24 Jun 2005
Washington DC--Repeating his actions of two years ago, Sen. Charles Schumer, (Democrat for N.Y.), is offering an amendment on the Senate floor to the Senate version of the energy bill to create a "National Tire Fuel Efficiency Program."
As with the California state bill passed two years ago, the Schumer amendment would set a minimum fuel economy standard for replacement tyres at least equal to the average fuel economy of original equipment tyres, as long as the standard was technically feasible and wouldn't affect either safety or tread-life.
The Rubber Manufacturers Association, which already is fighting a tyre fuel efficiency measure in Massachusetts, opposes the Schumer amendment. "Lowering a tire's rolling resistance results in tire performance trade-offs that include less tread-life and decreased traction performance," the RMA said in a press release.
The House of Representatives passed an energy bill last April that does not include a fuel efficiency amendment, and the energy package will have to go to conference once the Senate finishes work on it.
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