atlaw4u
05-03-2008, 09:50 AM
Unwittingly choosing the wrong tires can hurt gas mileage. Unfortunately, no rating standard exists. (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-garage3-2008may03,0,5514097.story)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/traffic.jpgKen Bensinger - The LA Times - May 3, 2008
William Lowry recently spent $500 to replace the tires on his Toyota Camry hybrid. The salesman said the Goodyear Regatta 2 tires were just as good as the Bridgestone Turanzas that came with the car. But it didn't take long for Lowry to notice that his fuel economy had fallen by five miles a gallon.
"I would have paid more for tires that get better mileage. Instead, I spent extra money for the privilege of spending more money on gas," said Lowry, a UCLA professor, who asked the tire dealer about fuel efficiency and was told all tires were the same.
In fact, when it comes to fuel consumption, not all tires are created equal. According to experts, efficiency can vary by as much as half from tire to tire, and can reduce fuel economy by 10% or more.
Yet consumers are in the dark about tire efficiency. With no standardized rating available, consumers often unwittingly choose tires that hurt fuel economy. Others who upgrade to oversize rims and low-profile tires -- which are known to increase fuel consumption -- may not realize what a price they're paying.
Both California and the federal government have passed laws to label tires by fuel efficiency, but little progress has been made in implementing them. And even as the $34-billion tire industry spends huge sums trying to improve the efficiency of its products, tire makers oppose setting minimum standards that could save billions of gallons of gas.
Adding to the confusion are automakers, which in the face of the tough new fuel economy mandates of 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015 are pushing tire makers to produce more efficient tires yet at the same time are enlarging the size of wheels and tires on their vehicles for reasons of style.
"It's very confusing," said Susan Brown, senior policy advisor at the California Energy Commission, which is slowly implementing a 2003 law that would require tire efficiency labeling and establish an average efficiency standard for aftermarket tires. "With gas the price it is now, you'd think consumers would love to get more-efficient tires."
As tires roll, their shape constantly changes, and energy that could be used to power the car is lost as heat. Factors such as tread pattern, composition, weight, width and height contribute to that energy loss, known as rolling resistance. All told, about 20% of fuel is used to overcome rolling resistance, according to Dean Weeks, technical marketing manager at Michelin, which has marketed low-rolling-resistance tires for 15 years.
Tire efficiency took a leap forward with the advent of radial tires, and since then the use of new compounds and tread patterns has helped even more...http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-garage3-2008may03,0,5514097.story
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/traffic.jpgKen Bensinger - The LA Times - May 3, 2008
William Lowry recently spent $500 to replace the tires on his Toyota Camry hybrid. The salesman said the Goodyear Regatta 2 tires were just as good as the Bridgestone Turanzas that came with the car. But it didn't take long for Lowry to notice that his fuel economy had fallen by five miles a gallon.
"I would have paid more for tires that get better mileage. Instead, I spent extra money for the privilege of spending more money on gas," said Lowry, a UCLA professor, who asked the tire dealer about fuel efficiency and was told all tires were the same.
In fact, when it comes to fuel consumption, not all tires are created equal. According to experts, efficiency can vary by as much as half from tire to tire, and can reduce fuel economy by 10% or more.
Yet consumers are in the dark about tire efficiency. With no standardized rating available, consumers often unwittingly choose tires that hurt fuel economy. Others who upgrade to oversize rims and low-profile tires -- which are known to increase fuel consumption -- may not realize what a price they're paying.
Both California and the federal government have passed laws to label tires by fuel efficiency, but little progress has been made in implementing them. And even as the $34-billion tire industry spends huge sums trying to improve the efficiency of its products, tire makers oppose setting minimum standards that could save billions of gallons of gas.
Adding to the confusion are automakers, which in the face of the tough new fuel economy mandates of 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015 are pushing tire makers to produce more efficient tires yet at the same time are enlarging the size of wheels and tires on their vehicles for reasons of style.
"It's very confusing," said Susan Brown, senior policy advisor at the California Energy Commission, which is slowly implementing a 2003 law that would require tire efficiency labeling and establish an average efficiency standard for aftermarket tires. "With gas the price it is now, you'd think consumers would love to get more-efficient tires."
As tires roll, their shape constantly changes, and energy that could be used to power the car is lost as heat. Factors such as tread pattern, composition, weight, width and height contribute to that energy loss, known as rolling resistance. All told, about 20% of fuel is used to overcome rolling resistance, according to Dean Weeks, technical marketing manager at Michelin, which has marketed low-rolling-resistance tires for 15 years.
Tire efficiency took a leap forward with the advent of radial tires, and since then the use of new compounds and tread patterns has helped even more...http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-garage3-2008may03,0,5514097.story