Overview
- The California Energy Commission, which voted Monday, unanimously adopted the Replacement Tire Efficiency Program with a first rolling-resistance cap taking effect in 2029 and a stricter cap in 2033.
- Rolling resistance measures the energy a tire loses as it deforms while rolling; lower rolling resistance improves gasoline mileage and electric vehicle range and is the basis for the new numeric limits.
- The CEC projects about $1 billion a year in driver fuel and electricity savings and roughly 2 million metric tons of annual CO2 reductions, equivalent to removing about 400,000 cars from the road.
- Major tire makers and trade groups say the rule could raise upfront prices, shrink the number of available models and be hard to enforce for imports, producing cost estimates far higher than the CEC’s analysis.
- The regulation includes targeted carve-outs for winter, competition, motorcycle and retreaded tires, and the commission plans lab testing and retailer checks for enforcement while observers expect California’s market size will push other states and manufacturers to follow.