We all know that California loves its rules. People who live there will often tell you it’s the government’s vigilance about keeping the Golden State free(r) from pollution, waste, and whatnot is worth the higher taxes they pay.
Some won’t and they move to Texas or Nevada.
However, the California Energy Commission’s newest rule may be just too much. The agency voted unanimously this week to mandate rules that require replacement tires to meet new rolling resistance metrics for replacement tires. The move is designed, according to officials, to consumers money through improved fuel efficiency. They claim savings of $1 billion annually.
The standards will also reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2 million metric tons per year, equivalent to taking approximately 400,000 gasoline cars off California roads. The new rules will be applied in two steps. Phase 1 runs from 2029 to 2033 with the more stringent Phase 2 taking over after that.
Yes. These new rules will add to the cost of tire replacement, but only $1.50 per tire during Phase 1 and $6.50 per tire during Phase 2, officials claim. A typical driver of a gasoline car with more efficient tires will save $179 of gasoline over the life of a set of tires. So the question for the day … is this a step too far? Tell us what you think.
[Images: Goodyear, California Energy Commission]
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