California Moves First On Replacement Tires
The California Energy Commission voted Monday to create the nation’s first state rules limiting the kind of replacement tires drivers can buy, according to KCRA. The rules focus on energy efficiency, which sounds simple until the government starts deciding what rubber you may put on your own car. The commission said the move is meant to protect consumers. That is a familiar line from agencies that protect people by narrowing choices, raising compliance costs, and then asking everyone to admire the paperwork.
The Standard Is About Rolling Resistance
At issue is rolling resistance, or how much energy a tire uses as it rolls down the road. Lower resistance can mean a car uses less gas or electricity. New cars generally come with efficient tires, but consumers often replace them with higher rolling resistance tires. Phase one starts in 2029 and allows tires with a maximum rolling resistance level of 9.1 newtons per kilonewton (N/kN). Phase two begins in 2033 and drops the standard to 7.2 N/kN. The commission based the rules on tests of 537 types of tires.
The Cost Fight Is Already Underway
Commission staff said replacement tires sold in California should be at least as energy efficient on average as the tires that came with the vehicle when it was first sold. The CEC claims Californians could save $79 in four months in gas or electricity costs under phase one, and about $153 within seven months under phase two. The agency also claimed the price increase would be only $6.50 per tire in the second phase. Bret Gladfelty of Goodyear said the increase would end up being several hundred dollars. So the official estimate and the tire industry estimate are not exactly parked in the same garage.
KCRA Says More Than 70 Percent Would Be Barred
According to KCRA’s analysis, more than 70% of tires would be banned under the new rules. The CEC lists exclusions, including competition tires for motorsports, winter-type snow tires, all-season winter performance tires, used and retreaded tires, deep tread tires, ATV and other off-road tires, large off-road tires for use up to 99 mph, motorcycle tires, temporary spares, small tires with a rim diameter of 13 inches or less, limited production tires, emergency vehicle tires, high load index tires, tires not capable of sustaining speeds over 50 mph, and space saver tires. That is a long exception list, which is usually how regulators reassure the public that the maze is perfectly reasonable.
Nancy Skinner Defends The Rule
Nancy Skinner, a California Energy Commission commissioner and former state senator, supported the new rules. She said, “These regulations are a tool within our authority that can save money for every Californian.” Reporter Ashley Zavala said the CEC used a more than 20-year-old bill to move the tire rules forward and noted that the commission has not regulated tires before. David Hochschild, chairman of the commission, said the rules are “ultimately about protecting consumers.” Californians may soon learn whether protection feels different when it comes with fewer tire choices.
The Spokesperson Did Not Love The Coverage
Zavala later posted that a California Energy Commission spokesperson emailed her and urged her to “consider taking a different tone” with her reporting on the new tire rules. She also wrote that commissioners had not disputed the 70% figure. That little exchange may be the most telling part of the story. When a government agency creates a rule affecting what people can buy, the press is supposed to ask blunt questions. If the answer is a tone memo, the public is allowed to notice.
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