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California's New Tire Regulations Could Cost Drivers More Than They Bargained For

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  The state of California has found yet another way to regulate what we do with our vehicles. This time it involves something every car owner eventually has to buy and that is tires. The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a new Replacement Tire Efficiency Program that will change which replacement tires can legally be sold in the state. While regulators say the goal is to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and save consumers money, industry professionals say that it will most likely have the opposite effect.  The regulation raises some legitimate questions about affordability, consumer choice and whether the government should really be deciding what type of tires people can purchase.   california-tire-regulations     The new regulation focuses on something called rolling resistance, which is essentially the amount of energy a tire consumes as it rolls down the road. Tires with lower rolling resistance require less energy to move, potentially...
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Why More and More Drivers are Saying No to the Bells and Whistles and Choosing Simpler, No-Frills Vehicles

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  As with most things, the automotive industry has been moving primarily in one direction. Based on the old adage “innovate or get left behind”, car companies have been adding more technology, more screens, more software, and more features packed into every new vehicle, essentially turning cars and trucks into rolling computers. For years, car manufacturers worked to attract customers by adding everything from massive infotainment displays and advanced driver-assistance systems to electronically controlled suspensions and increasingly complicated engine management systems. For most traditional buyers, these advancements are welcome, but a growing number of drivers are starting to ask different questions: What direction is this going towards? Are cars being built to do the drivers job and at which point do they become nothing more than complex appliances?     no-frills-vehicles   This shift towards a more practical, no-nonsense approach to vehicle ownership is crea...
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