Soft-Top Jeep Wranglers May Soon Be Unavailable in California

CARB, under the "Cool Cars" regulation, wants all new vehicle windows to be glazed over to block the sun's heat, which should reduce the need for air conditioning, which should reduce emissions and save on gas. Since the soft-top Wrangler doesn't have hard side windows, Chrysler can't meet the requirement. The regulations take effect in 2012.

:
California's latest requirement for the auto industry -- advanced window glazing to keep vehicles cooler -- could prevent drivers from making phone calls, listening to satellite radio or using garage door openers.

It also could lead Chrysler Group LLC to stop selling its soft-top convertible Jeep Wrangler in the Golden State. The standard for sunroofs is so tough that automakers warn the glass would have to be "effectively black."

...

The initial standard will cost $111 over the life of a vehicle; the 2016 standard will add $250 to the cost of each vehicle. California says it will take five to 12 years for consumers to recoup the costs from reduced gasoline use.

Air conditioning burns more gasoline and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. California says its regulation will save 700,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2020, which is equivalent to taking 140,000 cars off the road for a year.

The new rule has other benefits, California says. It will keep cars 13 degrees cooler and reduce fading of upholstery and cracking of the dashboard. "This is a common sense and cost-effective measure that will help cool the cars we drive and fight global warning," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board.

The board has acknowledged that the reflective coating on windows can hinder communications, but said antennas are "an alternative already abundantly used."



http://www.detnews.com/article/20091010/AUTO01/910100321/1148/+Cool++car+rules+c%20ould+affect+radios++phones  

that will never happen  

Really? Never say never. The legislature up in Sacramento is totally out-of-control. There's nothing they won't try to legislate. Welcome to the People's Republic of Kalifornia!  

What if Chrysler were to delete the A/C systems from all soft-top Wranglers? Could that possibly exempt them from this requirement?  

This kind of stuff is getting rediculous. Most of us want to help with what we can regaring the enviroment, but to make it illegal to own a Wrangler soft top in California. Makes me glad I live in the other sunshine state.  

Well, I've heard another unintended consequence of this ruling is it will make cell phones and other wireless devices essentially un-usable within the cab. Of course, the ant-cell Nazis would love that. I think you may see the adoption of adapters like Mercedes and some of the higher-end makes are doing that are essentially "docking stations" that connect to an external antenna.