WASHINGTON (Feb. 9, 2016) — “Overreach” is what the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is calling a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to prohibit the conversion of vehicles that were originally designed for on-road use into race cars.
The regulation would also make the sale of certain products for use on such vehicles illegal.
The proposed regulation was contained within a non-related proposed regulation entitled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles—Phase 2.”
The regulation would impact all vehicle types, according to SEMA, including sports cars, sedans and hatch-backs commonly converted strictly for use at race tracks.
While the Clean Air Act prohibits certain modifications to motor vehicles, it is clear that vehicles built or modified for racing — and not used on the streets — are not the “motor vehicles” that Congress intended to regulate, the Diamond Bar, Calif.-based trade group claims.