The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued stricter Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for new vehicles for model years ’24–’26. The new standards increase fuel efficiency 8% per year for cars and light trucks in the ’24 and ’25 model years, and 10% for the ’26 model year. The CAFE standards now require an industry-wide fleet average of approximately 49 mpg in the ’26 model year.
This new rule comes after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last December issued a final rule to set more stringent new vehicle greenhouse gas emissions for MY ’23–’26. The NHTSA and EPA rules have been harmonized in some areas to give automakers guidance and flexibility in meeting both standards. The rules are interrelated since the primary chemical regulated under the greenhouse gas rule, carbon dioxide, is released in the same proportion to the amount of carbon-based fuel that is burned. Additional information on CAFE standards can be found on the NHTSA website.
For more information, contact Caroline Fletcher at carolinef@sema.org.
Co-hosted by the SEMA Garage and SEMA’s Emerging Trends and Technology Network (ETTN), the Southern California Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is staging an event at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, Saturday, April 23, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., to showcase its students in front of the local industry.
This event will provide a great networking opportunity between SEMA-member companies, additional industry professionals and university students who are part of Formula and Baja SAE competition teams. It will include a career fair, allowing companies to recruit upcoming graduates. Students will also have an opportunity to gain feedback from industry professionals on their engineering and business presentations as preparation ahead of their upcoming competition.
SEMA staff will provide facility tours and showcase product-development services utilized by automotive aftermarket companies. Lunch will be provided.
This event will provide a great networking opportunity between SEMA-member companies, additional industry professionals and university students who are part of Formula and Baja SAE competition teams.
The September 2022 issue of SEMA News will highlight rising stars in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2022—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media or distribution—we would like to hear from you.
Many SEMA members are currently working with creative young entrepreneurs and professionals who are already industry trailblazers. They may have played key roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach, improve product development, energize marketing efforts or upgrade customer interaction.
They could also be budding talents at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that might become big names in the future. What they all will have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed.
SEMA News looks for candidates drawn from diverse industry segments who are already making a significant impact through their leadership within their organizations or businesses. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the marketplace weigh heavily in the decision-making process.
We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.
This is the upcoming ’23 Colorado ZR2 undergoing testing in Metro Detroit. The ’23 model year will see an all-new Colorado, and the ZR2 trim looks more potent than the current truck, ready to take on unpaved surfaces and tackle the all-new Ranger Raptor.
Clad in heavy vinyl camo, the model seen here is the four-door Crew Cab with a short-box setup. It features a high-clearance front bumper treatment, a set of black wheels wearing Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires and what appears to be a suspension lift.
The new ZR2 is said to get a new “Baja Mode” that will be focused on optimized drive characteristics in sand environments, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as nearly all vehicles in the off-road space are getting a similar drive mode these days.
According to sources, the ’23 Colorado will be offered with a single engine—GM’s turbo 2.7L four-cylinder, meaning the 2.5L four and 3.6L six gassers and 2.8L diesel offered on the current Colorado will be going away. The 2.7L Turbo is rated at 310 hp and 348 lb.-ft. of torque in the ’19–’21 Silverado. In the ’22 Silverado, GM bumped the torque output to 420 lb.-ft.
Expect an official debut in the fourth quarter of 2022, with production continuing in Wentzville, Missouri, in the first quarter of 2023.
In partnership with Ford Motor Company, the SEMA Garage will host a Measuring Session for the all-electric ’22 Ford F-150 Lightning. The event will allow SEMA members to have a close-up experience with Ford’s first ever all-electric F-Series truck.
New F-150 Lightning features will include:
SuperCrew Four-Door Cab
Four-Wheel Drive
5.5-Foot Cargo Bed
Extended-Range Battery Option
Standard Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0 Technology (ADAS)
This will be an in-person event at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California. In order to comply with state and local health guidelines, this event will require scheduled appointments. Due to high demand, all appointments will be time limited.
Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest jobs posted to the website.
Sales Account Manager Energy Suspension is hiring a sales account manager.The ideal candidate preferably has a thorough understanding of the automotive aftermarket covering several distribution channels and relevant experience in a position of similar responsibility. This person must be detail oriented, an excellent communicator, problem solver and a strong desire to exceed sales objectives. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications is also necessary.
Marketing Manager Turn 14 Distribution is hiring a marketing manager to lead development and execution of all T14 events. This position is responsible for creating and maintaining a rolling 12-month calendar of industry events; securing and maintaining relationships with sponsors; all status reports, packets, promotional materials, invoices and any media coverage details and logistics.
Industrial Designer Oracle Lighting is hiring an industrial designer. Under the direction of the director of product development, this position is responsible for developing concept drawings based on input from R&D, creating photorealistic renderings of on-vehicle applications, working closely with the R&D and design team to achieve client design demands and presenting pre-visualized ideas for in-house projects and clients. A minimum four years’ experience in 3-D design software and automotive design environment is required.
