Document ID: NHTSA-2019-0103-0001
Agency: nhtsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petition for Temporary Exemption: Audi of America
Posted Date: 2019-10-18T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 202 (Friday, October 18, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56013-56017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22769]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2019-0103]

Audi of America; Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption From 
FMVSS No. 111

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for temporary exemption from 
FMVSS No. 111, ``Rear Visibility''; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the procedures in 49 CFR part 555, Audi of 
America (``Audi'') has petitioned NHTSA for a temporary exemption of 
vehicles from the requirements in FMVSS No. 111 that passenger cars, 
MPVs, and light trucks be equipped with an outside mirror on the 
driver's side that meets certain field-of-view and mounting 
requirements. Instead of being equipped with FMVSS No. 111-compliant 
outside mirrors that would provide the required view to the rear, the 
vehicles, if exempted, would be equipped with a Camera Monitor System 
(CMS) that, according to Audi, provides the driver with a video-
generated image on a monitor. Audi states that the video-generated 
image meets the standard's field-of-view requirements that apply to 
outside mirrors on the driver's side. Audi submitted its petition on 
the basis that an exemption is needed to facilitate the development and 
field evaluation of a new motor vehicle safety feature (the CMS) and 
that that feature provides a level of safety at least equal to the 
level of safety would be provided if the vehicle were equipped with 
FMVSS-compliant outside mirrors. NHTSA is publishing this document in 
accordance with statutory and administrative provisions, and requests 
comments on the petition. NHTSA has made no judgment on the merits of 
the petition.

DATES: Comments on this petition must be submitted by November 18, 
2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Koblenz, Office of Chief 
Counsel, Telephone: 202-366-2992, Facsimile: 202-366-3820 or Markus 
Price, Office of Crash Avoidance Standards, Telephone: 202-366-1810, 
Facsimile: 202-493-2990. The mailing address for these officials is: 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Washington, DC 20590.
    This document by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building, Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
    Regardless of how you submit your comments, please mention the 
docket number of this document.
    You may also call the Docket at 202-366-9826.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments and 
additional information on the rulemaking process, see the Public 
Participation heading of the Supplementary Information section of this 
document. Note that all comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.
    Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits 
comments from the public to better inform its decision-making process. 
DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal 
information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as 
described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can 
be reviewed at www.transportation.gov/privacy. In order to facilitate 
comment tracking and response, the agency encourages commenters to 
provide their name, or the name of their organization; however, 
submission of names is completely optional. Whether or not commenters 
identify themselves, all timely comments will be fully considered.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to www.regulations.gov, or the street address 
listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Background
    a. FMVSS No. 111 Outside Mirror Requirement
    b. Statutory Authority and Regulatory Requirements
II. Summary of Petition
    a. Recent CMS-Related Regulatory Activities
    b. Description of the CMS
    c. Documentation Establishing Innovative Nature of the CMS
    d. The CMS Provides a Level of Safety at Least Equivalent to the 
Level of Safety Established by Compliance With FMVSS No. 111, and Is 
in the Public Interest
    e. Substantiation That an Exemption Would Facilitate Audi's 
Development and Field Evaluation of the CMS
III. Requests for Comment
IV. Completeness and Comment Period

