California already has strict rules on how much pollution vehicles can release through exhaust pipes, how many toxic metals that brake pads can shed onto streets and how quickly carmakers must transition to electric fleets.

This week, California added another to the list: how much tires can squish as they roll along the road.

California this week became the first state in the nation to set energy-efficient standards for replacement car tires, which the state says will both lower fuel consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The move comes as gas prices remain high as the war with Iran continues and as the Republican-led federal government tries to undermine other fuel efficiency efforts in California.

At issue is the concept of rolling resistance, a measure of how much a tire deforms from the pressure of hitting the road. The more the tire squishes, the more work it is for the car to keep the wheels turning — and the more fuel the vehicle burns. (For a similar reason, it requires more energy to pedal a bicycle with half-inflated tires than one with fully inflated ones.)

Replacement tires typically have more rolling resistance than the tires that cars are sold with, which tends to result in fewer miles per gallon. That’s because auto manufacturers often use more efficient tires on new models in order to meet vehicle emissions standards. But drivers tend to be price conscious when they buy replacement tires and sacrifice efficiency for cost.

The new rule, which the California Energy Commission approved on Monday, requires that replacement tires sold in the state have the same rolling resistance on average as the tires sold with new vehicles by 2033. The rule will be phased in, with the first set of changes required by 2029. Currently, only about 30 percent of tires meet the 2033 standards, according to Nancy Skinner, a state energy commissioner.

Many industry groups oppose the measure. They warn that the state will most likely not be able to enforce the rule and that foreign manufacturers could find loopholes to import cheap tires that do not meet the standards and could harm consumers.

“We don’t feel that this regulation is ready for prime time,” Tracey Norberg, executive vice president and general counsel of the United States Tire Manufacturers Association, said at a commission meeting on Monday. “Competitiveness is at an all-time concern for this industry, where we’re seeing low-cost importers that cut corners on safety and performance, importing tires into the market. California is particularly vulnerable.”

Industry opponents also said that under the rule, the driver of a light-duty gasoline car would spend about $26 extra for a pair of replacement tires, according to the commission.

“This regulation is not ready for adoption,” Bret Gladfelty, a lobbyist speaking on behalf of Goodyear, said at the meeting. “The sudden rush to pass this regulation as drafted will hurt consumers, drive up costs and simply flood the state with used tires that will be only affordable west of the Mississippi.”

The California Energy Commission, however, said that the rule would ultimately save Californians money. By the agency’s estimates, the higher upfront cost of the tires would be offset by fuel savings of $179 over the life of the tire, resulting in a net savings of $153.

In total, the rule would save California drivers $1 billion per year in gasoline and electricity costs, equivalent to roughly $75 per household in the state, according to the commission. It also would avert two million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere each year, the agency says.

Beth Hammon, senior electric vehicle and infrastructure advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, called it a win for consumers, the environment and public health.

“This is basically where the rubber meets the road on vehicle efficiency,” she said.

The rule had been a long time coming.

In 2003, the California Legislature passed a law requiring the energy commission to establish tire standards. But the state paused its efforts after Congress in 2007 directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish a nationwide tire efficiency rating system. California waited to see if a federal framework would accomplish what the state was trying to do.

When that didn’t happen, the commission resurrected its independent rule-making process in 2020.

Dan Jacobson, senior adviser for Environment America, said that the delay had meant that California consumers had lost out on more than two decades of savings and suffered from air pollution and harmful climate change impacts over that period.

“We cannot wait another minute,” Mr. Jacobson said at Monday’s meeting. “It’s very rare that you get a rule that both is good for consumers and so good for the environment.”

Ms. Hammon, with the N.R.D.C., said she expected the regulation to have ripple effects across the nation, with increased awareness of the issue and more low rolling resistance tires available beyond California.