By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a proposed rule to require black boxes in vehicles to record more pre-crash data at a higher frequency rate as a way to better understand the actions leading up to a crash. Black boxes, or event data recorders (EDRs), are currently required to collect five seconds of pre-crash data at a rate of two samples per second. The proposed rule would require 20 seconds of pre-crash data at a rate of 10 samples per second.

NHTSA has required automakers that install EDRs to collect certain data, including vehicle speed, crash forces at the moment of impact, whether an airbag deployed or if the brakes were applied in the moments before a crash and if seat belts were fastened. More than 99% of new vehicles have EDRs installed.

Black-box data is an important tool for NHTSA investigations. While these requirements pertain to automakers, vehicle equipment manufacturers have reporting requirements to NHTSA as well. If vehicle equipment manufacturers become aware of an incident or allegation regarding their product involving a death, they are required to report this to NHTSA. Similarly, if a manufacturer determines that a product does not comply with a federal safety standard or has a safety-related defect, the manufacturer must notify NHTSA within five days of making such a determination.

For more information on federal regulation of aftermarket equipment click here.

Questions? Contact Caroline Fletcher at carolinef@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The California Assembly Transportation Committee positively amended SEMA-opposed legislation (S.B. 1079) requiring the state to study the effectiveness of noise-detecting cameras to enforce motor-vehicle exhaust noise laws prior to using them to issue violations to motorists. The Committee was swayed by SEMA’s arguments that the technology was too unreliable to be an effective enforcement method.

Prior to being amended, the proposal would have allowed six cities to use the technology to issue tickets under a pilot program. The bill now awaits consideration in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Notably, the bill does not change California’s existing exhaust noise laws, which is based on SEMA’s model legislation. The law limits cars and trucks to 95 decibels of exhaust noise when tested using an objective SAE International procedure. Motorists that receive a ticket can have their vehicle tested by the Referee to determine compliance. A court may then use the test result to dismiss the ticket.

Previously, several media outlets incorrectly reported that an earlier version of the bill had passed the legislature and awaited approval or veto by Governor Gavin Newsom. In response to these false reports, SEMA published a Fact vs. Fiction article to set the record straight. Click here to read the article or submit your own question for research.

For further details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The California Senate Environmental Quality Committee unanimously passed bipartisan SEMA-sponsored legislation (A.B. 2350) that would incentivize consumers to convert gasoline- and diesel-powered motor vehicles into zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV). If enacted, A.B. 2350 would provide eligible motorists who convert their vehicle with a $2,000 rebate. The bill previously passed the Assembly and currently awaits consideration in the Senate Transportation Committee.

In recent years, California has implemented various programs, including the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program and the Clean Cars for All Program, to promote the purchase of new zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). However, none of the programs currently offer benefits for vehicles that started their life with an internal-combustion engine and can be converted to a ZEV via an aftermarket motor package. A.B. 2350 helps preserve California’s rich car culture while creating new ways to make ZEV ownership more accessible.

SEMA encourages its members and enthusiasts in California to contact their lawmakers in support of A.B. 2350 by clicking here.

For further details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By Della Domingo

With 3,000 credentialed media at the SEMA Show, the annual trade-only event is a great opportunity for manufacturers to connect with journalists and increase brand awareness.

Exhibitors that have breaking news that will appeal to a large number of media are invited to apply for a press conference spot.

Below are tools and resources available exclusively to help exhibitors obtain greater media coverage:

• Online Media Center: Journalists look to the SEMA Show Online Media Center as a quick and easy way to obtain news about the SEMA Show. Exhibitors can include their news by submitting Show-related press releases at www.semashow.com/press-release.
• New Product Showcase: All products are professionally photographed and used by media covering the Show. First product entry is free and additional products submitted before October 7 are just $75. Enter products at www.semashow.com/newproducts.
• Project Vehicles: All vehicles at the Show can be included in the SEMA Show mobile app and given a QR code that media can scan for comprehensive details about the build. All feature vehicles are automatically included in the mobile app (apply for a feature vehicle space at www.semashow.com/featurevehicle) Booth vehicle forms must be submitted in advance for the vehicle to be include in the mobile app. (booth vehicle forms are at www.semashow.com/boothvehicle)
• Press Conference: Exhibitors that have breaking news that will appeal to a large number of media are invited to apply for a press conference spot. Applications and details are at www.semashow.com/media-conference-application.

