to grow. 

In June, the Senate approved its version of an energy bill that includes a combined CAFE hike of 35 mpg by 2020, a 40 percent increase from today's standards. SEMA and the automakers view this as unrealistic. SEMA supports a responsible CAFE policy that saves fuel but also preserves jobs, safety and the consumer's ability to purchase the most appropriate vehicles based upon performance, size, and utility characteristics. A House/Senate conference committee will be convened in September to negotiate a single energy bill, including the CAFE provision. 

On a related topic, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) intends to begin drafting a separate bill this fall to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Chairman Dingell has urged lawmakers to focus attention on reducing CO2 emissions rather than mandating arbitrary CAFE hikes since the two issues are directly linked. If CO2 tailpipe emissions decrease, CAFE should increase. He contends, however, that government mandates will not succeed unless market forces are used to change consumer behavior, namely imposing a carbon tax to curb greenhouse gas emissions and make alternatives economically viable. (Income and employment taxes could be reduced accordingly). 

Chairman Dingell's remarks come at a time with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering whether to regulate CO2 emissions from automobiles and whether to allow California to implement CO2 regulations set to begin in 2009. The EPA is currently studying what impact greenhouse gas reductions would have on other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM).

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

After being stalled by SEMA for the last several years, a bill to ban the sale or installation of "an exhaust system which has been modified in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the exhaust" was reintroduced and has been scheduled for an October hearing in the Massachusetts Legislature.

The measure does not supply law enforcement with a clear standard to enforce, allowing them to make subjective judgments on whether or not a modified exhaust system is in violation.

For additional information, see www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=62241 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org