New Vehicle Technologies
California Legislature Passes AV Bill Similar to one Vetoed by Governor Last Year
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 The California Legislature passed a bill – AB 2286 – that would prohibit heavy duty vehicles autonomous vehicles (AVs) from driving on roads in the state unless a licensed operator is present in the vehicle. The bill is very similar to a bill that Governor Newsom vetoed last…
Read MoreCalifornia Sends Bill to Governor Creating EV Economic Opportunity Zone in Riverside County
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 The California Legislature sent to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk a bill – Assembly Bill (AB) 2448 – that would create an “Electric Vehicle Economic Opportunity Zone” in Riverside County. It would create “programs to make electric vehicle manufacturing jobs and education more accessible to lower income communities.” It…
Read MoreU.S. DOT Unveils Plans for V2X Deployment
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled plans for the deployment of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology on roadways in the country. Titled, “Saving Lives with Connectivity: A Plan to Accelerate V2X Deployment”, the plan “will guide the implementation of vehicle-to-everything technologies across the nation and support USDOT’s commitment to…
Read MoreASA Adopts Position Statement on Consumer Vehicle Choice
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 The Automotive Service Association (ASA) strongly supports the rights of consumers to purchase vehicles that best fit the needs of themselves, their families, and their businesses. We are concerned that the “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles” – regulation finalized by…
Read MoreFederal Agency Issues Warning on Substandard Aftermarket Airbags
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a consumer alert regarding substandard replacement airbag inflators that have killed three people and severely wounded two others. In its alert, NHTSA explained that these defective parts were installed after the vehicle in which it was installed was involved in…
Read MoreHarvard Study Finds EV Charging Network Worsening in Rural Communities
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 A study conducted by researchers at Harvard University has found that some rural communities are losing access to EV charging infrastructure. According to the study, there are thirty-four counties in the United States that used to have operating EV charging stations that no longer have any EV charging…
Read MoreCar Rental Org Releases Findings on Vehicle Data Access and Cybersecurity
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 Two research papers, commissioned by the American Car Rental Association (ACRA), argue that the cybersecurity defenses of vehicle fleet owners would improve if fleet owners had direct and real-time access to the data generated by their vehicles. The first article, titled, “Cybersecurity and the Connected Car,” finds fault…
Read MoreRhode Island State Senate Passes Pro-OEM Parts Bill
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 The Rhode Island State Senate passed a bill that would restrict insurance companies’ ability to refuse to cover OEM repair parts in certain situations. Under the current law in Rhode Island, insurers are not allowed to require the use of non-OEM parts on vehicles that are less than…
Read MoreNY Bill Would Require Safety Inspection Update Study
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 A bill introduced in the New York State Legislature – Assembly Bill (AB) 8190/ Senate Bill (SB) 9436 – would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to “conduct a study to examine and update the requirements of safety inspections conducted on motorcycles, gasoline, zero emissions and alternative fuel…
Read MoreBill Introduced in U.S. House that would Raise Restrictions on EV Tax Credit Qualifications
ASA Driven By Policy Newsletter: February 2026 A bill was introduced in Congress by U.S. Representative Carol Miller (R-WV) that would make it harder for electric vehicles (EVs) to qualify for EV tax credits. Under regulation set by Treasury under authority set in the Inflation Reduction Act, an EV is not eligible for the $7,500…
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