A Word from the President

AUTO to Host Roundtable and Reception at Showpower Expo

Denise Kotowicz Appointed to AUTO Board

More Congressional Support for Right to Repair Legislation

EPA Blocks California Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards

Higher Gas Prices Driving Better Car Care

A Word from the President

As 2007 is coming to a close, I would like to do a quick review of your AUTO activities over the past year: 

• We started in January with our bi-annual Face-2-Face in Florida, where our manufacturers and warehouse distributors were able to get some “face time” together, along with enjoying the nightlife at Disney World. 
• Our first industry “Round Table Discussion” took place at Showpower in St. Louis, along with another successful AUTO Reception, where manufacturers, warehouse distributors and service providers enjoyed each other’s camaraderie, along with a few drinks! 
• We held two board meetings at the AAIA Spring Leadership Days in Arizona and the Fall Leadership Days in Chicago. The same schedule is set for spring in Bonita Springs, Fla. and the fall in San Antonio, Texas. 
• Under the guidance of David Landreth, we participated in the Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. 
• And finally, APPEX was another successful Industry Week in Las Vegas.
   
  Starting in January 2008, we will be communicating with you about the upcoming activities surrounding the Showpower Show in Chicago in March. We will be having our Second Round Table Discussion and our very popular reception is now a joint effort between AUTO and the Car Care Professionals Network (CCPN).

Many of you will have received your annual membership dues request from AUTO/AAIA. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me to discuss. There are many ways that your membership can benefit your company and our industry and I would be happy to go over with them you.

On behalf of the AUTO Board of Directors, we wish you all a safe and restful holiday and a prosperous new year.

Malcolm Sissmore
AUTO President

AUTO to Host Roundtable and Reception at Showpower Expo

Once again AUTO will host a roundtable discussion and industry reception during the 2008 Showpower Expo March 27-29 in Schaumurg, Ill. The roundtable discussion will be take place Friday, March 28 from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. The industry reception will be held Saturday, March 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Information on the event location will be provided at a later date. To order reception tickets, click here. If you would like information on sponsorship, contact Kimberlee Berry at 301-654-6664 ext. 1026 or e-mail kim.berry@aftermarket.org.

Denise Kotowicz Appointed to AUTO Board

Denise Kotowicz of Compass Marketing was appointed to the AUTO Board of Directors in September.

“As the former executive director of AUTO, Denise has served the undercar industry with tremendous dedication and passion and we are extremely proud to have her join our board of directors,” said Malcolm Sissmore, president, AUTO.

More Congressional Support for Right to Repair Legislation

As Congress approaches its holiday recess, the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) gained two more supporters, according to Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO, AAIA. Reps. Dennis Moore, D-Kansas and Michael Honda, D-Calif., have joined a growing list of the bill’s sponsors.

Because vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated with virtually every system either monitored or controlled by computers, servicing these vehicle systems to keep them in safe working condition requires ready access to complete and accurate information from the car companies. The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) was introduced in Congress to ensure that car owners and their trusted repair shops have the same access to safety alerts and repair information as the franchised new car dealer network. 

“We want to thank Reps. Moore and Honda for their support of this vital piece of legislation and their commitment to ensuring that their constituents retain the ability to choose where to have their vehicle serviced and repaired,” said Schmatz. “The fact is that there aren’t enough new car dealerships in all the right places to keep every motor vehicle serviced, repaired and operating safely. Right to Repair ensures that car owners can conveniently and affordably repair and maintain their vehicle’s critical safety systems at the repair shop of their choice, whether it’s their neighborhood repair shop or a franchised dealership.”

A complete list of co-sponsors and a copy of the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) can be found by visiting www.righttorepair.org.

EPA Blocks California Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Dec. 19 denied a request by the state of California to obtain a waiver from federal preemption for regulations to control emissions of greenhouse gasses from motor vehicles.

In denying the waiver, Stephen L. Johnson, EPA administrator, said, “The Bush Administration is moving forward with a clear national solution – not a confusing patchwork of state rules – to reduce America’s climate footprint from vehicles. President Bush and Congress have set the bar high, and, when fully implemented, our federal fuel economy standard will achieve significant benefits by applying to all 50 states.” The administrator pointed to the recently passed energy bill, which will require vehicles to achieve a fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 and requires the use of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022. 

The impact of the EPA decision goes beyond California since more than 11 states had already adopted the state’s vehicle emissions standards and many others were considering such action. Many of the states tied the greenhouse gas emissions standards to the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) standards which includes the 15 year/150,000 mile warranty on partial zero emission vehicles (PZEV) that is strongly opposed by AAIA and other aftermarket groups. It is unclear whether states will be able to enforce the ZEV and PZEV standards due to the waiver denial. 

Responding to the waiver denial, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “We will continue to fight this battle. California sued to compel the agency to act on our waiver, and now we will sue to overturn today’s decision and allow Californians to protect our environment.”

It is likely that California’s suit will be joined by other states and environmental groups.

Higher Gas Prices Driving Better Car Care

Consumers say that fuel economy is a much more important motivator for vehicle maintenance than five years ago, and 54 percent of both men and women feel they are capable of doing some of the work themselves, according to a recent study of motorists by Opinion Research Corporation for AAIA.

The biggest jump in consumer car care motivations has been caused by rising gas prices. Sixty-two percent more consumers said fuel efficiency was an important factor today compared with 42 percent five years ago. While saving money at the gas pump experienced the greatest change, dependability (87 percent) and safety (80 percent) still rank higher among consumers and both also rose in importance in the past five years.

“Having a safe and dependable vehicle have long been the top motivational factors influencing consumers’ vehicle maintenance decisions, but getting better gas mileage is catching up as a driving force,” said Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO. “We were surprised and pleased by the survey results that showed 54 percent of both men and women motorists felt they were personally capable of performing light maintenance and repair jobs.”

Opinion Research Corporation conducted interviews online with 500 people, 21 years of age or older, who are responsible for the purchasing of fuel and the maintenance and repair of the vehicle they drive. The data was weighted according to gender, age and geographic region. The maximum error range is plus or minus four points at a 95 percent confidence level.

For more information on the survey, e-mail Rich White at rich.white@aftermarket.org or call 301-654-6664.

For more information on tips and advice for simple vehicle maintenance and care to improve gas mileage, visit the Car Care Council Web site at www.carcare.org.