California Energy Commission Approves New Tire Efficiency Regulations to Reduce Costs and Improve Fuel Economy
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has unanimously approved new regulations that will restrict the sale of replacement tires not meeting specific energy efficiency standards. This decision, stemming from a 2003 state law (AB 844), aims to ensure that replacement tires sold in California are, on average, as energy-efficient as those originally equipped on new vehicles. The regulations will be implemented in two phases: the first beginning in 2029, limiting tires to a maximum rolling resistance level of 9.1 newtons per kilonewton (N/kN), and the second phase starting in 2033, lowering the standard to 7.2 N/kN. The CEC conducted tests on 537 types of tires to establish these standards. While the CEC anticipates significant savings for consumers, tire manufacturers, including Goodyear, have expressed concerns about increased costs and the potential elimination of a large percentage of currently available tires from the California market. 
