California passes tyre efficiency law

In California, car tyres fitted as OE have to conform to federal fuel economy standards. However, the state argues that this should also apply to replacement tyres and has passed a law requiring the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop efficiency standards, measured by rolling resistance. These standards will be in place by July 2007 and take effect a year later. Individual tyres will not have to be labelled, but retail stores will have to display efficiency lists.

The authorities say that tyres offered for the replacement market are often less energy efficient that their OE cousins and, for the few that are as energy efficient, there is no way that the consumer can tell, hence the new requirements.

A study by the CEC says that energy-efficient tyres could save Californians around 300 million gallons of fuel a year and, although such tyres tend to cost more, the study suggests that the average driver could recoup the extra expense in fuel savings over the course of one year. A set of four fuel-efficient tyres cost between $5 and $12 more than “conventional” replacement tyres but would reduce fuel consumption by 1.5 to 4.5 per cent, saving a driver $50 to $150 over a 50,000-mile life of the tyres.

State-wide, consumers would save more than $470 million annually at current retail prices, or approximately $1.4 billion over a three-year lifetime of the tyres.