Date of manufacture
Date of manufacture means the date on which the certifying vehicle manufacturer completes its manufacturing operations, except as follows:
(1) Where the certificate holder is an engine manufacturer that does not manufacture the complete or incomplete vehicle, the date of manufacture of the vehicle is based on the date assembly of the vehicle is completed.
(2) EPA and NHTSA may approve an alternate date of manufacture based on the date on which the certifying (or primary) vehicle manufacturer completes assembly at the place of main assembly, consistent with the provisions of 40 CFR 1037.601 and 49 CFR 567.4.
(3) A vehicle manufacturer that completes assembly of a vehicle at two or more facilities may ask to use as the month and year of manufacture, for that vehicle, the month and year in which manufacturing is completed at the place of main assembly, consistent with provisions of 49 CFR 567.4, as the model year. Note that such staged assembly is subject to the provisions of 40 CFR 1068.260(c). NHTSA's allowance of this provision is effective when EPA approves the manufacturer's certificates of conformity for these vehicles.