By David Shepardson
June 23 (Reuters) - A group representing major automakers warned on Tuesday that car companies may be forced to halt sales of both new and used vehicles in California on July 1 unless the state delays vehicle technology rules that aim to prevent perpetrators of domestic violence from tracking survivors.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and most other automakers, said unless a legislative proposal is signed into
law by July 1 "there is substantial risk that auto sales in California will be suspended."
The group said automakers are implementing the domestic violence victim protections required under the 2024 law "but compliance with some elements of the law is impossible this year."
California is the single largest U.S. auto market, accounting for about 10% of sales.
The 2024 California law requires automakers to set up a clear process for drivers to submit a copy of a restraining order or other documentation and request termination of another driver's remote access within two business days. It also mandated that carmakers enable drivers to easily turn off location access from inside the vehicle.
Automakers have implemented the law’s online process to seek termination of another person’s access to connected vehicle services.
A bill before the state legislature would extend deadlines for in-vehicle technologies that automakers said require extensive engineering, testing and integration across different makes, models, model years and vehicle systems.
The automaker group urged the bill be approved and signed into law by next week to avoid an impact on auto sales.
A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom declined to comment.
In 2024, legislative analysts cited reporting from Reuters and the New York Times about carmakers which did not help women who alleged they were being targeted by their partners. One woman unsuccessfully sued Tesla, alleging the company failed to act after she repeatedly complained that her husband was stalking and harassing her with the automaker's technology despite a restraining order.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Dan Levine; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Stephen Coates)