I. Background

a. FMVSS No. 111 Outside Mirror Requirement

    Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111, ``Rear 
Visibility,'' sets out requirements to ensure that passenger cars, 
Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles (MPVs), trucks, and buses, school 
buses, and low-speed vehicles provide drivers with ``a clear and 
reasonably unobstructed view to the rear'' of the vehicle. To this end, 
FMVSS No. 111, S5.2 requires that passenger cars must be equipped with 
an outside rearview mirror on the driver's side. This mirror must 
provide the driver with a specified minimum field of view, be of unit 
magnification, and must be mounted according to certain 
specifications.\1\ Similarly, FMVSS No. 111 S6 requires that MPVs, 
trucks, and buses (other than a school bus) with a Gross Vehicle Weight 
Rating of 4,536 kg or less be equipped with outside mirrors to provide 
rear visibility. Vehicles subject to S6 are required either to use 
``mirrors that conform to the requirements of S5,'' \2\ or to be 
equipped with mirrors on both sides of the vehicle which meet specified 
criteria for size and placement. Currently, FMVSS No. 111 does not 
permit compliance with either S5.2 or S6 through equipment other than 
``an outside mirror.'' \3\
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    \1\ S5.2 requires that vehicles be equipped with a driver side 
outside mirror.
    \2\ Note that S5 includes both an inside (S5.1) and outside 
(S5.2) mirror requirement.
    \3\ NHTSA notes, however, that FMVSS does not prohibit the use 
of other technologies (such as cameras) alongside mirrors, so long 
as compliant required mirrors are present. NHTSA recently published 
an ANPRM seeking comment on whether the agency should consider 
amending FMVSS No. 111 to permit cameras as a compliance option in 
lieu of mirrors. See 84 FR 54533.
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b. Statutory Authority and Regulatory Requirements

    The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act), 
codified

[[Page 56014]]

as 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301, provides the Secretary of Transportation 
authority to exempt, on a temporary basis and under specified 
circumstances, motor vehicles from a motor vehicle safety standard or 
bumper standard, ``on terms the Secretary considers appropriate.'' This 
authority is set forth at 49 U.S.C. 30113. The Secretary has delegated 
the authority for implementing this section to NHTSA. 49 CFR part 1.95.
    The Safety Act authorizes the Secretary to grant a temporary 
exemption to a vehicle manufacturer if the Secretary makes certain 
findings. For this petition, the relevant findings that the Secretary 
must make are:
    (1) The exemption is consistent with the public interest and with 
the objectives of 49 U.S.C. chapters 301 (Motor Vehicle Safety) or 325 
(Bumper Standards) (as applicable); and
    (2) The exemption ``would facilitate the development or field 
evaluation of a new motor vehicle safety feature that provides a level 
of safety equivalent to that of the standard.'' \4\
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    \4\ 49 U.S.C. 30113(b)(3).
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    NHTSA established 49 CFR part 555, Temporary Exemption from Motor 
Vehicle Safety and Bumper Standards, to implement the statutory 
provisions concerning temporary exemptions. The petition content 
requirements, specified in 49 CFR 555.5, state that a petitioner must 
set forth the basis of the application by providing the required 
information under Sec.  555.6, and the reasons why the exemption would 
be in the public interest and consistent with the objectives of 49 
U.S.C. Chapter 301.
    A petition under the basis that the exemption would facilitate the 
development or field evaluation of a new motor vehicle safety feature 
that provides a level of safety equivalent to that of the standard must 
include the information specified in 49 CFR 555.6(b). The main 
requirements of that section include: (1) A description of the safety 
or impact protection features, and research, development, and testing 
documentation establishing the innovational nature of such features; 
(2) an analysis establishing that the level of safety or impact 
protection of the feature is equivalent to or exceeds the level of 
safety or impact protection established in the standard(s) from which 
exemption is sought; (3) substantiation that a temporary exemption 
would facilitate the development or field evaluation of the vehicle; 
and (4) a statement of whether the Audi intends to conform to the 
standard at the end of the exemption period.

