When you gave the regulators EXACTLY what they asked for and nothing more

Lowell commented on the Copper Toxicity post:

"Switching to another polymer would force EPA emissions recertification of every vehicle line."

So was the problem really a lack of a material, or a government regulation? 

In the current environment, it is not enough to meet the written letter of the regulations.

In one instance, the test (which specifies that it is to be run on a dynamometer) passed with flying colors. The vehicle also proved to be suprisingly peppy and responsive on public roads in the hands of the consumers.

The customers LOVED it.

One of the calibration "coders" noticed that the powertrain control module knew if the hood was up or if it was closed and the primary latch was engaged. The calibration may have accidentally installed two sets of software, one to run when the hood is up...like when it is on a dynamometer, and another set of software to run when the hood was closed.

Some busybody within the organization ratted out the quirk to the EPA and the SHTF.

In another case, VW calibration engineers noted that the European emissions test had a rigorously defined "path" and that there were no wide-open accelerations anywhere in it. From there, it was observed that if the customer had a sudden need for speed...say while passing somebody on a twisting, two-lane road, it would be really spiffy if the exhaust-gas recirculation was shut-off and the injection volume deviated from the Euro-emissions map.

From there, it was a few short steps to the realization that there are very few labs that are certified to perform EU emissions testing and the vehicles, by that point, all had GPS. And by the letter of the law, the data validating compliance to EU emissions regulations had to be collected at the certified labs.

That clever bit of engineering and careful reading of the regulations ended up in a massive recall...even though the vehicles met the law as-written. 

Clearly, my sympathies are with the manufacturers. Regulators have to actually request what they want otherwise it becomes an endless guessing game and countless Mother-May-I requests.

Secondary containers

Mrs ERJ was taken aback by my choice of water bottles.

She suggested that I label them in case I get stopped by the local police while traveling to one of my off-site workplaces.

That seemed like a good idea.