The battle is heating up over the use of sensor batteries in Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems ‘TPMS, as NHTSA considers comments on the TREAD Act Mandated TPMS Final Ruling, due by July 31 2005.
(PRWEB) November 12, 2004 -- At issue in the TPMS debate, are two different technologies being applied to solve the problem of getting pressure information from wheel mounted sensors, across a rotating boundary to chassis mounted receivers.
The main concern with battery powered RF systems, which utilise Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries to power each wheel sensor, is that all batteries ultimately fail and this exposes the motoring public to the possibility of injury and death through disablement of what must surely be considered a critical safety system.
The VisiTyre technology is very simple" says Phil Cohen, ETVs Technical Director, VisiTyre eliminates the problem of battery failure, by eliminating the battery!"
Batteries are chemical products and as such are raising concerns on another front. In the US there are approximately 16 million new passenger vehicles manufactured annually, which must ultimately comply with the legislative requirements of the TREAD Act and be fitted with TPMS. If each vehicle has five wheels (including spare) fitted with a battery-powered RF TPMS rim module, there will be up to 80 million batteries introduced annually, the toxic elements of which will eventually find their way into the general environment.
VisiTyre is the first practical and cost effective non R F TPMS system to address the safety and environmental concerns of battery use in such a widespread consumer application.
The plethora of identical battery powered systems from Schrader, Beru, SmarTire, Pirelli/TRW, Johnston Controls and LiteOn, could well be sidelined by VisiTyres clever engineering and sophisticated technical thinking, if common sense prevails and the battery systems are ruled out on safety and environmental concerns" commented ETVs Global Business Manager Gregg Eichhorn. This is a real test for NHTSA, which is under the spotlight after the overturning of its first ruling in 2003. They have to get it right this time and it is hard to imagine that they can allow batteries to be utilized in a legally mandated Safety System."
ETV along with many other interested parties, have submitted detailed comments to NHTSA who will consider all submissions received prior to the November 15 2004 deadline. The eyes of the Auto Industry and US Safety Advocate Groups, who successfully challenged the previous ruling, will be firmly on NHTSA to ensure that their safety concerns are being duly considered and reflected in the Final Ruling.
ETV Corporation http://etv.com.au
# # #
|
