California Wants Your Next Set of Tires to Save Fuel. But at What Cost?

I'm Ken Chester.

Let me ask you a question.

Has California finally gone too far? Now, wait a minute.

Before you just say yes just because, let me explain.

I mean, you can make a case for that with a lot of things that go on in the Golden State.

But in this case, I'm talking about tires.

Not any specialty or rare type of tires, but good old replacement tires for your personal vehicle.

It may seem to some that California is overreached again.

You may have heard something about this.

And I am basing what I know based on an article in the Car Collective.

They have a sub stack.

I know the writers.

Some of them are longtime automotive journalists, personal friends of mine.

But I want to get this and then maybe back up and we'll approach this.

If you're not aware why California is often so special when it comes to pollution and pollution control and why they seem to be so, if you will allow me, anal about it.

If you had lived in California in the 1960s, you would see the level of pollution, particularly in Los Angeles, which is kind of like a bowl.

The smog was ridiculous.

Health quality outcomes were awful.

When the federal government passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, particularly when it came to regulating automotive exhaust, they gave California an exemption.

California could have stricter requirements than the rest of the country, and for many years.

automakers had to build 49 plus one.

In other words, they built controls, emission controls for 49 states and then more stringent controls just for California.

And the reason why I'm giving you this kind of background is what we're getting to now.

California has always been a bit more touchy when it comes to consumer rights, when it comes to air quality and things like that.

Here's what we've got.

I'm Ken Chester.

Let me ask you a question.

Has California finally gone too far? Now, wait a minute.

Before you just say yes just because, let me explain.

I mean, you can make a case for that with a lot of things that go on in the Golden State.

But in this case, I'm talking about tires.

Not any specialty or rare type of tires, but good old replacement tires for your personal vehicle.

It may seem to some that California is overreached again.

You may have heard something about this.

And I am basing what I know based on an article in the Car Collective.

They have a sub stack.

I know the writers.

Some of them are longtime automotive journalists, personal friends of mine.

But I want to get this and then maybe back up and we'll approach this.

If you're not aware why California is often so special when it comes to pollution and pollution control and why they seem to be so, if you will allow me, anal about it.

If you had lived in California in the 1960s, you would see the level of pollution, particularly in Los Angeles, which is kind of like a bowl.

The smog was ridiculous.

Health quality outcomes were awful.

When the federal government passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, particularly when it came to regulating automotive exhaust, they gave California an exemption.

California could have stricter requirements than the rest of the country, and for many years.

automakers had to build 49 plus one.

In other words, they built controls, emission controls for 49 states and then more stringent controls just for California.

And the reason why I'm giving you this kind of background is what we're getting to now.

California has always been a bit more touchy when it comes to consumer rights, when it comes to air quality and things like that.

Here's what we've got.