a significant portion of the tires currently sold in California will now be forbidden starting in 2029 by a California Energy Commission new rule about rolling resistance (not that any paycheck to paycheck blue collar type asked anyone in Sacramento to outlaw cheap tires) (Thank you Doug!)

The first phase would begin in 2029, which would allow the sale of tires with a maximum rolling resistance level of 9.1 newtons per kilonewton (N/kN). In phase 2, the standard lowers to 7.2 (N/kN) starting in 2033. The commission came up with the standards after testing 537 types of tires. 

The regulations, the commission says, will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2m metric tons per year, equivalent to taking roughly 400,000 gasoline cars off the roads.

 The CEC claims Californians could save $79 in four months in gas or electricity costs under phase 1, and about $153 in phase 2 within seven months. 

 "These regulations are a tool within our authority that can save money for every Californian," said Commissioner Nancy Skinner.

other industry groups and manufacturers objected to the regulations in an April letter, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported, including Goodyear, Yokohama and the California Tire Dealers Association. The letter said the cost of replacement tires would increase by roughly $6 to $10 per tire, with the industry leaders rejecting the state’s arguments that fuel savings would outweigh those costs.

The groups raised concerns about the standards in phase two of the regulations, arguing that the tires mandated under those stricter rules, which would begin in 2033, are “typically priced hundreds of dollars more per set than baseline alternatives”.

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-energy-commission-tire-efficiency-rules/73456508

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/california-tires-energy-efficient-standards.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/19/california-replacement-tires

I'll speculate that this instantly makes soft compound higher traction tires that street racers prefer, illegal in California, and that the sale of these simply transfers to Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon ... because getting them delivered by Summit or Amazon is likely to be a waste of money for anyone who does an annual or semi annual trip to SEMA (who? Me?)

Sure would be interesting if they did something to LOWER the costs of what drivers need.... gas, cars, tires... or FIXED the damn potholes, SMOOTHED the freeways (big grinders that EVEN the surface of the freeways) but UFOs, ghosts, and religions will be proven real, before the city state or federal govt does a single damn thing that pleases a majority of regular people (not the Karens and Carls)