To learn more about the public relations opportunities available to SEMA Show exhibitors, exhibitors are encouraged to work with their account reps or contact pr@sema.org.

SEMA Ignited, the only official SEMA Show after-party, will be held Friday, November 4, 2022, from 3:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. in the West Hall parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Credentialed 2022 SEMA Show attendees can access the event for free with their badge. Enthusiasts may now purchase tickets at www.semaignited.com.

SEMA Ignited, the only official SEMA Show after-party, will be held Friday, November 4, 2022, from 3:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. in the West Hall parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Tickets available for purchase will include $20 “Standing Room Access” to SEMA Ignited. These ticket holders are able to meet with exhibiting companies and have a great view of the SEMA Cruise Powered by CTEK, as well as all the drifting performances. You can also reserve your bleacher seat at the event and purchase your “Reserved Seating” ticket for $50. The limited reserved seating tickets allow you the opportunity to visit exhibiting companies, stop at one of the many food trucks for a bite to eat or just grab a drink without the concern of losing your seat.

Enthusiasts also have the opportunity to purchase the SEMA Ignited, Friday Experience badge allowing FRIDAY-ONLY access to the 2022 SEMA Show as well as standing room access to SEMA Ignited for $70, if purchased prior to September 30. After this date, SEMA Ignited, Friday Experience tickets will cost $100.

Friday Experience badge pick up will be located in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center in the Friday Experience Registration area. Friday Experience Registration hours are Friday, November 4, between 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. SEMA Show hours on Friday, November 4, are 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Important Restrictions: Each person registered for the SEMA Friday Experience must pick up their badge with their purchase confirmation bar code and photo ID. NO EXCEPTIONS. You do not need to qualify to purchase and you MUST be at least 16 years or older to purchase and attend the Show.

For more information about Friday Experience or SEMA Ignited, contact info@semaignited.com.

For additional information on hotels, transportation and event information, visit www.semaignited.com.

The 2022 SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit will be held Tuesday–Thursday, July 26–28, in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).

SEMA Vice President, Events Tom Gattuso will provide Exhibitor Summit attendees helpful tips on how to be successful at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

At the SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, exhibitors will receive helpful tips from Show management and have the opportunity to meet with their SEMA Show sales director. During educational sessions, exhibitors will learn how to:

• Use proven strategies to attract buyers to their booths.
• Save big bucks on Show costs, such as material handling, electrical and related Show expenses.
• Work one-on-one with Show experts to maximize ROI.
• Properly plan and budget to add value to their Show experience.
• Take advantage of SEMA value-added programs.
• Explore promotional opportunities through sponsorships.
• Participate in the New Products Showcase.
• Utilize the Exhibitor Services Manual.

There is no cost to attend. Exhibitors pay for their flight and SEMA takes care of the rest, which includes hotel, shuttle service from hotel to LVCC, breakfast and lunch, a cocktail Hour on July 26 and an excursion on July 27 (TBD).

For more information, contact the Show department at semashow@sema.org or 909-396-0289.

Register now!

Here’s a first look at the ’23 Ford Super Duty Lariat with its front end completely exposed.

The Super Duty has the telltale signs of a Lariat including body color mirror caps, fog lights, Lariat spec rims and running boards. The exposed front end shows off a completely revised design which includes a new hood, fenders, grille, lower front clip and headlights that are incorporated into the grille design. Ford also carries over the C-clamp corporate look, although this time it encompasses an LED running light design. Around back the changes appear to be minimal, with the addition of revised LED tail lamps.

Inside, the Super Duty will gain a sleek new 12-in. touchscreen mounted horizontally which is currently found in the F-150.

Power is still expected to come from a three-engine portfolio: 6.2L V8, 7.3L V8 and the 6.7L V8 Turbo Diesel. All engine options are expected to be mated to the TorqShift 10-speed automatic transmission. We’re also told that there should be a slight bump in power when it comes to the 6.7L Turbo Diesel.

