BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 225
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Date of Hearing: April 15, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 225 (Nestande) - As Amended: April 9, 2013
SUBJECT : Medium-speed electric vehicles
SUMMARY : Authorizes the operation medium-speed electric
vehicles (MSV), as defined, on roadways. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Defines a "medium-speed electric vehicle" as a vehicle that
is:
a) Required to attain a speed between 40 to 45 miles per
hour within one mile and on a paved level surface;
b) Possesses a fully-enclosed passenger compartment with
rigid doors and safety windows;
c) Has a gross vehicle weight of no more than 3,000 pounds;
d) Is propelled solely by an electric motor; and,
e) Contains a vehicle identification number that meets
international standards.
1)Requires MSVs to meet federal safety standards, as specified,
including:
a) A fully enclosed passenger compartment with rigid doors
and safety windows;
b) A horn that is capable of emitting sound at specified
levels;
c) Roof crush resistance;
d) Electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection;
and,
e) A windshield that conforms to the American National
Standards Institute's safety code.
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1)Clarifies that MSVs are subject to laws generally applicable
to motor vehicles.
2)Prohibits MSVs from operating at speeds greater than 45 miles
per hour.
3)Prohibits MSVs from being operated on a roadway with a speed
limit in excess of 45 miles per hour.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Defines LSVs (also known as "neighborhood electric vehicles")
as:
a) Having four wheels;
b) Capable of speeds of more than 20 miles per hour, but no
more than 25 miles per hour;
c) Having a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,000
pounds; and,
d) Meeting federal safety requirements as specified for
LSVs.
1)Requires that LSVs are subject to all laws applicable to a
motor vehicle and all drivers of LSVs are subject to all laws
applicable to the driver of a motor vehicle as specified.
2)Requires dealers of LSVs to provide a disclosure statement to
the buyer regarding the operation of the LSV that is in
compliance with existing provisions of state regulations.
3)Prohibits LSVs from being operated on a roadway with a speed
limit in excess of 35 miles per hour.
4)At the federal level, requires LSVs to possess:
a) Headlamps;
b) Stop lights;
c) Turn signal lights;
d) Taillights;
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e) Reflex reflectors;
f) Parking brakes;
g) Rearview mirrors;
h) Windshields;
i) Seatbelts; and,
j) Vehicle Identification Numbers.
1)Prohibits any person from manufacturing for sale, selling,
offering for sale, introducing, or delivering for introduction
in interstate commerce any new motor vehicle unless the
vehicle complies with all applicable federal motor vehicle
safety standards and is certified accordingly.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Existing state and federal law provides for the use
of LSVs on public highways. LSVs are generally limited to
fairly controlled environments-that is, roads low maximum speeds
allowed. Because of the low allowable speeds, LSVs have fewer
safety features than typical passenger vehicles.
Manufacturers have begun to produce LSVs that are capable of
going greater than 25 miles per hour. However, these vehicles
cannot lawfully be operated on California streets because they
are not made to comply with federal motor vehicle safety
standards for regular passenger vehicles.
Current federal regulations do not classify or provide any
safety requirements for MSVs. Indeed, federal regulations
specifically state that any small passenger vehicle whose
maximum speed is higher than 25 miles per hour must comply with
the full range of motor vehicle safety standards and does not
qualify as an LSV.
Proponents assert that MSVs would have a number of positive
environmental impacts including a reduction in the consumption
of fossil fuels and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. As
drivers are given the option to travel on local roads in a more
cost effective and environmentally conscious manner, the
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increase in the number of electric vehicles on roadways would
over time reduce the number of greenhouse gas emitting passenger
vehicles.
The author's office reports that eleven other states have MSV
statutes providing for speeds of 35 miles per hour or faster on
public roadways. Apparently, manufacturers of MSVs have gotten
around federal motor vehicle safety standards in these states by
selling vehicles that are technically LSVs but that can have the
speed controller adjusted after purchase to operate like a MSV.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
which is responsible for setting federal motor vehicle safety
standards, has resisted developing unique specifications for
MSVs, stating, "?we are denying [the petition urging NHTSA to
create a MSV class of vehicles] because the introduction of such
a class of motor vehicles without the full complement of safety
features required for other light vehicles such as passenger
cars would result in significantly greater risk of deaths and
serious injuries. While NHSTSA agrees with the importance of
environmental issues, the agency believes that it is neither
necessary nor appropriate to significantly increase the risk of
deaths and serious injuries to save fuel."
Technical Amendment :
Recent amendments to AB 225 removed previously identified
federal safety standards that MSVs were required to meet. The
author's intent was to include additional federal safety
standards to provide additional safety requirements for MSVs,
not supplant the safety requirements identified in previous
versions of this bill. The author intends to take author's
amendments at the hearing to rectify this inadvertent error.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
City of Riverside
Light Electric Vehicle Association
Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
Ramon Alvarez - Citizen
Opposition
AB 225
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None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093