New rules will restrict sale of less-efficient replacement tires beginning in 2029 as state projects nearly $1 billion in annual savings; industry raises concerns over costs and consumer choice
California has become the first state in the nation to adopt energy-efficiency standards for replacement tires, approving new regulations that will eventually determine which passenger vehicle and light-duty truck tires can legally be sold in the state.
The California Energy Commission unanimously approved the Replacement Tire Efficiency Program on Monday, Aug. 17, establishing minimum efficiency and wet-road performance requirements for replacement tires. The first phase takes effect in 2029, with more stringent standards beginning in 2033.
The regulations focus on rolling resistance, which measures the energy a vehicle must use to overcome the resistance created as its tires roll along the pavement. Lower rolling resistance can improve gasoline mileage and extend the driving range of electric vehicles.
State regulators say many drivers can unknowingly lose some of their vehicle’s original efficiency when replacing factory-installed tires. Tires installed by automakers on new vehicles are typically engineered to meet relatively high efficiency standards, while replacement tires sold later can have greater rolling resistance, increasing gasoline or electricity consumption over the life of the tires.
The Energy Commission projects the new standards will eventually save Californians approximately $1 billion annually in gasoline and electricity costs while reducing pollution and extending vehicle range.
The rules will affect tire manufacturers, distributors and retailers rather than requiring motorists to replace tires already on their vehicles. Covered replacement tires manufactured after the applicable compliance dates will have to meet the standards and comply with the state’s certification requirements to legally be sold in California.
The regulations will roll out in two major phases. Phase 1 begins in 2029 and establishes an initial maximum rolling-resistance level for covered replacement tires. Phase 2 takes effect in 2033 and imposes a more stringent efficiency requirement.
The regulations also include minimum wet-grip requirements designed to ensure that reducing rolling resistance does not come at the expense of braking performance and safety on wet pavement.
California officials estimate the first phase will increase the cost of a compliant tire by approximately $1.50, or about $6 for a set of four.
For a typical gasoline-powered passenger car or SUV, the state estimates the more efficient tires could save approximately $85 in fuel during the typical four-year life of a set. After accounting for the estimated $6 additional cost, regulators project a net savings of approximately $79.
Under the more stringent standards taking effect in 2033, the Energy Commission estimates additional costs of approximately $6.50 per tire, or $26 for a set of four.
The state projects those tires could save a typical gasoline vehicle owner approximately $179 in fuel over four years, producing a net savings of approximately $153 after the higher purchase cost is taken into account. The calculations assume gasoline costs of approximately $4.60 per gallon.
Statewide, regulators project the program will eventually reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2 million metric tons annually, an amount the commission compares to removing roughly 400,000 gasoline-powered vehicles from California roads.
While the standards were approved this week, the policy behind them dates back more than two decades.
Assembly Bill 844, signed into law in 2003, directed the California Energy Commission to develop a replacement tire efficiency program designed to ensure replacement tires sold in the state are, on average, at least as energy efficient as original-equipment tires installed on new passenger cars and light-duty trucks.
More than 20 years passed between that legislative directive and adoption of the final standards. The commission says the rulemaking included years of research, laboratory testing of hundreds of replacement tire models and consultation with manufacturers, industry organizations, consumer advocates and other stakeholders.
California’s action puts the state ahead of the federal government when it comes to minimum replacement-tire efficiency standards. While federal law has called for consumer information regarding tire fuel efficiency, comparable nationwide minimum efficiency requirements for replacement tires have not been implemented.
The regulations have generated concerns within portions of the tire industry, particularly over whether California is underestimating the cost manufacturers will face to redesign products and whether the requirements could reduce the number of tire choices available to consumers.
Goodyear representatives have told regulators that approximately 70% of replacement tires currently sold in California would fail to meet the state’s stricter 2033 efficiency standard if today’s product lineup remained unchanged.
That figure does not mean 70% of today’s tires will automatically disappear from California stores in 2033. Manufacturers have several years to redesign tires, change compounds or construction, introduce new models or discontinue products that cannot economically be brought into compliance. It does, however, illustrate the potential scale of the changes that could take place in California’s replacement tire market.
The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association has participated in the rulemaking process and supported extending the compliance timeline while raising technical and implementation concerns. The industry group has also urged regulators to review results from the first phase before the more stringent second phase takes effect.
Michelin North America has taken a more supportive position, indicating to regulators that the efficiency goals and thresholds are technically achievable within the timelines established by the state and can be pursued without compromising other tire performance characteristics important to consumers.
Not every replacement tire will be subject to the new standards.
The regulations contain exemptions for several specialty categories, including certain snow and winter tires, competition tires, motorcycle tires, ATV and off-road tires, temporary spare tires, used and retreaded tires, certain deep-tread tires and tires intended for emergency vehicles. Limited-production tires can also qualify for exemptions under specified circumstances.
For California motorists, the practical effect will not be immediate. Tires already installed on vehicles will not become illegal, and drivers will not be required to replace existing tires because of the new regulations.
Instead, the rules will gradually change the inventory consumers encounter when they shop for replacement tires.
Beginning with the first phase in 2029, covered newly manufactured replacement tires will have to satisfy California’s minimum standards to remain eligible for sale. When the tougher second phase arrives in 2033, manufacturers whose products do not meet the new threshold will have to modify those tires or remove them from the California market.
The ultimate effect on prices and selection will therefore depend largely on how tire manufacturers respond during the years before the standards take effect. State regulators maintain that compliant technology already exists and that the long implementation period gives manufacturers time to adjust, while industry representatives contend the transition could be more costly and disruptive than the state’s projections suggest.
For consumers, the result is a regulation they are unlikely to notice immediately but one that could significantly reshape what is available the next time they shop for tires later this decade.
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