II. Summary of Petition

    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 30113 and the procedures in 49 CFR 
part 555, Audi of America and its parent company, Audi AG 
(collectively, ``Audi'') \5\ submitted a petition to NHTSA (received 
August 7, 2018) requesting a temporary exemption from the driver's side 
outside rearview mirror requirements in sections S5.2, S5.2.1, S5.2.2, 
and S6 of FMVSS No. 111. The vehicles for which Audi is requesting an 
exemption would be fully electric multipurpose passenger vehicles 
(MPVs). In lieu of mirrors, Audi states that the exempted vehicles 
would be equipped with a Camera Monitoring System (CMS) that provides 
the driver with the same field of view as a compliant outside rearview 
mirror. Audi requests a two-year exemption, during which it asks to be 
permitted to sell 2,500 exempted vehicles for each 12-month period 
covered by the exemption (up to 5,000 vehicles). Audi does not intend 
to make its vehicles compliant with FMVSS No. 111 by the end of the 
exemption period, but notes that it hopes that FMVSS No. 111 would be 
amended by then to permit CMS as a compliance option instead of outside 
rearview mirrors.
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    \5\ Audi of America is incorporated in Virginia, with its 
headquarters in Herndon, VA. Audi AG is incorporated in Germany, 
with its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany.
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    What follows is a summary of the information contained in Audi's 
petition. The petition itself is available for review in the docket for 
this notice. Audi's submission also included five additional supporting 
documents, which are cited as Attachments 1 through 5. While these 
supplemental documents are not independently summarized in this notice, 
they are available for review in the docket. Audi demonstrated the 
technology at NHTSA's headquarters on June 27, 2019 via an Audi e-tron 
model equipped with a CMS instead of outside mirrors, although NHTSA 
was told that the system shown in the demonstration had different 
specifications than the CMS that would be sold pursuant to an 
exemption. Because NHTSA had outstanding questions about the CMS that 
is the subject of Audi's exemption petition, NHTSA emailed Audi 
following this demonstration to request additional information. This 
information request and subsequent communications are also included in 
the docket, and the information that Audi provided is incorporated into 
this notice. Please note that this document is a notice of receipt 
which contains a description of Audi's petition, as well as some 
clarifying statements or questions from NHTSA. NHTSA has not yet made a 
final determination to grant or deny the petition.

a. Recent CMS-Related Regulatory Activities

    Audi begins by providing background on recent CMS-related 
regulatory activities in the United States. Audi explains that, in 
2014, Tesla and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers jointly filed 
a rulemaking petition requesting that NHTSA amend FMVSS No. 111 to 
permit certification using CMS rather than outside rearview mirrors.\6\ 
Audi states that, although NHTSA has not yet determined whether to 
amend FMVSS No. 111, an exemption to enable the company to conduct the 
research and development needed to introduce a mass-market CMS should 
NHTSA eventually decide to propose such an amendment.
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    \6\ Audi provided a copy of the Alliance/Tesla petition for 
rulemaking with this exemption petition. The rulemaking petition, 
designated ``Attachment 1,'' Can be found in the docket for this 
rulemaking. We note that, although NHTSA has not officially acted on 
this petition, the agency did respond to the petition by submitting 
a letter containing a number of questions to Tesla and Alliance 
requesting additional information that the agency believed would be 
necessary to determine whether rulemaking would be appropriate. A 
copy of this letter can be found in the docket. As of the 
publication of this notice, NHTSA has not received a reply to these 
questions.
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    Audi then provides background on international regulatory actions 
relating to CMS, focusing specifically on the international adoption of 
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation 46 
(R46).\7\ R46 is an international type-approval standard that covers 
``the approval of devices for indirect vision and of motor vehicles 
with regard to the installation of these devices.'' \8\ In 2016, R46 
was revised to permit the use of either mirrors or CMS on most new 
vehicles to meet rear-view requirements. According to Audi, roughly 50 
countries, including Japan, have adopted the amended R46, and permit 
the use of CMS in lieu of

