PART 8. Replacement Tires
38600.
For purposes of this part, the following terms have the following meanings:(a) “Commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.
(b) “Cost effective” means the cost savings to the consumer resulting from replacement tire standards equals or exceeds the additional cost to the consumer resulting from the standards, taking into account the expected fuel cost savings over the expected life of the replacement tire.
(c) “Department” means the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
(d) “European Union Stage II standards” means the
Stage II limits contained in European Regulation 661/2009, as it read on January 1, 2018.
(e) “Replacement tire” means a tire sold in the state that is designed to replace a tire sold with a new passenger car or light-duty truck. “Replacement tire” does not include any of the following tires:
(1) A tire or group of tires with the same stock-keeping unit, plant, and year for which the volume of tires produced or imported into the United States is less than 15,000 annually.
(2) A deep-tread, winter-type snow tire, a space-saver tire, or a temporary use spare tire.
(3) A tire with a nominal rim diameter of 12 inches or less.
(4) A motorcycle tire.
(5) A tire manufactured specifically for use in an off-road motorized recreational vehicle.
38601.
On or before December 31, 2019, the state board, after appropriate notice and workshops, shall adopt a regulation implementing a program of statewide applicability to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from the use of replacement tires sold for use on passenger cars and light-duty trucks. The state board shall do all of the following:(a) (1) Adopt standards no less strict than European Union Stage II standards for rolling resistance and wet grip index. The state board also shall consider any national standards that have been adopted in Canada or the United States.
(2) The state board may adopt standards that differ from the European Union Stage II standards as
long as the state standards achieve equivalent or greater greenhouse gas emissions reductions and wet grip traction and are cost-effective.
(b) Seek to maximize consumer cost savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions while avoiding or minimizing any potential for adverse impacts on the average life of replacement tires and state efforts to manage scrap tires pursuant to the California Tire Recycling Act (Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 42860) of Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code).
(c) Consult with the department prior to proposing any greenhouse gas emissions standard. The state board also shall consult with the commission if the commission has issued any energy efficiency standards under Chapter 8.7 (commencing with Section 25770) of Division 15 of the Public Resources Code prior to the issuance of standards by the state board.
(d) Review relevant federal standards and evaluate opportunities to harmonize with existing requirements, including, but not limited to, the ISO 28580 rolling resistance test method established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 17001 et seq.).
(e) Make reasonable efforts to estimate the fuel cost savings for consumers and increased range for plug-in electric vehicles that result from the standards.
(f) Apply the standards adopted pursuant to this section to all replacement tires manufactured 12 months after the effective date of the standards taking effect.
(g) Authorize, if the commission finds that tires used to equip an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in
Section 165 of the Vehicle Code, are unable to meet the standards adopted pursuant to this section, an operator or operators of an authorized emergency vehicle fleet to purchase for those vehicles tires that do not meet the standards.
(h) Review and revise the standards as necessary and in consultation with the commission and the department. The state board shall not revise the standards in a way that results in increased emissions of greenhouse gases.
(i) Determine an appropriate compliance mechanism, including, but not limited to, testing, reporting, and consideration of a passenger vehicle tire database that designates compliant products.
38602.
On or before December 31, 2019, the state board may establish a fuel-efficient passenger vehicle tire incentive program to promote the development of the efficient tire market and the adoption of premium efficient tires in the state. The state board shall do all of the following:(a) Consider various applicable funding sources, including, but not limited to, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code, and federal, regional, and local government funding sources
(b) Establish a pilot program to identify major market barriers to the adoption of highly efficient tires and effective intervention mechanisms followed by the evaluation of and potential
implementation of a full-scale market transformation program in the state.
(c) Address strategies to maximize potential benefits, including, but not limited to, the mitigation of air emissions in disadvantaged communities.
(d) Review rating systems in the European Union, Japan, and South Korea as a possible source of test methods and performance benchmarks for products that exceed minimum standards.
(e) Consider benchmarks related to wet grip traction and waste tire disposal, such as warranties.
(f) Determine an appropriate method for manufacturer certification as well as the verification of manufacturer certifications, including, but not limited to, a potential independent product rating organization.
(g) Consider opportunities to coordinate with existing incentive programs, including, but not limited to, the enhanced fleet modernization program (Article 11 (commencing with Section 44125) of Chapter 5 of Part 5 of Division 26).
(h) Require the program adopted pursuant to this section to have an effective date of no later than December 31, 2020.
38603.
The state board shall evaluate the benefits of implementing a labeling program for replacement tires sold in the state with the intent of the Legislature being that the potential labeling program provide additional greenhouse gas emissions reductions, wet grip benefits, and fuel savings benefits. The state board shall do all of the following:(a) Consider the effectiveness of other labeling programs internationally.
(b) Evaluate whether any federal labeling program that has been adopted provides sufficient benefits without the need for a separate state program, and to consider any actions that could help promote the effectiveness of the federal system in the state.
(c) Make consistent, for test methods used for any tire labeling program adopted by the state board, with the test methods used for mandatory minimum standards established by the state board. The state board shall consider selecting an independent organization to implement and publish these ratings.