INDUSTRY NEWS

White House Proposes 2-For-1 CAFE Credits for Zero Emissions Vehicles

The Obama Administration, seeking to boost development of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, is suggesting that automakers be given CAFE credits that would let low and zero-emission vehicles count for up to two cars when annual fleet fuel efficiency averages are calculated.  Read more

FTC Issues New 'Optional' Model Privacy Notice

As part of a statutory mandate to develop a more understandable template for privacy notices issued by dealers and other financial institutions, the Federal Trade Commission and the federal banking regulatory agencies have jointly issued a new model privacy notice that, beginning Dec. 31, 2009, will serve as a safe harbor for the language used in the notice for financial institutions that choose to adopt it.

Dealers who continue to provide their finance and lease customers with a privacy notice that uses language from the sample clauses contained in Appendix A to the text of the original Privacy Rule (which required compliance by July 1, 2001) will lose safe harbor protection for the language used in those notices after Dec. 31, 2010. Accordingly, dealers should consider transitioning to the new notices before the end of 2010. For additional information, see NADA's announcement of this amendment to the FTC Privacy Rule at www.nada.org/regulations (click on "Search Regulatory Topics by Government Agency" and then click on "GLB Act: Privacy Rule" under Federal Trade Commission).
Source: NADA Newswire

Compliance with EPA's Body Shop Hazardous Air Pollutant Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule governing hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) requires existing body shops to file an Initial Notification Form by January 11, 2010.  Full compliance is due by January 11, 2011.
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Ford Expects Sales By China JV To Grow 50% This Year

In late September, Changan Ford Mazda broke ground to build a $490 million new plant in Chongqing, which will increase the passenger car venture's annual capacity to 600,000 units by 2012. Read more 

Majority of Used-Vehicle Buyers Begin Their Shopping Process Intending to Buy Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles

Internet shopping has reached parity with visits to dealer lots as the primary method for used-vehicle buyers to locate used vehicles, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Used-Vehicle Market ReportSM.  Read More

GM Won't Fight Dealer Arbitration Bill

General Motors Co. will not fight legislation that will mandate binding arbitration for more than 1,350 dealers it plans to close by October 2010. A GM official familiar with the company's thinking indicated GM would not file suit to halt the legislation. It's not clear whether Chrysler will fight it, but congressional aides suggested Chrysler won't go to court, either. Chrysler said this week it agrees with Congress "that arbitration is the best way to resolve the issues involving discontinued dealers."  Read More

House Votes to Extend Heavy-Duty Hybrid Tax Credit

The House of Representatives this week passed an extension of an existing heavy-duty hybrid truck tax credit. The credit is part of a larger "tax extenders" package that, unless extended, is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31. The extension will allow for the continuation of one-year tax credits offering between $7,500 and $30,000 towards the purchase of qualifying trucks.  The measure must still overcome hurdles in the Senate including concerns expressed by several senators about how the credit extension will be funded. If the Senate fails to act before Dec. 31 and the credit expires, ATD's Legislative Office expects the Senate to revisit the "tax extenders" issue in early 2010.
Source: ATD Newswire