[[Page 56015]]

outside mirrors.\9\ Audi also notes that Transport Canada requested 
comments on allowing camera-based rear visibility systems in October 
2016. The petition states that Audi has received component-level type 
approval for the CMS, and is in the process of obtaining vehicle-level 
type approval by September 2018.10 11 Audi notes that its 
CMS's default view would meet the field-of-view requirements for Class 
III rear-view devices under ECE R46.\12\
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    \7\ UN ECE R46 is a vehicle regulation established under the 
1958 UN ECE Agreement Concerning the Adoption of Uniform Conditions 
of Approval and Reciprocal Recognition of Approval for Motor Vehicle 
Equipment and Parts (the ``1958 Agreement''). The 1958 Agreement is 
an international agreement that provides procedures for establishing 
uniform regulations regarding new motor vehicles and motor vehicle 
equipment and for reciprocal acceptance of type-approvals issued 
under these regulations by contracting countries. While the United 
States is a member of the UN ECE, it is not a contracting party to 
the 1958 Agreement, and thus is not bound by standards established 
under the 1958 Agreement.
    \8\ See https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/2016/R046r6e.pdf.
    \9\ NHTSA has not taken a position on whether the amendments to 
ECE R46 that permit CMS provide a benefit to vehicle safety.
    \10\ Although the petition does not identify the country from 
which type approval is being sought, the test report the petition 
cites as documentation for type-approval appears to have been 
obtained from a laboratory based in Germany. For more information on 
the type-approval process, see http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/technical-harmonisation/faq-auto_en.
    \11\ On October 30, 2018, NHTSA received from Audi supplemental 
documentation that it had received vehicle-level type approval for 
its CMS. The non-confidential portion of this documentation can be 
found in the docket.
    \12\ ECE R46, 15.2.4.3 states that a Class III mirror must 
provide a view of the road that is 4 meters wide when measured 20 
meters back from the mirror, and 1 meter wide when measured 4 meters 
back from the mirror.
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b. Description of the CMS

