Spare Us: Carmakers Removing Trunk Tires in More Models
3rd December 2015
Automakers are removing the spares to save money and trim weight to improve efficiency as they face increasingly stringent fuel economy standards. Trading a spare tire for an inflation kit removes about 25 pounds from the car.
They are also “eliminating the spare tire well to increase usable interior space in downsized vehicles as well as to improve the aerodynamics of the underside of the vehicle for better mileage,” said Megan McKernan, manager of the Auto Club’s Automotive Research Center.
So you have government-mandated fuel economy regulations to thank.