California’s new tire efficiency rules could save drivers $1B a year

The California Energy Commission unanimously approved the nation's first tire efficiency standards, aiming to make replacement tires as efficient as the low rolling resistance tires automakers install on new vehicles. The rule also creates a leaf-rating labeling system, though manufacturers can choose not to display it, leaving consumers to check a state database instead.

The commission projects $1 billion in annual driver savings and a 2 million ton reduction in annual carbon dioxide emissions, framed as equivalent to removing 400,000 cars from the road. Standards phase in starting 2029 and tighten in 2033, with exemptions for snow tires, competition tires, and — for now — all-weather tires.

Estimates of the added cost per tire set range from the commission's $6 to $26 up to $365.20 according to a consultant cited by the auto parts industry group SEMA, which warns of burdens on working-class families. Supporters, including Michelin, say the thresholds are technically feasible within the timeline, while critics call the delayed rollout and exemptions a watered-down version of what was proposed in 2003.

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