Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday defended California’s controversial new tire rules, insisting the sweeping environmental regulations are a win for residents — even as critics warn they could leave drivers paying more.
Speaking at a press conference in the Bay Area, the Democratic governor touted the rules approved Monday that will phase out replacement tires that fail to meet the state’s new energy-efficiency standards.
The regulations are expected to affect roughly 70% of replacement tires currently on the market, potentially forcing Californians to shell out more for compliant rubber.
Newsom, however, brushed aside the backlash and argued the changes are ultimately good for the Golden State.
“The ROI is pretty good,” Newsom claimed, referring to Democrats’ arguments that the rules, which mandate lower-resistance tires, will translate to cars using less gas or electricity from better mileage.
“Rolling resistance” is how how much energy it takes to keep a tire moving down the road.
“Back to just facts, save a billion dollars a year in fuel,” Newsom said. “You talk about an affordability agenda, that makes some sense to me.”
“It’d be wise to take advantage of new, efficient tires, lower your cost at the pump,” he added. “From a consumer perspective, the savings is self-evident, so I think it was a good choice in that respect.”
A day earlier, his office had trumpeted estimates by the California Energy Commission that the rules will save drivers nearly $1 billion per year in fuel and electricity costs.
Newsom noted that despite all the recent attention, the rulemaking process for the new regulations went on for years. He claimed nearly all but one of the major tire manufacturers were on board, likely referring to Goodyear, which actively led industry opposition.
Other tires manufacturers, such as Michelin, did not oppose the rules but expressed caution over enforcement, testing methods and whether smaller manufacturers could be disadvantaged.
Critics of the ban on high-resistance replacement tires claimed that actual price increases for tires could reach several hundred dollars as the industry scrambles to replace them.
According to the Tire Industry Association, average tire prices could increase from $81 to up to $157. If someone purchased four new tires for his car, the difference could exceed $300 per vehicle.
Republicans have blasted Newsom and fellow Dems for using the affordability argument for the rules. The state has not done anything to address the underlying causes of high gas prices, such as the state’s taxes and environmental regulations demanding certain blends of gasolines, they said.
“See the magic trick? They deliberately make your gas prices more expensive, to compel you to stop driving. Then they use the artificially high cost of fuel to impose further regulations and higher tire costs on you,” former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt said.
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