Notice of Receipt of Petition for Decision That Nonconforming Model Year 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Passenger Cars (PC) Are Eligible for Importation |
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Jeffrey M. Giuseppe
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
11 April 2017
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17508-17510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07162]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2015-0023; Notice 1]
Notice of Receipt of Petition for Decision That Nonconforming
Model Year 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Passenger Cars (PC) Are Eligible for
Importation
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Receipt of petition.
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SUMMARY: This document announces receipt by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that
model year (MY) 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Passenger Cars (PC) that were not
originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor
vehicle safety standards (FMVSS), are eligible for importation into the
United States because they are substantially similar to vehicles that
were originally manufactured for sale in the United States and that
were certified by their manufacturer as complying with the safety
standards (the U.S.-certified version of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro PC)
and they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the
standards.
DATES: The closing date for comments on the petition is May 11, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written data,
views, and arguments on this petition. Comments must refer to the
docket and notice number cited in the title of this notice and be
submitted by any of the following methods:
Mail: Send comments by mail addressed to U.S. Department
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: Deliver comments by hand to U.S. Department
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. The
Docket Section is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except
Federal Holidays.
Electronically: Submit comments electronically by logging
onto the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Web site at https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Comments may also be faxed to (202) 493-2251.
[[Page 17509]]
Comments must be written in the English language, and be no greater
than 15 pages in length, although there is no limit to the length of
necessary attachments to the comments. If comments are submitted in
hard copy form, please ensure that two copies are provided. If you wish
to receive confirmation that comments you have submitted by mail were
received, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard with the
comments. Note that all comments received will be posted without change
to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided.
All comments and supporting materials received before the close of
business on the closing date indicated above will be filed in the
docket and will be considered. All comments and supporting materials
received after the closing date will also be filed and will be
considered to the fullest extent possible.
When the petition is granted or denied, notice of the decision will
also be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority
indicated at the end of this notice.
All comments, background documentation, and supporting materials
submitted to the docket may be viewed by anyone at the address and
times given above. The documents may also be viewed on the Internet at
https://www.regulations.gov by following the online instructions for
accessing the dockets. The docket ID number for this petition is shown
in the heading of this notice.
DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement is available for review in a
Federal Register notice published on April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477-78).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Stevens, Office of Vehicle
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-5308).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a motor vehicle that was not
originally manufactured to conform to all applicable FMVSS shall be
refused admission into the United States unless NHTSA has decided that
the motor vehicle is substantially similar to a motor vehicle
originally manufactured for importation into and sale in the United
States, certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of the same model year as
the model of the motor vehicle to be compared, and is capable of being
readily altered to conform to all applicable FMVSS.
Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to
49 CFR part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice
in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords
interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition. At the
close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the
petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is
eligible for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in
the Federal Register.
Wallace Environmental Testing Laboratories, Inc. (WETL), Inc. of
Houston, Texas (Registered Importer R-90-005) has petitioned NHTSA to
decide whether nonconforming 2010 Chevrolet Camaro PC's are eligible
for importation into the United States. The vehicles which WETL
believes are substantially similar are MY 2010 Chevrolet Camaro PC's
sold in the United States and certified by their manufacturer as
conforming to all applicable FMVSS.
The petitioner claims that it compared non-U.S. certified MY 2010
Chevrolet Camaro PC's to their U.S.-certified counterparts, and found
the vehicles to be substantially similar with respect to compliance
with most FMVSS.
WETL submitted information with its petition intended to
demonstrate that non-U.S. certified MY 2010 Chevrolet Camaro PC's, as
originally manufactured, conform to many applicable FMVSS in the same
manner as their U.S.-certified counterparts, or are capable of being
readily altered to conform to those standards. Specifically, the
petitioner claims that the non U.S.-certified MY 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
PC's, as originally manufactured, conform to: Standard Nos. 102
Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission
Braking Effect, 103 Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems, 104
Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems, 106 Brake Hoses, 108 Lamps,
Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment, 111 Rear Visibility, 113
Hood Latch System, 114 Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention, 116
Motor Vehicle Brake Fluids, 118 Power-Operated Window, Partition, and
Roof Panel System, 124 Accelerator Control Systems, 126 Electronic
Stability Control Systems, 135 Light Vehicle Brake Systems, 201
Occupant Protection in Interior Impact, 202a Head Restraints,203 Impact
Protection from Steering Control System, 204 Steering Control Rearward
Displacement, 205 Glazing Materials, 206 Door Locks and Door Retention
Components, 207 Seating Systems, 209 Seat Belt Assemblies, 210 Seat
Belt Assembly Anchorages, 212 Windshield Mounting, 214 Side Impact
Protection, 216 Roof Crush Resistance, 219 Windshield Zone Intrusion,
225 Child Restraint Anchorage Systems, 301 Fuel System Integrity, 302
Flammability of Interior Materials.
The petitioner also contends that the subject non-U.S certified
vehicles are capable of being readily altered to meet the following
standards, in the manner indicated:
Standard No. 101 Controls and Displays: Replacement of the original
instrument cluster with the U.S. model component and reprogramming the
associated software as described in the petition.
Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and Rims: installation of the
required tire information placard.
Standard No. 138 Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems: Installation of
a tire pressure monitoring system identical to, and with the same part
number as the system installed in the U.S. Certified vehicle.
Standard No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection: All programs in this
system are based on the USA SA program codes and all hardware parts
bear the USA part numbers. In addition, documentation required as part
of an Owner's manual or supplemental documentation must be provided by
the Registered Importer.
The petitioner additionally states that a vehicle identification
plate must be affixed to the vehicle near the left windshield pillar to
meet the requirements of 49 CFR part 565.
Because the subject petition covers nonconforming vehicles that
have been manufactured on or after September 1, 2006, compliance with
the advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208 is of significant
concern to the agency. NHTSA is therefore particularly interested in
comments regarding the ability of a Registered Importer to readily
alter the subject vehicles to fully meet the driver and front outboard
passenger frontal crash protection and child passenger protection
requirements of FMVSS No. 208. The following is a partial listing of
the components that may be affected:
a. Driver's frontal air bag module
b. Passenger frontal air bag module
c. Passenger frontal air bag cover
d. Knee air bags
e. Knee bolsters
f. Passenger outboard frontal seat belt system
g. Driver and front outboard seat assemblies including seat tracks and
internal seat components
[[Page 17510]]
h. Steering wheel components, including the clock spring assembly, the
steering column, and all connecting components
i. Instrument panel
j. Instrument panel support structure (i.e. cross beam)
k. Occupant sensing and classification systems, including sensors and
processors
l. Restraint control modules
m. Passenger air bag status indicator light system, including related
display components and wiring
n. Wiring harnesses between the restraint control module, occupant
classification system and restraint system components
o. Control system computer software and firmware.
All comments received before the close of business on the closing
date indicated above will be considered, and will be available for
examination in the docket at the above addresses 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.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B), and (b)(1); 49
CFR 593.7; delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8.
Jeffrey M. Giuseppe,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2017-07162 Filed 4-10-17; 8:45 am]
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