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Report: France formally moves to ban Mercedes vehicles using contested refrigerant

Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Government/Legal, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

That didn’t take long. Shortly after a French administrative court gave the French government a ten-day window to reconsider its ban on registrations of Mercedes-Benz A-, B- and CLA-Class cars using the prohibited R134a refrigerant, the government cited an EU directive to formalize banning the sale of the cars. The country’s environmental ministry said that registrations “will remain forbidden in France as long as the company does not to conform to European regulations,” meaning so long as they do not use the approved R1234yf refrigerant.

Daimler had won the administrative court decision by challenging France’s application of a “safeguard” provision in which the EU allows a country to block sales of cars that would “seriously harm the environment.” In spite of Daimler’s victory, France has cited that very provision as basis for the continuation of the ban.

Daimler got permission from Germany’s KBA federal motor authority to keep selling cars with the coolant banned by EU politicians, and is using that national permission as the right to sell the cars throughout Europe. Meanwhile, above that battle, German politicians are asking the EU to let Mercedes sell the cars in France while the KBA does more testing, at the same time as the EU is threatening Germany with repercussions if it doesn’t bring the KBA and Daimler into line.

The German carmaker has said France’s “argument is absolutely incomprehensible” and has vowed more courtroom action. The three models comprise most of Mercedes’ business in France; more than 4,500 vehicles have been kept from being registered, 2,704 of which have already been sold.

France formally moves to ban Mercedes vehicles using contested refrigerant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: French court lifts registration ban on Mercedes with contested refrigerant

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Safety, Mercedes-Benz

The brief alphanumerics R134a and R1234yf are codes for a growing battle between carmakers, states and the EU. The air-conditioning refrigerant R134a has been banned by the EU for being too damaging to the environment, with R1234yf mandated as its replacement. Daimler and Volkswagen say that in their own studies, though, R1234yf can be more dangerous in an accident, potentially starting fires and releasing poisonous hydrogen fluoride gas.

Daimler received dispensation from the German motoring authority KBA to continue using R124a and has refused to put the new refrigerant in its cars, and took that national approval as a European-wide mandate. That has led to France refusing to register all Mercedes-Benz A-, B- and SL-Class vehicles in France that were manufactured after June 12 and filled with the now-banned refrigerant.

In a small victory for Daimler, Reuters reports that a French court decision has lifted the ban on registrations pending a 10-day reexamination of the order. It gives France’s environment ministry a period to decide whether to keep the ban in place and return to court to fight for it; it does not, however, require the French authorities to begin registering Mercedes cars. While Mercedes waits to resume sales in France, which could begin again in ten days if France doesn’t fight, the EU is threatening Germany with consequences if it refuses to adhere to the federal mandate.

French court lifts registration ban on Mercedes with contested refrigerant originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New York Taxi Commission moves to ban Lexus RX 450h

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Crossover, Lexus

NYC Taxi

With over 13,000 taxis in Manhattan, it’s easy to blend in. Over half of those taxis are of the Crown Victoria variety, while a quarter are Ford Escape models. Hybrids are beginning to enter the New York taxi fleets in solid numbers, but a certain model has been singled out as being “too powerful.”

The New York Times reports that The Taxi and Limousine Commission has recently passed a regulation removing the Lexus RX 450h from the list of approved cabs. We’ve never thought of the RX hybrid as “too powerful,” but that doesn’t seem to matter to the commission.

The move, while a bit odd, will only affect six cab owners. But those owners dropped over $40,000 for their high-end taxis, and more money was spent adding the required yellow paint, lights, a camera and television screen. The owners are hoping to have their Lexus cabs grandfathered in before the Nissan NV200 van is officially ushered in as the Taxi of Tomorrow, but the Taxi and Limousine Commission isn’t commenting on the issue.

For our money, it seems as though the Commission is a bit off on this one. After all, most any passenger is going to enjoy the luxury taxi experience, especially since the fares are the same as they are in an Escape or Crown Vic. And “too powerful?” Seriously?

New York Taxi Commission moves to ban Lexus RX 450h originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senators urge phonemakers to ban DUI checkpoint apps, Blackberry first to comply

Filed under: Safety, Technology

Blackberry DUI

A group of Senators have sent letters to the largest smartphone manufacturers demanding the removal of applications that alert drivers of DUI checkpoints. And Research in Motion (RIM), the Canadian company that produces the Blackberry, was the first to comply.

The letter (available after the jump) sent by Senators Harry Reid, (D-NV), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Tom Udall (D-NM) landed in the inboxes of Scott Forstall, Apple’s Senior VP of iPhone Software, as well as Eric Schmidt, current head of Google and a senior executive at RIM. And the reason behind the removal was clear.

Nearly a third of all vehicle fatalities in the U.S. involve a DUI or DWI, and several apps available through the Apple App Store, Android Market and RIM’s AppWorld alerts users of upcoming checkpoints, be it through crowd-sourced or using a pre-programmed and constantly updating database. The biggest culprit, according to the Senators, is PhantomALERT, which touts itself as “the world’s largest driver generated and verified database of speed traps, red light cameras, speed cameras, school zones, DUI checkpoints, dangerous intersections and more across North America.”

