Document ID: NHTSA-2012-0141-0001
Agency: nhtsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petitions for Decision of Eligibility for Importation: Nonconforming 2012 Lita GLE-6 Low-speed Vehicles
Posted Date: 2013-05-21T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 21, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29808-29809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12069]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2012-0141, Notice 1]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for Decision That Nonconforming 
2012 Lita GLE-6 Low-Speed Vehicles Are Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition.

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SUMMARY: This document announces receipt by the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 
2012 Lita GLE-6 low-speed vehicles (LSV) that were not originally 
manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States 
because they have safety features that comply with, or are capable of 
being altered to comply with, all such standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the petition is June 20, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket and notice numbers above 
and be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the

[[Page 29809]]

online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-493-2251
    Instructions: Comments must be written in the English language, and 
be no greater than 15 pages in length, although there is no limit to 
the length of necessary attachments to the comments. If comments are 
submitted in hard copy form, please ensure that two copies are 
provided. If you wish to receive confirmation that your comments were 
received, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard with the 
comments. Note that all comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78).
    How to Read Comments submitted to the Docket: You may read the 
comments received by Docket Management at the address and times given 
above. You may also view the documents from the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. The 
docket ID number and title of this notice are shown at the heading of 
this document notice. Please note that even after the comment closing 
date, we will continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it 
becomes available. Further, some people may submit late comments. 
Accordingly, we recommend that you periodically search the Docket for 
new material.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Coleman Sachs, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-3151).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B), a motor vehicle, that was not 
originally manufactured to conform to all applicable FMVSS, and has no 
substantially similar U.S.-certified counterpart, shall be refused 
admission into the United States unless NHTSA has decided that the 
motor vehicle has safety features that comply with, or are capable of 
being altered to comply with, all applicable FMVSS based on destructive 
test data or such other evidence as NHTSA decides to be adequate.
    Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either 
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to 
49 CFR part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice 
in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords 
interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition. At the 
close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the 
petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is 
eligible for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in 
the Federal Register.
    US SPECS of Havre de Grace, Maryland (Registered Importer 03-321) 
has petitioned NHTSA to decide whether nonconforming 2012 Lita GLE-6 
LSVs are eligible for importation into the United States. US SPECS 
believes these vehicles are capable of being modified to meet all 
applicable FMVSS.
    US SPECS submitted information with its petition intended to 
demonstrate that while 2012 Lita GLE-6 LSVs do not conform to any FMVSS 
as originally manufactured, they are capable of being altered to comply 
with all applicable FMVSS.
    Specifically, the petitioner contends that the nonconforming 2012 
Lita GLE-6 LSVs are capable of being readily altered to meet FMVSS No. 
500 as follows:
    1. Installation of headlights if not already so equipped.
    2. Installation of turn signals if not already so equipped.
    3. Installation of taillamps if not already so equipped.
    4. Installation of stop lamps if not already so equipped.
    5. Installation of reflex reflectors if the vehicle is not already 
so equipped.
    6. Installation of driver and passenger mirrors if not already so 
equipped.
    7. Installation of a parking brake if not already so equipped.
    8. Installation of a windshield that meets the requirements of 
FMVSS No. 205 if not already so equipped.
    9. Installation of Type 1 or Type 2 Seat belts that meet the 
requirements of FMVSS No. 209 at each designated seating position if 
not already so equipped.
    10. Every vehicle must be weighed. Any vehicle exceeding the gross 
vehicle weight rating (GVWR) limit for low speed vehicles (3,000 lbs.) 
must have a sufficient number of designated seating positions removed 
to bring the GVWR below that limit.
    11. Every vehicle must be checked to ensure that it does not exceed 
the maximum (25 MPH) speed requirement. Any vehicle that does not meet 
the requirement must have its control system reprogrammed to ensure 
that the vehicle meets the maximum speed requirement.
    12. Every vehicle must be checked to ensure that it can meet the 
minimum (20 mph) speed requirement. Any vehicle that does not meet the 
requirement must have its control system reprogramed to ensure that the 
vehicle meets the minimum speed requirement.
    In addition, the petitioner states that a vehicle identification 
number plate or label must be installed to meet the requirements of 49 
CFR part 565 if the vehicle is not already so equipped.
    It should be noted that the publication of this notice is not an 
acknowledgment that the vehicle that is the subject of the petition, 
the 2012 Lita GLE-6, is a low speed vehicle. In addition, in NHTSA's 
view, a vehicle that is not a low speed vehicle may not be converted to 
one by installing a governor (electronic or mechanical) or by removing 
weight such as by removing a seat, which may be reinstalled. The 
vehicle at issue is the 2012 Lita GLE-6. Comments are invited on these 
matters.
    All comments received before the close of business on the closing 
date indicated above will be considered, and will be available for 
examination in the docket at the above addresses both before and after 
that date. To the extent possible, comments filed after the closing 
date will also be considered. Notice of final action on the petition 
will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority 
indicated below.

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and (b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; 
delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8.

    Issued on: May 14, 2013.
Claude H. Harris,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2013-12069 Filed 5-20-13; 8:45 am]
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