Grip no longer to be gotten
At least, not in California, if this proposal goes through:
The [California Energy Commission] is looking at a rating system for the rolling resistance of passenger and light truck tires sold or available for sale in California.
The CEC proposed a rating system for passenger and LT tires in which all tires of the same size and load index be ranked against each other from lowest to highest Rolling Resistance Force (RRF), i.e., most efficent to least efficient. “All tires with an RRF within 15% of the lowest RRF reported tire for that combined tire size designation and load rating will be rated ‘fuel efficient tire’,” suggests the CEC.
Which is not so bad an idea, except for one minor detail: tires with low rolling resistance have less actual road grip, pretty much by definition.
If enacted, though, this system will simplify buying for people who shop for performance tires online at places like the Tire Rack: all else being equal, you should choose the tire that does worst on the California test.
(Via Autoblog.)
Dick Stanley »
13 June 2009 · 12:35 pm
That works with a lot of things–especially with the Californicators going bankrupt.