Neither Apple or Google – the crew behind the open-source Android mobile OS – have responded at this time, but with RIM already pulling the plug, there’s a good possibility – particularly given Apple’s tight control of apps – that each company could follow suit.

While the rationale behind the proposed removal is obvious, inevitably the debate about how apps play into freedom of speech and the broad brush in which other apps – like Trapster – have been caught up in the mix means a quick resolution is far off.

[Source: Senator’s offices, Detroit News, RIM]

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Senators urge phonemakers to ban DUI checkpoint apps, Blackberry first to comply originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Paris takes first step to ban SUVs

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Government/Legal

Ford Explorer question

Does a Sport Utility Vehicle belong in the city? Environmental officials in Paris certainly don’t think so and they’ve taken the first steps toward an outright ban of the SUV. While not strictly aimed at SUV owners, the Parisian officials are looking to implement restrictions on gas-guzzling vehicles.

It’s not clear yet what types of restrictions will be set in place for SUVs (and older diesel-powered cars as well), but officials hint at limitations on vehicle type by neighborhood and time of day. Penalties for breaking these restrictions have yet to be established.

Paris is not alone in moving to implement these changes either as Lyon, Grenoble, Aix-en-Provence and a handful of other French cities are joining in this movement. Elsewhere in Europe, London and Berlin already have such restrictions in place in the form of Low Emission Zones with varying levels of success. However, the biggest question is: How do you define an SUV?

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: Paris takes first step to ban SUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: LaHood pushes for total phone ban among truck and bus drivers

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into a full-on mobile phone ban for commercial drivers while behind the wheel as part of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s initiative to curb distracted driving. According to Reuters, the move would further impact the four million drivers who are already forbidden from texting while driving.

Last year, driver inattention was cited as the prevailing factor for around nine percent of all large truck crashes in 2009. That number was down from 2008, but not low enough for LaHood or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While the number of distracted big-rig crashes may have declined slightly last year, the number of fatal bus accidents actually increased from 20 in 2008 to 38 in 2009.

The National Transportation Safety Board reports that of all bus crashes, somewhere between six and thirteen percent can be attributed to a distracted driver. LaHood’s proposal will have to endure a 60-day comment period before being finalized.

[Source: Reuters via MSNBC]

Report: LaHood pushes for total phone ban among truck and bus drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian dealer association looks to ban right-hand drive cars

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Canada

The current law in Canada allows for right-hand drive vehicles older than 15 years to be imported into the country, a loophole that allows for the importation of neat foreign iron that includes Japanese kei cars like the Suzuki Cappuccino as well as larger enthusiast cars like the Nissan Skyline. But the Canadian Automotive Dealer Association appears eager to stop the influx of these elderly RHD vehicles. The CADA claims that the cars and trucks, which the group claims are imported from Asian countries, are “dirty and unsafe.” The CADA goes further by saying that the vehicles are often used for “street racing and other reckless acts,” and it claims that the vehicles are 40 percent more likely to be involved in an accident. The proposed solution for these right-drive nuisances is for the Canadian government to change the antique designation to 25 years to reflect the changes made by the U.S. and Australia.

Critics suggest that the real reason these vehicles are so unpopular with the 3,300 dealers associated with the CADA is that the imported vehicles are nibbling away at their car sales. As the reasoning goes, the older RHD vehicles aren’t as safe or as environmentally friendly as newer vehicles, but neither are the left-hand drive vehicles on used car lots all over the country to our north. Hit the jump to read over the CADA’s official press release.

[Source: Canadian Automotive Dealer Association]

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Canadian dealer association looks to ban right-hand drive cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: LaHood mulling nationwide ban on all in-car mobile phone use?

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

Ray LaHood at Distraction.gov lectern

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants to make our roads a safer place. Distracted driving is arguably his number one issue, and LaHood is waging a concerted campaign to try and curb it. Is he taking things a step too far, though? According to Automotive News, LaHood has now stated that he believes motorists are distracted by any use of a mobile device while driving. This includes making hands-free calls through the use of in-car or in-ear Bluetooth devices. LaHood’s department is going to begin researching all types of mobile device usage to see how they affect drivers. He also plans to meet with automakers to try and gain support for his campaign to eliminate distracting driving.

According to the report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration feels that Ray LaHood is focusing too closely on one area of motoring safety, rather than the bigger picture. NHTSA officials are quoted as saying that current distracted driving crash statistics may be inflated because not all law enforcement agencies are properly trained to recognize a distracted driving accident. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety even went so far as to release a study showing that new texting laws have not influenced accident rates in a positive manner.

Ray Lahood has quite an uphill battle on his hands. Even if he and his team can prove that hands-free usage of mobile devices increase accident rates, the practice is so deeply ingrained in the brains of the overall driving public – not to mention the businesses associated with it – that it will be difficult to convince motorists to not use their phones while driving at all. LaHood is optimistic, however,

“The bottom line for me is to get where we’re at with seat belts and with drunk driving. When those programs were started, people were very skeptical that you could get people to buckle up.”

So don’t adopt the “You can pry my iPhone from my cold dead hands” attitude just yet. Secretary LaHood is merely investigating the matter at this point. There are no plans to call for a ban just yet, but at least one NHTSA official admits it’s a possibility.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.| Image: Mark Wilson/Getty]

Report: LaHood mulling nationwide ban on all in-car mobile phone use? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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