    Audi states that the CMS that would be installed on exempted 
vehicles would use two externally mounted cameras, which would be 
located at the base of the driver-side and passenger -side A-pillars 
(at the approximate location that outside mirrors are typically 
installed on vehicles). The cameras capture an image with a resolution 
of 1289x1080 pixels, and a refresh rate of 60 frames per second (FPS). 
The cameras include pan and zoom functionality, and the cameras' 
exterior lenses are equipped with heaters and are coated with anti-
stick material to minimize camera obstruction due to environmental 
contaminants like water, dirt, or ice.
    Audi states that each camera feeds into a control unit that 
performs the processing for all CMS functions, including converting 
camera data into an image, displaying the image on screens inside the 
vehicle (along with other warnings and system information \13\), and 
carrying out self-diagnostics to ensure the system functions properly. 
The CMS transmits the camera image to displays that are located near 
the top forward corner of the door, which are aimed toward the driver. 
Each display provides the image from the camera on the corresponding 
side of the vehicle. The displays are approximately 7 inches wide, and 
provide a resolution of 1280x800 with a refresh rate of 60 FPS.\14\ The 
displays use a capacitive touch system, which the driver can use to 
interact with and manipulate the CMS, such as by adjusting the image 
aim and level of zoom. Audi states that the CMS meets the requirements 
of UN ECE R46, provides additional safety and convenience features.\15\
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    \13\ Other functions include object detection, lane marking and 
warning, safe exit information, and blind spot detection.
    \14\ We note that the display resolution (1280x800) is lower 
than resolution of the image captured by the camera (1289x1080). The 
petition does not explain what effect (if any) this difference would 
have on the image displayed to the driver.
    \15\ Audi lists four additional safety features: Critical object 
detection, Marking and Warning, Safe Exit Information, and Blind 
Spot Detection. Audi does not provide information about the 
operation of these safety features.
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    Audi states in the petition that the CMS meets the FMVSS No. 111 
field of view (FOV) requirements for outside mirrors when operating in 
its ``default view.'' However, the petition did not say whether the CMS 
image in the default view would be of ``unit magnification'' (i.e., not 
magnified), as is required under FMVSS No. 111, or whether the 
magnification level can be changed by the driver. In addition, the 
supporting documents that Audi submitted with the petition described 
three view modes other than the default view, which Audi calls 
Turnview, Parkview, and Highway view.\16\ However, these other view 
modes are not discussed in the petition. Finally, the petition did not 
provide details on how the CMS detects and alerts the driver to camera 
obstructions.
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    \16\ These views are described in the supporting document titled 
``Attachment 3,'' which can be found in the docket for this 
petition.
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    To fill these information gaps, NHTSA sent Audi an email requesting 
additional information. Audi replied in an email sent August 1, 2019. 
In this email, Audi stated that the CMS's default view shows an image 
of ``unitary magnification (about 0.32) without a distortion.'' We 
understand this to mean that the CMS image would be magnified such that 
the it would be approximately \1/3\ the size of the image produced by a 
planar mirror that meets the unit magnification requirement of FMVSS 
No. 111. Audi also stated that it is not possible for drivers to adjust 
the CMS's magnification manually. In addition, Audi provided details 
about the CMS's other view modes, which are summarized in the below 
table:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Deactivation of view    Audi's description of
              View mode                Activation of view mode            mode                     view
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Turnview.............................  Actuation of the turn    Cancellation of the      An aspherical zone with
                                        signal operating unit.   turn signal operating    an enlarged field of
                                                                 unit.                    view on the outer side
                                                                                          of the view. Audi says
                                                                                          this reduces the size
                                                                                          of the blind spot.
Parkview.............................  Switching to the         Switching out of the     An aspherical zone with
                                        ``reverse'' gear with    ``reverse'' gear, or     an enlarged field of
                                        vehicle speed less       if the vehicle speed     view on the lower side
                                        than 10 km/h.            exceeds 10km/h.          of the view. Audi says
                                                                                          this view reduces the
                                                                                          size of the blind spot
                                                                                          for parking
                                                                                          maneuvering.
Highwayview..........................  The vehicle's            The vehicle speed drops  A smaller field of view
                                        navigation system        below 70 km/h, or the    that is magnified so
                                        indicates that the       vehicle's navigation     that objects appear 2%
                                        vehicle is on a          system indicates the     larger. Audi says this
                                        highway, and vehicle     vehicle has left the     enables better
                                        speed is greater than    highway.                 detection of fast-
                                        80 km/h.                                          approaching vehicles
                                                                                          on highways.
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    Regarding camera obstruction, Audi stated that the CMS uses 
continuously active video analytics to detect dirt. Audi also stated 
that the camera is equipped with a heater to clear obstructions, and if 
that does not work, the system provides the driver with a message in 
the instrument cluster that the camera needs to be cleaned.
    The CMS is described in further detail in the petition and 
accompanying support documents, including NHTSA's email exchange with 
Audi. These documents are all available in the

[[Page 56016]]

docket indicated in the header of this notice.

