California adopts tire efficiency rules, projects $1 billion in annual savings

First phase begins in 2029; stricter phase two standards start in 2033

The California Energy Commission this week unanimously approved regulations making California the first U.S. state to require replacement tires to meet energy efficiency standards. The CEC approved the standards as a major auto industry regulation set to block the sale of older tires and reduce the emissions and fuel costs associated with the replacement tire market.

The first phase of the regulations is scheduled to begin in 2029. The standards require replacement tires to be at least as energy efficient, on average, as tires sold on new vehicles. The commission notes that new cars typically come with low “rolling resistance” tires that allow drivers to travel further per gallon of fuel, while replacement tires can be older and waste more energy, reducing vehicle mileage or, in the case of electric vehicles, range.

The CEC estimates the standards will save California drivers nearly $1 billion per year in gasoline and electricity costs. The commission estimates the regulations will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2 million metric tons annually, equivalent to removing roughly 400,000 gasoline cars from the road.

Bill Magavern, policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air, a California advocacy group that backed the regulations, said the standards would allow motorists to save money while reducing emissions. “California drivers want to save money and want to reduce harmful emissions, so I think Californians will be very pleased by having higher-quality tires on the market,” Magavern said.

Magavern said the state’s ability to adopt the rules without federal approval was particularly significant given the Trump administration’s repeated challenges to California’s green transportation policies. “This will make tires more efficient, reduce emissions that cause air pollution and climate chaos … and save money for drivers who these days are faced with high fuel costs,” he said.

Industry response has been mixed. Michelin, a major tire manufacturer, supported the regulations, saying in a statement that California’s policies aligned with the company’s “holistic approach for reducing the impact of tires at every stage of the life cycle without compromising safety” and that the efficiency goals were “technically feasible.”

But other manufacturers and trade groups objected in an April letter, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Goodyear, Yokohama, and the California Tire Dealers Association signed the letter, which estimated replacement tire costs would increase by roughly $6 to $10 per tire and rejected the state’s argument that fuel savings would outweigh those costs. The letter also raised concerns about phase two of the regulations, arguing that the tires mandated under those stricter rules, which begin in 2033, are “typically priced hundreds of dollars more per set than baseline alternatives.”

Tracey Norberg of the United States Tire Manufacturers Association told the New York Times the regulation was not “ready for primetime.” Some opponents have raised enforcement concerns, suggesting the state could struggle to prevent foreign manufacturers from importing cheaper tires that cut corners on safety.

The CEC’s own estimates put incremental cost increases to consumers at $1.50 per tire in phase one and $6.50 per tire in phase two. The commission estimates that a typical gasoline car with more efficient tires would save $179 on gasoline over the life of the tires, roughly seven times the incremental costs. Given high gasoline prices this year stemming from the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, the CEC said those savings could be 25% higher than estimated.

The regulations drew swift criticism from conservative media and political figures. The California Post, a conservative news outlet, called the standards a “massive regulatory overreach.” Spencer Pratt, a former Republican and reality TV star who ran for Los Angeles mayor, also criticized the policy.

The rules cap a regulatory process that began more than two decades ago. State legislators passed a bill in 2003 requiring tire standards, but the state paused work on writing rules as it waited for the federal government to adopt similar regulations, which it did not. Magavern said other states have expressed interest in passing similar regulations but were waiting for California, which as the fourth-largest economy in the world can have a significant impact on the market.

The new rules arrive as the Trump administration has taken multiple legal actions against California’s transportation policies. The administration has sued California cities to block laws restricting fossil fuels, blocked the state’s first-in-the-nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, and filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s clean car rules.