New Law Could Halt California Car Sales Next Week, Manufacturers Say

Automakers say they may have to temporarily stop selling new and used vehicles in California when new technology rules aimed at protecting domestic abuse victims take effect in July.In 2024, California enacted SB 1394, a law designed to prevent domestic abusers from using digital services connected to cars to track or harass their victims. The law requires car manufacturers to make it possible for drivers to request the removal of another person’s access to their vehicle’s connected services so they cannot be tracked. It also requires that cars made before 2028 have an in-vehicle mechanism installed to prevent location tracking.The law is set to take effect on July 1. However, a group representing automobile manufacturers such as General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, says the manufacturers will not be able to meet the law’s new requirements by the time it takes effect.In a statement, the director of state affairs for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Curt Augustine, said that absent the passage of a new bill to delay the implementation of SB 1394, there is “substantial risk that auto sales in California will be suspended.”“Automakers are already implementing the domestic violence victim protections required by SB 1394, but compliance with some elements of the law is impossible this year,” Mr. Augustine said. Mr. Augustine said carmakers have already set up the online process for drivers to request that other individuals’ access to their connected vehicle services be terminated, but said the implementation of the devices to disable location services is the main hurdle. The automaker group says the development of vehicles starts roughly seven to eight years before they are on the road, and warns that changes to connected services need to be checked to make sure they do not interfere with GPS, theft prevention, driver assistance, or emergency services systems. It also warned that different makes and models of cars utilize different systems, further complicating efforts to comply with SB 1394. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation is urging the legislature to pass Senate Bill 719, which would push back the deadline by one year, by next week.California is the largest auto market in America, making up roughly 10 percent of sales.

New Law Could Halt California Car Sales Next Week, Manufacturers Say

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