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05-08-2008, 09:13 AM
KEN BENSINGER; Los Angeles Times
Published: May 8th, 2008 01:00 AM | Updated: May 8th, 2008 07:36 AM
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 dipped by five miles per 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.
That’s not true. Experts say efficiency can vary by as much as half from tire to tire, and can reduce fuel economy by 10 percent 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 oversized rims and low-profile tires – which are known to increase fuel consumption – may not realize what a price they’re paying.
The federal government has passed a law to label tires by fuel efficiency, but little progress has been made in implementing such labels. 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 wheels and tires for reasons of style.
“It’s very confusing,” said Susan Brown, senior policy adviser 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.
As tires roll, their shape constantly changes, and energy that could be used to power the car is lost as heat. Tread pattern, composition, weight, width and height contribute to that energy loss, known as “rolling resistance.” All told, about 20 percent of fuel is used to overcome this rolling resistance, says Dean Weeks, technical marketing manager at Michelin.
Tire makers supported the 2003 California law calling for a fuel-economy labeling system. They backed a similar provision in the federal energy bill passed in December that would create a national labeling system.
Such labeling is unlikely to roll out before 2010. In the meantime, there’s generally no way consumers can discern what a tire’s fuel efficiency is. Even dealers often don’t know.
TIRE TIPS
• Keep tires properly inflated. Low air pressure, more than any other factor, sucks up gas.
• When replacing tires, consider purchasing the same brand and model that came as original equipment on your car. Manufacturers generally choose tires to be as efficient as possible.
• If you live in a dry climate, don’t buy rain tires. Water-shedding or off-road tread patterns often burn more fuel.
• Don’t pimp your ride. On average, bigger rims weigh more, and the low-profile tires they use create more friction because they’re wider.
• Don’t replace tires too early. Worn tires are actually more fuel-efficient than brand-new ones. Wait to replace until there is 2/32 inch of tread left.
• Skip the nitrogen. The jury is still out on whether filling tires with nitrogen rather than air improves mileage or tire wear. In the meantime, the extra expense might not be worth it.
Los Angeles Times
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/story/355058.html
Published: May 8th, 2008 01:00 AM | Updated: May 8th, 2008 07:36 AM
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 dipped by five miles per 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.
That’s not true. Experts say efficiency can vary by as much as half from tire to tire, and can reduce fuel economy by 10 percent 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 oversized rims and low-profile tires – which are known to increase fuel consumption – may not realize what a price they’re paying.
The federal government has passed a law to label tires by fuel efficiency, but little progress has been made in implementing such labels. 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 wheels and tires for reasons of style.
“It’s very confusing,” said Susan Brown, senior policy adviser 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.
As tires roll, their shape constantly changes, and energy that could be used to power the car is lost as heat. Tread pattern, composition, weight, width and height contribute to that energy loss, known as “rolling resistance.” All told, about 20 percent of fuel is used to overcome this rolling resistance, says Dean Weeks, technical marketing manager at Michelin.
Tire makers supported the 2003 California law calling for a fuel-economy labeling system. They backed a similar provision in the federal energy bill passed in December that would create a national labeling system.
Such labeling is unlikely to roll out before 2010. In the meantime, there’s generally no way consumers can discern what a tire’s fuel efficiency is. Even dealers often don’t know.
TIRE TIPS
• Keep tires properly inflated. Low air pressure, more than any other factor, sucks up gas.
• When replacing tires, consider purchasing the same brand and model that came as original equipment on your car. Manufacturers generally choose tires to be as efficient as possible.
• If you live in a dry climate, don’t buy rain tires. Water-shedding or off-road tread patterns often burn more fuel.
• Don’t pimp your ride. On average, bigger rims weigh more, and the low-profile tires they use create more friction because they’re wider.
• Don’t replace tires too early. Worn tires are actually more fuel-efficient than brand-new ones. Wait to replace until there is 2/32 inch of tread left.
• Skip the nitrogen. The jury is still out on whether filling tires with nitrogen rather than air improves mileage or tire wear. In the meantime, the extra expense might not be worth it.
Los Angeles Times
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/story/355058.html