California legislation that requires state regulators to develop a tire fuel efficiency program for passenger car and light truck replacement tires was signed into law. A SEMA-drafted provision is included in the new law. The SEMA provision exempts limited production tires (15,000 or less annually), deep tread snow tires, limited-use spares, motorcycle tires and tires manufactured for use on off-road vehicles from the scope of the law and subsequent regulation. According to the law’s sponsors, the program will be designed to ensure that replacement tires are at least as energy efficient, on average, as tires sold as original equipment and will include a replacement tire rating system.
