California is proposing new rules for replacement tires, and depending on who you ask, it’s either a brilliant fuel-saving initiative or the beginning of the government’s war on enthusiast cars. As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle. The proposal is real, the potential impacts are real, and the debate is worth having. But before everyone starts panic-buying track tires, let’s break down the reality ahead.

 

The proposal stems from a law California passed back in 2003. That’s right, more than two decades ago. Under that law, the California Energy Commission is tasked with creating a replacement tire program designed to ensure replacement tires sold in the state are, on average, as energy efficient as the original-equipment tires fitted to new vehicles.