Production of the Ford Super Duty will continue at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky. Expect an official debut sometime this fall.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

  SEMA Show exhibitors and attendees preparing for the 2022 SEMA Show can lock in the guaranteed lowest hotel rate now by booking in the SEMA Show Block.

Making hotel reservations in the Block provides you with the most affordable and convenient options for a wide range of hotels located on and off the Strip.

Showgoers can save more than $100 per night at several Las Vegas hotels, including Vdara, by booking in the SEMA Show Block.

All of the hotels available through the SEMA Show Block come with a low-price guarantee. To help ensure that your price remains the lowest, SEMA will price-match lower advertised rates, even after your reservations are set. Whether you're looking for your favorite place to stay, or for a hotel within close proximity to the Show, you can book with confidence knowing you will get the rooms you need at the the most affordable price available.

The SEMA Show also provides shuttle service to and from the Show for the hotels listed that are not within walking distance to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

There are more than 45 hotels available in the block. For more information on the hotels listed below, including rating, price per night and distance from the Las Vegas Convention Center, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Save more than $100 a night at these hotels:

• ARIA
• Bellagio
• Caesars Palace
• Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas
• Encore
• Luxor
• Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World
• MGM Grand
• Mirage
• SpringHill Suites
• The Signature at MGM Grand
• The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
• Tropicana
• Vdara
• Wynn

Save more than 50% per night at these hotels:

• Aria
• Encore
• Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World
• MGM Grand
• The Venetian
• Tropicana
• Wynn

Book your hotel now!

To reserve your booth for the 2022 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

  By Juan Torres

Tickets to the 2022 SEMA Awards Gala, a prestigious celebration where industry leaders and SEMA Hall of Fame members are recognized, are now available at www.sema.org/gala.

The prestigious SEMA Awards Gala will return to Anaheim, California, on July 29, to honor industry leaders and SEMA Hall of Fame inductees.

Formerly known as the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala, the annual SEMA Awards Gala is open to the industry and will take place July 29, at the brand-new Westin Anaheim Resort in Anaheim, California, in what will be a sort of homecoming for the industry. Following the inaugural SEMA Show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1967, the trade show was held at the Anaheim Convention Center from 1968 to 1976 before moving to Las Vegas the next year.

“The SEMA Awards Gala is a great opportunity for the industry to come together at mid-year to connect in person and have meaningful conversations in an intimate setting,” said SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola. “Our roots extend to the city of Anaheim, so it will be exciting to return with friends and colleagues to honor industry leaders."

Among those honored at this year’s Gala are incoming and outgoing board members and 2022 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees Walker Evans, Jack Roush and “Gene” Winfield.

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drags, a cherished Gala tradition, will also return to offer industry participants the chance to sponsor a child-built pinewood racecar or challenge industry colleagues in head-to-head competition. The races, which are run throughout the Friday reception and into the evening, support SEMA Cares, a group that unites the automotive aftermarket’s fundraising efforts to raise money for various charities.

To secure one of the limited number of available seats and tables available for the 2022 SEMA Awards Gala, visit www.sema.org/gala. For more information about the SEMA Pinewood Drag Races or to sponsor a car, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.

By SEMA Editors

Exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show are invited to expand their reach, product exposure and Show-floor presence by offering products to builders through the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list. The list connects manufacturers with builders looking to create or complete a vehicle project.

The list, which will be updated in SEMA eNews, features product offers and contact information provided by confirmed SEMA Show exhibitors. Builders interested in obtaining a product use the information to contact exhibitors directly. With each project vehicle required to be supported by a current 2022 SEMA Show exhibitor, all product-placement decisions, negotiations and agreements are the responsibility of the exhibiting manufacturer and the builder.

The list is open to exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show only. To be included in the list, complete the form.

Exhibitors: Each submission will appear on a first-come, first-served basis. As participation increases, all submissions will also be archived on www.SEMAShow.com.

Note: For verification purposes, the Project-Vehicle Builders form must be used to participate in the program; email submissions will not be included in the list. Participation in the list does not guarantee product or vehicle placement at the 2022 SEMA Show.

View the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list.