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Biden Admin Awards $623 Million in Grants to Expand EV Charging Infrastructure

January 12, 2024 | Comments Off on Biden Admin Awards $623 Million in Grants to Expand EV Charging Infrastructure

The Biden Administration has announced that it has awarded grants worth a combined $623 million to help expand EV charging infrastructure in the United States. Administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the grants are funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated $2.5 billion towards a Charging and Fueling Infrastructure…

UPDATE: U.S. House to Vote on Imported Material Exception for EV Chargers

January 8, 2024 | Comments Off on UPDATE: U.S. House to Vote on Imported Material Exception for EV Chargers

The United States House of Representatives plans to vote this week on a resolution that would nullify a rule – finalized by the Federal Highway Administration – that would temporarily waive certain domestic content requirements for electric vehicle (EV) chargers funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA). The IIJA provides $7.5…

NHTSA Begins Effort to Require Impaired Driving Prevention Tech in New Cars

January 8, 2024 | Comments Off on NHTSA Begins Effort to Require Impaired Driving Prevention Tech in New Cars

The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has formally launched an effort to require that drunk or impaired driving prevention technologies come standard in new vehicles. In its advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, the agency requests the public’s input on the information needed to develop a  rulemaking proposal “that require…

U.S. Senators Raise Alarm on Alleged Tesla Safety Flaws

January 3, 2024 | Comments Off on U.S. Senators Raise Alarm on Alleged Tesla Safety Flaws

United States Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have sent a letter to Elon Musk following a report from Reuters on Tesla vehicles’ safety flaws. In their letter, the Senators note that, “[t]he report details complaints about suspension connection points, including fore and aft links, and sudden losses of power steering – often…

U.S. Senate Bill would Weaken Federal Insurance Office’s Authority

December 20, 2023 | Comments Off on U.S. Senate Bill would Weaken Federal Insurance Office’s Authority

A bill titled the “Insurance Data Protection Act” (S. 3349) introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) would restrict the Federal Insurance Office’s (FIO) ability to collect information directly from insurance companies. It would also rescind the director of FIO’s subpoena authority. Housed in the U.S. Treasury Department, FIO was established through…

U.S. House Committee Examines Health of Nation’s Small Business Environment

December 12, 2023 | Comments Off on U.S. House Committee Examines Health of Nation’s Small Business Environment

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business held its last hearing of the year, titled “A Year in Review: The State of Small Business in America.” The committee heard testimony from four small business owners who described the factors contributing to their companies’ successes and challenges, as well as the ways…

LiDAR Imports and Exports to and from China Scrutinized by U.S. House Members

November 29, 2023 | Comments Off on LiDAR Imports and Exports to and from China Scrutinized by U.S. House Members

A bipartisan group of twenty members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to the Secretaries of the Departments of Defense, Commerce, and the Treasury raising concern with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology imports and exports to and from China. The letter – led by House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between…

Progress Towards Building EV Charging Network using Federal Dollars Varies by State

November 28, 2023 | Comments Off on Progress Towards Building EV Charging Network using Federal Dollars Varies by State

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021 allocated $7.5 billion towards building a national EV charging network. Each state assumes responsibility for spending those funds and implementation oversight. As expected, the current status this endeavor varies by state. No EV charger installed using these federal funds are operational yet. Two states (Ohio and…

NJ Approves Zero Emission Vehicles Regulation

November 27, 2023 | Comments Off on NJ Approves Zero Emission Vehicles Regulation

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) announced last week that the state will move forward with adopting California’s Advanced Clean Cars Rule II. Beginning in 2027, the regulation will require vehicle manufacturers to produce fleets comprised of a certain percentage of electric vehicles, with that percentage growing each year. All new vehicles a manufacturer produces…

FTC Returns Additional $857K to Those Harmed by Junk Auto Fee Practices

November 21, 2023 | Comments Off on FTC Returns Additional $857K to Those Harmed by Junk Auto Fee Practices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it is disbursing more than $857,000 cumulatively in its second round of compensatory payments to customers harmed by Napleton Automotive Group’s illegal junk fees and discriminatory practices. Napleton Automotive Group, which is based in Illinois, is the thirteenth largest dealership group in the United States based on revenue…

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