Environmental & Political Watch
* RIP TDS? Late in January we got word that off-roading events in the Truckhaven area of Southern California, including the Tierra del Sol Desert Safari, were either being cancelled or moved because of a change in land ownership in the area. Last September, some 4,000 acres owned by the Freeman Trust were acquired by the California State Parks Off Highway Motorized Recreation Division. As these state agencies tend to do, there's now a planning process underway to determine how best to use the land. According to the Tierra del Sol Four Wheel Drive Club of San Diego, which runs the annual Safari (and has since 1964), the process could take several years and will involve archeological, geological, and biological studies. In the meantime, the California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA) voluntarily cancelled its Truckhaven Challenge in January, and the TDS Safari was moved to the nearby Ocotillo Wells SVRA.
* SEMA's Washington, D.C., watchdogs have turned up some disturbing legislation. In Hawaii, a bill has been introduced that would ban vehicles equipped with an exhaust system "that has been modified to make more noise or sound than the vehicle made when manufactured." H.B. 1447 would allow law enforcement officers to seize and impound a vehicle upon making a subjective determination that a vehicle was in violation. In other words, if Hawaii's finest thinks your new muffler is too loud, aloha pickup. SEMA urges Hawaiian residents to contact their representatives (a contact list is available on www.sema.org) to oppose this bill in favor of SEMA-model legislation that sets an objective standard for exhaust noise.
* Also ugly: SEMA reports that legislation to prohibit the use of grilleguards attached to a motor vehicle's chassis has been reintroduced in New York for the 2007 legislative session. The measure relies on unsubstantiated claims that grilleguards create the potential of greater harm to other vehicles in the event of a collision and obstruct airbag sensors, rendering the airbags useless in an accident. The bill would require owners of vehicles currently equipped with grilleguards (including those purchased with this equipment from a dealership) to remove these guards. As with the Hawaiian exhaust bill mentioned above, SEMA opposes this legislation and asks that New York residents contact their reps to voice their disapproval
This Just In
* More diesel news from Dodge: The company has confirmed it will offer a Cummins turbodiesel engine in light-duty (1/2-ton) pickup trucks for 2010. No details about the engine were available, only that it will provide "a dramatic increase in low-end torque, up to a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, and a 20 percent reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions when compared to an equivalent gasoline engine," according to the release.
* The 1/2-ton '10 diesel Rams may have some competition from Nissan. Industry reports are saying the Titan will get a light-duty diesel in its next generation, also scheduled to hit the street for 2010.
* Insiders are also talking about the next-generation Ford F-150, due in 2009. Already we've heard rumors that they'll be fitted with diesel engines sourced from Land Rover. Now comes word that the new trucks may get six-speed transmissions, to keep up with the GM and Toyota trucks already shifting through six gears.
* Is this good news? According to SEMA, a company is developing a Bluetooth-enabled device that will allow drivers to check their e-mail while on the road. The iLane is being touted as "the world's first hands-free and eyes-free email solution for in-vehicle use," according to Intelligent Mechatronic Systems, the iLane's developer. The "voice-based interface" reads a summary of e-mails to the driver and can accept a response