U.S. Electricar, Inc.; Receipt of Petition for Renewal of Temporary Exemption From Five Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket No. 91-61; Notice 3]

U.S. Electricar, Inc.; Receipt of Petition for Renewal of

Temporary Exemption From Five Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

U.S. Electricar Corporation of Sebastopol, California, has

petitioned for renewal of NHTSA Temporary Exemption No. 92-3 from five

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (see 57 FR 30997). At the time

the exemption was granted, the petitioner was known as Solar Electric

Engineering, Inc. As of the date of its petition, 70 vehicles had been

sold under the Exemption.

Exemption No. 93-2 expires on June 1, 1994. The petition for

renewal of the exemption was received on March 31, 1994. In accordance

with agency regulations, when a petition for renewal has been filed not

later than 60 days before the termination date of an exemption, the

exemption does not terminate until the Administrator grants or denies

the petition for renewal (49 CFR 555.8(e)).

Notice of receipt of the petition is published in accordance with

agency regulations on the subject and does not represent any judgment

of the agency on the merits of the petition (49 CFR 555.7(a)).

The basis of U.S. Electricar's original petition and its petition

for renewal is that a temporary exemption would facilitate the

development and field evaluation of a low emission motor vehicle.

Renewal is sought for the same portions of the same five standards as

are covered by the original exemption. These are paragraphs S4.2 and

S4.3 of Standard No. 103 Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems,

``the service brake requirements of S5.1 and the parking brake

performance requirements of S5.2'' of Standard No. 105 Hydraulic brake

Systems, paragraph S3.3 of Standard No. 201 Occupant Protection in

Interior Impact, Standard No. 204 Steering Control Rearward

Displacement, and paragraphs S4.1.4.1 and S4.2.2 of Standard No. 208

Occupant Crash Protection.

Under the original exemption, petitioner converted Ford Escorts,

Chevrolet S-10 pickup trucks ``and other FMVSS-compliant vehicles'' to

electric power. It has now substituted conversions of Geo Prizm sedans

for Ford Escorts. Although the vehicles to be converted are certified

by their original manufacturers to conform to all applicable Federal

motor vehicle safety standards, the modifications that Electricar

performs add weight to the converted vehicle and may affect its

compliance with the standards. Until it has satisfied itself that the

conversions conform, petitioner has requested appropriate exemptions.

The modifications that petitioner performs include removal of the

internal combustion engine and fuel system modification or replacement

of the transmission and installation of an electric propulsion system

and battery pack. Springs, shock absorbers, tires and other components

are removed and replaced with new, heavier-duty equipment as required

to accommodate the weight of the battery pack added to the vehicle. An

electric heater defroster is installed and an electric vacuum pump for

the vacuum-assisted brake system is added to the vehicle.

The electric vacuum pump is intended to improve brake performance

and has been developed during the term of the current exemption.

Petitioner has also implemented a ``Safety Development Program'' using

vehicle crashworthiness computer simulation and physical testing.

Preliminary results from a frontal barrier crash test of the S-10

conversion indication compliance with Standard No. 208 under these

conditions ``without ejection of batteries or spillage of battery

electrolyte.'' The company has also been field testing an electrical

safety system which ``ensures that the primary battery pack remains

electrically isolated from the vehicle chassis, and de-energizes the

system'' if the condition is violated.

Electricar asserts that an exemption would not unreasonably degrade

motor vehicle safety as electric vehicles are intended for urban use

and are therefore generally operated at lower speeds. Under a renewed

exemption the company will continue its safety development and field

evaluations with a view to ensuring that its vehicles fully comply

before the end of the renewed exemption period.

Finally, the petitioner argues that renewal of the exemption would

be in the public interest and consistent with the objectives of the

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Its vehicles reduce air

pollution at street level and lessen the dependence of the United

States on importation of petroleum.

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the petition

described above. Comments should refer to the Docket number and be

submitted to: Docket Section, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, room 5109, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590. It is requested but not required that 10 copies be submitted.

All comments received before the close of business on the comment

closing date indicated below will be considered, and will be available

for examination in the docket at the above address both before and

after that date. To the extent possible, comments filed after the

closing date will also be considered. Notice of final action on the

petition will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the

authority indicated below.

Comment closing date: June 24, 1994.

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1410; delegations of authority at 49 CFR

1.50 and 501.8

Issued on: May 19, 1994.

Barry Felrice,

Associate Administrator for Rulemaking.

[FR Doc. 94-12785 Filed 5-24-94; 8:45 am]

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