B. Force, Capps and Enders Claim Wins at NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
In the final round featuring the last eight Top Fuel world champions, it was Brittany Force who powered to the win, claiming a victory on Sunday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) also won at the fourth of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
In a championship quad that also included four-time defending world champ Steve Torrence, Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown, Force went 3.718 seconds at 338.00 mph in her 11,000-hp Monster Energy dragster to pick up her first win this season and 12th in her career. Torrence finished as the runner-up, taking over the points lead in the process.
It was a monumental day for Capps in Funny Car, as the defending world champ claimed his first victory since becoming a team owner this year with a stellar run of 3.914 at 331.20 in his 11,000-hp NAPA Auto Parts Funny Car. Matt Hagan advanced to his second straight final round and also took over the points lead from Robert Hight with his 74th final round appearance. He won his opening-round quad and finished second to Capps a round later to advance to the final.
Enders secured her second win this season in Pro Stock and 35th in her career, outlasting a trio of young standouts with a strong run of 6.668 at 206.32 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in the final round.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action, April 22–24 for the NHRA SpringNationals and the final NHRA race at Houston Raceway Park.
Papadakis Racing Scores First-Ever Win for Toyota GR Corolla
Fredric Aasbo is tied for third place in the Formula DRIFT standings after opening round competition in Long Beach last weekend. Photo credit: Larry Chen
Just two days after the official unveiling of the Toyota GR Corolla, Ryan Tuerck scored its first-ever win. He topped the podium in the Rain-X/Nitto Tire Toyota GR Corolla at the 2022 season opening Formula DRIFT Long Beach round. Teammate Fredric Aasbo made a good start on defending his 2021 championship title and heads into Round 2 tied for third in the points in his Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra. Tuerck achieved a rare perfect weekend in the Rain-X/Nitto Tire Toyota GR Corolla, taking the No. 1 qualifying spot on Friday before running the competition ladder all the way to the top on Saturday.
After advancing past Jeff Jones in the Round of 32, he then faced down promising young driver Branden Sorensen, before battling past longtime friend and rival Chris Forsberg. He next advanced past Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Final 4, setting the stage for a final battle against either veteran Matt Field or teammate Aasbo. But an unusual turn of events meant that match never materialized. Aasbo made contact with Field, who spun into the wall. Judges deemed Aasbo at fault and awarded Tuerck the event victory when Field was unable to bring his car to the line.
For 2022, Formula DRIFT returns with a schedule of eight event weekends at a mix of new and returning venues across the country. Next on the calendar is the Road Atlanta stop, May 6–7.
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the Trump administration had sufficient authority to impose tariffs on nearly $320 billion worth of Chinese goods even though the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) did not adequately explain the rationale for the tariffs. As a result, the Court will not overturn the tariffs imposed on the so-called Lists 3 and 4a goods. List 3 covers most auto parts imported from China, from engines and metal fasteners to tires and brake pads.
In 2018, the USTR instituted a Section 301 investigation of Chinese trade practices and imposed $50 billion in tariffs on a variety of goods on Lists 1 and 2, including miscellaneous metal and rubber parts. The tariffs were intended to serve as bargaining chips in trade negotiations between the two countries. After China responded with retaliatory tariffs, the U.S. imposed the additional List 3 and 4a tariffs. The List 3 tariffs began at 10% in September 2018 but increased to 25% in May 2019.
More than 6,000 importers challenged the List 3 and 4a tariffs as not being within the scope of the original Section 301 unfair trade investigation. The Court ruled that there was sufficient nexus tying the tariffs to the investigation but ordered the USTR to provide the Court with further explanation and justification for the List 3 and 4a tariffs. The USTR was specifically directed to explain in greater detail how it decided to include or exclude particular tariff code subheadings, concerns raised about the impact of the duties on the U.S. economy, and potential alternative courses of action.
For more information, contact Caroline Fletcher at carolinef@sema.org.
The SEMA Awards Gala (formerly the SEMA Installation Gala) is a long-established tradition where individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the industry are honored and celebrated.
Join SEMA leadership, volunteers and industry icons at the SEMA Awards Gala, Friday, July 29, in Anaheim, California, to honor 2022's SEMA Hall of Fame Inductees. The gala will take place at the Westin Anaheim Resort.
Since its inception in 1976, the SEMA Installation Gala (now the SEMA Awards Gala) has served as the formal gathering where new SEMA Hall of Fame inductees are introduced, the incoming Board of Directors are recognized, and outgoing Directors are thanked. SEMA council, network and industry leaders are also highlighted during the event.
Connect with friends and family who share a common passion and love for the industry. Join others in helping celebrate Hall of Fame inductees’ lifetime achievements.
The evening will feature cocktails, networking and dinner. Seating is limited. A full table can be purchased by selecting 10 tickets.
Registration for the 2022 SEMA Awards Gala opens Friday, April 29.
The SEMA Awards Gala (formerly the SEMA Installation Gala) is a long-established tradition where individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the industry are honored and celebrated.