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CARB Adopts New Standards for Dune Buggies

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted on July 20 to create a special category to regulate the emissions of dune buggies – a move that saved dune buggy and engine manufacturers the possibility of severe fines and even the closing of their businesses as a result of being out of compliance.
Previously dune buggies were regulated under the “Off-Road Large Spark Ignition” standard, a standard focused on things like forklifts and industrial engines. This standard was problematic for engine and dune buggy manufacturers because of the expensive testing equipment and an overly aggressive durability requirement.
The new sandcar category requires manufacturers to comply only with current Federal EPA standards. For a buggy to fit into the CARB “Sandcar” category it must have an engine greater than one liter. If a buggy has an engine equal to or less than one liter it will be considered an “Off-Road Sport Vehicle” by CARB.
In the future CARB would like to look at enacting regulations for “Sandcars” that are more stringent than the current Federal EPA requirements. The CARB Board stated that they would continue to meet with people in the industry to discuss any possible changes.
CARB worked with a few key individuals in the dune buggy industry, including John Begin of Suspensions Unlimited; Grant George of Funco Motorsports; and by Bill Dart, Land Use Director for the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA).
“CARB normally regulates huge multi-billion dollar industries so it was essential that they understand the sandcar industry has extremely limited resources,” Dart said.

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