Newsom Forces CA Drivers to Buy More Expensive Tires to Fight “Climate Change”

California’s endless assault on consumer choice and individual liberty has reached a new level of regulatory absurdity. The Golden State has now become the first in the nation to adopt “energy efficiency” standards for replacement automobile tires – and it could cost drivers hundreds of dollars extra.

That’s the upshot of a new regulation just rolled out by Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration. Beginning in 2029, new replacement tires sold in the state will be required to meet a standard for “rolling resistance.” In effect, that’s a measure of how much tires “squish” as a car moves down the road. The standard gets stricter in 2033.

The regulation does not apply to the original tires on a car or used tires, but only to new replacement tires.

The rolling resistance requirement is just the latest car-related regulation in America’s most populous state. As The New York Times notes, “California already has strict rules on how much pollution vehicles can release through exhaust pipes, how many toxic metals that brake pads can shed onto streets, and how quickly carmakers must transition to electric fleets.”

All of these onerous requirements have been adopted in the name of combatting “climate change.” As Fox 11 explains, “Lower rolling resistance means a vehicle requires less energy to move. For gasoline-powered vehicles, that can mean using less fuel.”

The California Energy Commission (CEC) says the rule will “reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 2.0 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2035.” But it also acknowledges that this reduction is only “1.9 percent of California’s [emissions].”

That 1.9 percent reduction may come at a steep cost for drivers. According to Fox 11, four standard tires currently cost between $280 and $600. But tires that meet the new rolling resistance requirement cost between $480 and $1,000.

Lower rolling resistance tires can also be more dangerous since they can take longer to stop.

Newsom and California Democrats know that being “eco-friendly” isn’t enough to placate residents already suffering under one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. So, they’re trying to sell it as a “win-win” that will save drivers money “in the long run.”

CEC officials argue drivers will save “about $179 (2024 dollars) in fuel costs over the typical four-year life of a set of tires.” This adds up to around $1 billion annually across the state.

But even if that is the case, drivers will also have dramatically fewer choices, which could drive prices even higher and offset any potential savings. State energy commissioner Nancy Skinner reported that “only about 30 percent of tires meet the 2033 standards,” according to a Times paraphrase of her comments. The CEC denies that 70 percent of tires will be removed from the market but admitted to ABC 10 that it does not have its “own estimate on how many tires could be affected.”

Dunlop Tires North America confirmed consumers will have fewer options. “The biggest one is going to be reduced competition because you will not have as many manufacturers, importers, distributors selling as many products,” CEO Darren Thomas said during a recent webinar. “When the supply goes down and the demand stays stable, prices go up.” He predicted an increased tire cost of 15 to 20 percent.

Goodyear Tires also said prices will increase. “The sudden rush to pass this regulation as drafted will hurt consumers, drive up costs, and simply flood the state with used tires,” a spokesman told media outlets.

Mechanics, who surely know more about tires and car repair costs than bureaucrats in Sacramento, also sounded the alarm. “The technology to build those tires is a lot higher, so it will hurt every consumer,” one mechanic told ABC 10. “We will absorb the minimum what we can, but everything will go down to the consumer,” another said.

If Newsom and California Democrats really want to save drivers money, there are much easier ways to do so than restricting what kind of tires people can put on their cars.

A good start would be reducing California’s astronomical gas tax, the highest in the nation at 73.6 cents per gallon.

If Newsom actually cared about saving drivers money, he would also end his regulatory war on fossil fuels that is likewise making gasoline more expensive. Refineries are shutting down and new environmental regulations in the works may drive even more out of the Golden State, as AMAC Newsline previously reported.

But instead of acknowledging the harms of government overregulation and putting climate change ahead of consumers, Newsom’s administration has decided to make tire manufacturers the real villain of the story. Once again, it will be California residents who end up paying the price.