c. Documentation Establishing Innovative Nature of the CMS

    Audi provides information about three separate research efforts 
that Audi argues establish the innovative and safety-improving nature 
of CMS. Audi first discusses a 2015 study conducted by the German 
Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), which Audi states 
investigated both technical and human-machine interface issues relating 
to CMS.\17\ Audi states that this study concluded (among other things) 
that it is possible for a CMS to provide a ``quality'' rear view to the 
driver. Audi next summarizes a 2017 study that it jointly conducted 
with Spiegel Institut Mannheim \18\ that examined the performance and 
user acceptability of CMS as compared to rearview mirrors by having 
study participants use a CMS in a variety of scenarios, both moving and 
stationary.\19\ According to Audi, this study found that, while some 
participants initially expressed skepticism towards CMS, once the 
participants became familiar with the system, they found it performed 
comparably or better than conventional mirrors.
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    \17\ The Final Report on this study published by BASt can be 
found in the docket for this petition. (``Attachment 4'')
    \18\ Spiegel Institut Manheim is a German research and 
consulting firm. See https://www.spiegel-institut.de/en/about-us/who-we-are.
    \19\ A presentation by Audi and Spiegel Institut Mannheim 
describing this study and its results can be found in the docket for 
this petition. (``Attachment 5'')
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    Lastly, Audi describes a Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) that is 
currently being conducted in the United States by the Virginia Tech 
Transportation Institute (VTTI), in which five vehicle manufacturers 
(including Volkswagen Group, of which Audi is a part) and two ``Tier 
One'' suppliers are participating. Audi explains that this study will 
compare the performance and acceptance of CMS to that of rearview 
mirrors, but states that the research is ongoing and the results are 
not yet available.
    In addition to these research projects, Audi also states that the 
CMS that would be equipped on exempted vehicles incorporates 
qualitative feedback that Audi obtained from NHTSA regarding an earlier 
version of its CMS.\20\
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    \20\ NHTSA notes that the qualitative observations discussed in 
the petition were preliminary observations made by NHTSA researchers 
during an 8-week lease of a CMS-equipped Audi A4, and do not 
represent an official agency position on CMS generally or Audi's 
proprietary CMS technology. NHTSA published a report of its 
findings, which include both positive and negative observations, in 
October 2018 (DOT HS 812 582).
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d. Audi Claims That the CMS Provides a Level of Safety At Least 
Equivalent to the Level of Safety Established by Compliance With FMVSS 
No. 111, and is in the Public Interest

    According to Audi, exempted vehicles would have an equivalent level 
of safety to those that comply with FMVSS No. 111 because the CMS with 
which they would be equipped provides the driver with a view of the 
vehicle rear that is ``as good, if not better'' than the view available 
using traditional mirrors. The petition specifically notes that the CMS 
meets the field-of-view requirements for FMVSS No. 111-compliant 
outside rearview mirrors when in its default 35[deg] field-of-view 
setting. Moreover, the CMS's field of view can be expanded to 43[deg] 
at the driver's option.
    As further evidence that the CMS would provide an equivalent level 
of safety to FMVSS No. 111-compliant outside mirrors, Audi states that 
its CMS meets the requirements of UN ECE R46, and that the CMS is 
designed to withstand 15 years of environmental exposure to wind, 
moisture, dirt, and other obstructions. Moreover, Audi states that the 
CMS includes features that mitigate possible lens obstructions, 
including a heated camera lens, and the use of a camera with a focus 
point well beyond the lens, which enables the lens to ``look past'' 
certain obstructions. Audi also states that, if an obstruction is 
sufficiently severe, the CMS will alert the driver to clear the 
obstruction from the camera. However, Audi does not provide details of 
how this obstruction detection system would work (alert threshold, 
detection reliability, etc.).
    The petition notes that the three CMS studies that are cited 
(including the ongoing VTTI study) ``do not reveal a significant safety 
risk associated with CMS.'' Moreover, the petition states that 
Volkswagen sold 250 vehicles equipped with a CMS in 2013 in Germany and 
Austria pursuant to an exemption to Europe's standards. According to 
the petition, the customer feedback received was positive, with 
customers finding that, once they were familiar with the CMS, they 
found the system to be as good or better than rearview mirrors.
    The petition also states that the CMS provides environmental 
benefits due to its lower weight and improved aerodynamics as compared 
to rearview mirrors. According to the petition, exempted vehicles 
equipped with a CMS would have an additional 1.5% battery range, or a 1 
gram per kilometer decrease in CO2 emissions, as compared to 
non-exempt vehicles with rearview mirrors. In addition, the petition 
notes that the CMS is included with additional features that provide 
safety information to the driver, including critical object detection, 
marking and warning, safe exit information, and blind-spot 
detection.\21\ According to the petition, these features would enhance 
the safety of exempted vehicles to beyond what is required under the 
FMVSS.
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    \21\ We note that the performance specifications of these 
features are not included in the petition.
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e. Substantiation That an Exemption Would Facilitate Audi's Development 
and Field Evaluation of the CMS

    Audi states that an exemption is necessary for the company to 
conduct a field evaluation of its CMS, through which it will obtain 
data on customer acceptance and system performance in situations unique 
to the US market. To accomplish this research, Audi states that it 
intends to collect feedback from purchasers of exempted vehicles 
throughout the duration of the exemption period. This feedback would be 
collected through a survey given to customers when they bring the 
vehicle in for service, as well as though Audi's customer care center.

