Quality Weenie

California Hates Garage Door Openers

I did a post in the past about California enacting new glass regualtions that will block out so much of the "harmful" sun rays going into your car that will heat your car up and make you use the AC more.

Well Californians, that time has come and it's not good for you.

The California Air Resources Board said Friday that when it issues its final "cool car" regulations, which will require vehicles to reduce the amount of heat entering vehicles starting in the 2012 model year, it will exempt soft-sided plastic windows.

Jeep had thought that they wouldn't be able to sell soft sided Jeep Wranglers in California anymore because the new glaze couldn't be applied to soft plastic windows.

The regulation takes effect in 2012, with a three-year phase-in, and requires all vehicles to prevent 45 percent of the energy from the sun from entering a vehicle by 2014, and 60 percent by 2016. The regulation applies to new vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less.

The board rejected suggestions from some companies that the new proposal hasn't been tested enough.

This is the government, of course it hasn't been tested enough yet.

They (editor note:"they" are companies that make GPS, cell phones, etc)noted that "ankle bracelets for parolees," along with cell phone calls and laptops, "may be adversely affected by the metallic reflective standard" because the signals "must be able to penetrate the glazing in vehicles."

Garmin's initial testing said the signals from GPS devices were degraded.

A board document issued Friday said its testing has shown no impact on parolee ankle bracelets. Other testing showed cellular phones, GPS systems and electronic toll payment systems should work, the board said. (emphasis mine)

California government says that garage door openers and the like should work when used within the deletion window area (the deletion window area is a small area in which the glaze is not applied so devices will work.

Car companies are not happy about this added glaze, of course the costs will not be rolled down to the customer (roll eyes at this point)

Toyota Motor Corp. told the board in June the new regulation will require significant redesigning of its vehicles. All of Toyota's GPS antennas are mounted inside the vehicles; the new regulation will require the Japanese automaker to "redesign our GPS antennas to mount them on the roof even if deletion areas are allowed." The initial regulation will cost $111 over the life of a vehicle; the 2016 standard will add $250 to a vehicle's cost. California says it will take five to 12 years for consumers to recoup the costs through reduced gasoline use.

Posted by Quality Weenie at October 19, 2009 08:56 AM