No more spare tire? When fuel economy prevails

Do you own a late-model car, like five years old or younger? If so, chances are it doesn’t have a spare tire. But why?

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), Wired magazine reports, more and more automakers are sacrificing this emergency aid in order to reduce the weight of their vehicles and make them less fuel-thirsty. Actually, 36% of model year 2015 cars were sold without a spare, up from just 5% in 2006.

In many cases, the backup tire is replaced by a tire repair/inflator kit. However, the AAA found that they work great only if you’ve just punctured the surface of the tread and the insidious bit of shrapnel remains in the rubber.

Source: Michael Sheehan