III. Requests for Comment

    NHTSA seeks comment on the information and analysis in Audi's 
petition. In particular, NHTSA is interested in the issues raised in 
the following questions:
    1. Does the public agree with Audi's safety analysis generally?
    2. Does Audi's petition provide sufficient information on the 
operation of Audi's CMS to enable NHTSA to make the findings required 
by statute to grant an exemption? If not, what additional information 
should the Audi provide, and why?
    3. We seek comment on the safety impact of the CMS image being 
magnified by 0.32 times, as compared to a non-magnified image that 
would be produced by a compliant unit magnification mirror.
    4. While the CMS's Turnview, Parkview, and Highwayview modes may 
provide the safety benefits that Audi cites in its petition, it is also 
possible that the switch to these alternative view modes could have 
negative impacts on safety, such as driver disorientation. Should the 
agency consider placing any restrictions on the use of these 
alternative view modes as a condition of granting the petition? If so, 
what should those conditions be, and what is the basis for those 
conditions?

[[Page 56017]]

    5. Are there data on the likelihood that some drivers may find that 
they are unable to use the CMS, but will not know this at the time of 
sale? Should NHTSA require that exempted vehicles include a warning 
label to inform potential customers of this possibility?
    6. The field of view defined by S5.2.1 of FMVSS No. 111 for 
driver's side outside mirrors differs from the field of view defined by 
ECE R46 for Class III mirrors (Class III is the mirror class for which 
Audi's CMS has received type approval according to the documents 
submitted with the petition).\22\ In view of these differences, what 
weight should NHTSA give Audi's statement that the CMS complies with 
R46? Relatedly, what are the testing situations unique to the US market 
to which the petition refers?
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    \22\ FMVSS 111, S5.2 .1 states that passenger car mirrors must 
provide a view of the road that is 2.4 meters wide when measured 
10.7 meters behind the mirror. ECE R46, 15.2.4.3 states that a Class 
III mirror must provide a view of the road that is 4 meters wide 
when measured 20 meters back from the mirror, and 1 meter wide when 
measured 4 meters back from the mirror. Overall, these differences 
mean that the required field of view for the driver's side mirror 
under FMVSS 111 is narrower than the required field of view for a 
driver's side Class III mirror under ECE R46 when measured close to 
the mirror, but wider than ECE R46 when measured further back from 
the mirror.
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    7. How and to what extent should NHTSA consider in its safety 
analysis the inclusion of safety features that provide the driver with 
non-visual information about the driving environment (e.g., blind spot 
detection)?
    8. How should NHTSA consider the incomplete VTTI study cited in the 
petition, especially given that the study has not yet produced results?
    9. To inform possible future rulemaking activities in this area to 
permit CMS on all vehicles in place of mirrors, if NHTSA were to grant 
Audi an exemption, should the agency condition the exemption on 
submitting reports on the on-road experiences of Audi's vehicles? If 
so, what information should Audi be required to report?

IV. Comment Period

    The agency has not made any judgment on the merits of the petition, 
and is placing a copy of the petition and supporting information in the 
docket.
    The agency seeks comment from the public on the merits of Audi's 
petition for a temporary exemption from paragraphs FMVSS No. 111, 
``Rear Visibility''. We are providing a 30-day comment period. After 
considering the petition, the public comments and other available 
information, we will publish a notice of final action on the petition 
in the Federal Register.

    Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 
1.95 and 501.4.
James Clayton Owens,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-22769 Filed 10-17-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P