B.A.T. Incorporated, Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption From Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208

Topics:  BAT, Geo Metro

Barry Felrice
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
May 25, 1994

[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 25, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12784]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 25, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. 94-29; Notice 1]

 

B.A.T. Incorporated, Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption 
From Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208

    B.A.T. (``Battery Automated Transportation'') Inc. of West Valley 
City, Utah, has petitioned to be exempted from Federal Motor Vehicle 
Safety Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection for Geo Metro sedans 
that it converts to electric power. The basis of the petition is that 
an exemption will facilitate the development and field evaluation of 
low-emission motor vehicles.
    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)).
    Petitioner has already been excused from compliance with the crash 
test provision of Standard No. 208 by NHTSA Temporary Exemption No. 93-
3 which expires August 1, 1995 (see 58 FR 45549). Although that 
exemption is not vehicle-specific by its terms, petition had been made 
only on behalf of 1993 model Ford Ranger pickup trucks to be converted 
to electric power. Thus, rather than providing the petitioner with an 
interpretation that the current exemption extends to sedans as well as 
pickups, NHTSA concluded that the public should be offered an 
opportunity to comment on B.A.T.'s latest request.
    As before, the basis of the petition is that a temporary exemption 
would facilitate the development and field evaluation of a low-emission 
motor vehicle, as provided by 49 CFR 555.6(c). The petitioner will not 
manufacture more than 2,500 vehicles during any 12-month period that 
the exemption is in effect.
    Although the Geo Metro is certified by its original manufacturer as 
conforming with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards, 
petitioner has determined that the vehicles may not conform, after 
their modification, with ``the requirements of crash tests of'' 
Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection. The petitioner intends to 
make arrangements with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to do 
computer simulated crash testing. Any changes that are shown to be 
necessary will be incorporated in all future versions ``and will 
voluntarily be retrofitted in earlier units.''
    Although the petitioner has not provided specific arguments that an 
exemption would not unreasonably degrade the safety of the vehicle, it 
believes that electric vehicles are safer because they carry no 
flammable substances and do not have ``a very hot catalytic converter 
close to the gasoline tank.'' B.A.T. conversions do not ``emit hydrogen 
gas from the batteries due to the addition of hydrocaps which catalyze 
any hydrogen gas formed when charging or discharging.'' Further, ``BAT 
'Ultra Force' catalyst sharply reduces any gassing that might otherwise 
occur.''
    Finally, the petitioner argued, granting the exemption would be in 
the public interest and consistent with the National Traffic and Motor 
Vehicle Safety Act because the vehicles ``are non polluting * * * and 
therefore can be a major means of improving the quality of the air we 
breathe.''
    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. 94-12784 Filed 5-24-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P