The Tire Industry Association (TIA) is set to hold a special Right to Repair/Electric Vehicle forum on Monday, Oct. 30, the day before the Global Tire Expo/SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The forum will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Melrose 4 at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
“We recognize how important right to repair legislation is to the survival of the independent tire and automotive aftermarket,” said TIA CEO Richard “Dick” Gust. “We understand the challenges electric vehicles are creating for tire and vehicle service shops. What better way to address them than in Las Vegas and the GTE/SEMA Show where industry leaders can delve into these topics, share thoughts and ideas, and hopefully come up with some strategies in dealing with them.”
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In a press release, the association stated that speakers from the TIA and the Specialty Equipment Market Association will lead the right-to-repair discussion, and representatives of the TIA’s Electric Vehicle Advisory Council will lead the EV forum.
The forum will be especially welcome as Massachusetts’ second Right to Repair law, requiring that vehicle manufacturers also share telematics information, recently went into effect in June 2023. The Massachusetts Data Access Law also covers heavy-duty vehicles and motorcycles, as well as those related to autonomous vehicles, EVs, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Meanwhile, the federal Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act waits in a subcommittee.
However, not long after Massachusetts voters approved the second Right to Repair law, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) raised cybersecurity concerns around open access to telematics devices, especially regarding hackers being able to remotely access steering, acceleration, and braking, or disable telematics gateways entirely.
As of Aug. 22, 2023, the NHTSA sent a letter to the Massachusetts Attorney General indicating that manufacturers could safely grant remote access within a limited proximity via Bluetooth, cellular, or Wi-Fi technologies.
These concerns surrounding the right to repair legislation and their relation to the growing EV market are what the TIA’s forum will aim to tackle.
Those who wish to participate should contact TIA VP of Government Affairs Roy Littlefield at 240 544-1265 or by email at [email protected]. Lunch will be served prior to the forum.
