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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg These round, rubbery tech-wonders don't come cheap. (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/openroad/post/2009/06/68006477/1)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2011_Chevrolet_Volt1.jpgBrent Jones - USATODAY (http://content.usatoday.com) - June 15, 2009

Tires can have a profound effect on FE -- just ask any Insight I driver! --Ed.

The electric revolution in the auto industry - whether it's hybrids or plug-ins - is creating opportunity for a lot more than just battery and power electronics makers. Consider what's happening in the tire industry.

Tiremakers are now trying to come up with the best technologies to go with other automotive features that squeeze every drop out of a gallon of gas. Both Michelin and Goodyear are touting their latest creations aimed at saving gas without sacrificing tread life or stopping distance.

Goodyear's Assurance Fuel Max has been chosen as the tire that will go on General Motors' most long-awaited model, the Chevrolet Volt electric, in the photo at top. Goodyear says the tire has a 65,000-mile tread wear limited warranty while providing 27% less rolling resistance than conventional tires. The tires alone will account for a 4% improvement in highway fuel economy, or 2,600 miles worth of gas over the life of a set of four.

Not to be outdone, Michelin has rolled out the Energy Saver A/S tire that it says is more than 8% more fuel efficient than other tires in... http://content.usatoday.com/communities/openroad/post/2009/06/68006477/1

Football and baseball games were filled with ads from tiremakers touting how they're tires lasted longer or gripped better.Their is a grammatical error in they're! There proofreaders must have gotten laid off!

I love the way they compare the tires to different benchmarks, so we have no way of directly comparing them. :rolleyes: Published RRC ratings would be nice.

Although I am not a real advocate of federal standards or micromanagement, it would be nice to have some unbiased comparisons of rolling resistance, if that were possible.

I would also like to see some requirements for aerodynamic standards for drag.

Both would make cars more efficient.

I realize some just do not like the looks of some cars with good CD numbers, but to me the beauty is in the prupose. Even then some really nice (in my opinion) cars had fairly good aero, like the mid 90s Buick Riviera, which could get fairly decent mileage at reasonable speeds.

The only thing I did not like about my 95 Riv was the darn thing rode so smooth it put me to sleep.

regards
gary

I'm all for NOT having standards or requirements. What I'd like to see is the value published so we can make informed decisions. RRC and aerodynamics, I agree with you.

I'm not in favor of having standards or requirements in terms of specific targets, but I AM for having standards and requirements ... of measurement. We already have them for vehicle FE, and for that matter we already have them for all sorts of tire characteristics including treadwear and wet traction. Why not rolling resistance?

At least the benefits will accrue to those of us still driving vehicles swilling dino juice.