California this week set new environmental standards that will ban the sale of 70% of the tires now on the market in the next few years, prompting warnings about cost and safety.
The California Energy Commission unanimously approved a new regulation making it the first state requiring consumers to buy tires that meet strict energy efficiency standards.
New tires sold in the state for cars and light trucks will have to match the “rolling resistance” of firmer tires mounted on new vehicles.
The firmer tires increase gas mileage, reduce pollution and save money, state regulators said, but critics are shredding the plan.
Goodyear and Yokohama tire companies, along with several automotive and tire trade associations, warned the new rule would increase the price of a single set of replacement tires by hundreds of dollars. They also warned the more energy-efficient, firmer tires may be less safe in some driving conditions and will wear out more quickly.
“Reductions in rolling resistance can directly affect traction and braking characteristics, particularly under varied driving conditions, raising legitimate safety concerns that were not meaningfully evaluated in the Commission’s Draft Framework of California’s Replacement Tire Efficiency Program,” the group wrote to regulators earlier this year.
Despite the warnings, all five members of the California Energy Commission voted this week to phase in the new tire rule beginning in 2029 and require full implementation by 2033.
“This action will help Californians save approximately $1 billion a year on refueling while reducing pollution and extending the range of vehicles on the road,” Commission Chairman David Hochschild said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is seen as a likely presidential candidate in 2028, scrambled to defend the tire rule amid accusations that it served as another example of Democratic-led regulatory overreach that stifles the state’s economy and burns consumers.
The state already makes driving extremely expensive via taxes, mandates for cleaner-burning fuel and refinery restrictions. The cost of gasoline in California this week is about $5.60 per gallon, the highest in the nation.
“California has the highest gas prices in America. Sacramento’s solution is to … regulate your tires,” Rep. James Gallagher, California Republican, posted on X, “Here’s my radical idea: CUT THE DAMN GAS TAX!”
Mr. Newsom dismissed the backlash, arguing consumers will save money at the pump and pointing out that tire giant Michelin and other tire makers back the new rule.
“The return on investment is pretty good. Save a billion dollars a year in fuel. You talk about an affordability agenda, that makes sense to me,” he told Bay Area reporters.
State regulators calculated the new rule would cost consumers only an extra $6 to $11 per replacement tire and save drivers $179 in fuel costs over the average four-year lifespan of a set of tires.
Goodyear and other industry opponents said the state’s projected savings don’t reflect reality.
Tires that meet the new rolling resistance standards, they said, would typically cost hundreds of dollars more per set than alternatives that would be banned under the new rule.
“When realistic market-based tire pricing is applied, the projected fuel savings are insufficient to offset the increased purchase costs within the expected life of the tires. In many cases, consumers will never recover the additional upfront expense,” they wrote to the energy commission.
While the commission and Mr. Newsom are promoting what they call cost savings, the new tire rule is primarily aimed at advancing the state’s anti-fossil fuel agenda.
According to the California Energy Commission, requiring the firmer tires will cut the state’s CO2 emissions by 2 million metric tons per year, or the equivalent of taking 400,000 gas-powered cars off California roads. The new tires would cut the state’s annual energy demand by 141 million gallons.
The new rule makes exceptions for tires used in motorsports, plus snow tires, all-season winter performance tires, used and retreaded tires and other specialty tires.
Kerry Jackson, a research fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, said the tire rule will narrow choices for consumers and may open the door to other restrictions on cars and light trucks.
“Tires might be the target today, but tomorrow any number of automobile parts and features could catch the attention of California’s regulatory blob,” he said.
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