Before we issue a certificate of conformity, you may amend your application to include new or modified configurations, subject to the provisions of this section. After we have issued your certificate of conformity, you may send us an amended application requesting that we include new or modified configurations within the scope of the certificate, subject to the provisions of this section. You must amend your application if any changes occur with respect to any information included in your application.
(a) You must amend your application before you take any of the following actions:
(1) Add a configuration to an emission family. In this case, the configuration added must be consistent with other configurations in the emission family with respect to the criteria listed in § 1060.230.
(2) Change a configuration already included in an emission family in a way that may affect emissions, or change any of the components you described in your application for certification. This includes production and design changes that may affect emissions any time during the equipment's lifetime.
(3) Modify an FEL for an emission family as described in paragraph (f) of this section. Note however that component manufacturers may not modify an FEL for their products unless they submit a separate application for a new emission family.
(b) To amend your application for certification, send the following relevant information to the Designated Compliance Officer.
(1) Describe in detail the addition or change in the configuration you intend to make.
(2) Include engineering evaluations or data showing that the amended emission family complies with all applicable requirements in this part. You may do this by showing that the original emission data are still appropriate for showing that the amended family complies with all applicable requirements in this part.
(3) If the original emission data for the emission family are not appropriate to show compliance for the new or modified configuration, include new test data showing that the new or modified configuration meets the requirements of this part.
(4) Include any other information needed to make your application correct and complete.
(c) We may ask for more test data or engineering evaluations. Within 30 days after we make our request, you must provide the information or describe your plan for providing it in a timely manner.
(d) For emission families already covered by a certificate of conformity, we will determine whether the existing certificate of conformity covers your new or modified configuration. You may ask for a hearing if we deny your request (see § 1060.820).
(e) For emission families already covered by a certificate of conformity, you may start producing the new or modified configuration anytime after you send us your amended application and before we make a decision under paragraph (d) of this section. However, if we determine that the affected configurations do not meet applicable requirements, we will notify you to cease production of the configurations and may require you to recall the equipment at no expense to the owner. Choosing to produce equipment under this paragraph (e) is deemed to be consent to recall all equipment that we determine do not meet applicable emission standards or other requirements and to remedy the nonconformity at no expense to the owner. If you do not provide information we request under paragraph (c) of this section within 30 days after we request it, you must stop producing the new or modified equipment.
(f) If you hold a certificate of conformity for equipment and you have certified the fuel tank that you install in the equipment, you may ask us to approve a change to your FEL after the start of production. The changed FEL may not apply to equipment you have already introduced into U.S. commerce, except as described in this paragraph (f). If we approve a changed FEL after the start of production, you must identify the date or serial number for applying the new FEL. If you identify this by month and year, we will consider that a lowered FEL applies on the last day of the month and a raised FEL applies on the first day of the month. You may ask us to approve a change to your FEL in the following cases:
(1) You may ask to raise your FEL for your emission family at any time. In your request, you must show that you will still be able to meet the emission standards as specified in the exhaust standard-setting part. If you amend your application by submitting new test data to include a newly added or modified fuel tank configuration, as described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, use the appropriate FELs with corresponding production volumes to calculate your production-weighted average FEL for the model year. In all other circumstances, you must use the higher FEL for the entire family to calculate your production-weighted average FEL under subpart H of this part.
(2) You may ask to lower the FEL for your emission family only if you have test data from production units showing that emissions are below the proposed lower FEL. The lower FEL applies only for units you produce after we approve the new FEL. Use the appropriate FELs with corresponding production volumes to calculate your production-weighted average FEL for the model year.
(g) You may produce equipment or components as described in your amended application for certification and consider those equipment or components to be in a certified configuration if we approve a new or modified configuration during the model year or production period under paragraph (d) of this section. Similarly, you may modify in-use products as described in your amended application for certification and consider those products to be in a certified configuration if we approve a new or modified configuration at any time under paragraph (d) of this section. Modifying a new or in-use product to be in a certified configuration does not violate the tampering prohibition of 40 CFR 1068.101(b)(1), as long as this does not involve changing to a certified configuration with a higher family emission limit.
(h) Component manufacturers may not change an emission family's FEL under any circumstances. Changing the FEL would require submission of a new application for certification.
[73 FR 59298, Oct. 8, 2008, as amended at 86 FR 34529, June 29, 2021]