Tire's New Policy
2018-06-11 16:34:12
A. EU Tire Labeling Regulation
The Regulation will require tire manufacturers to declare fuel efficiency and the wet grip and external rolling noise performance of C1, C2 and C3 tires (i.e. tires mainly fitted on passenger cars, light and heavy duty vehicles).
Lack of reliable and comparable information on the performance of tires currently makes it difficult for consumers to take these elements into account in their purchasing decision, in particular when the time comes to replace a used set of tires. From 1 November 2012, these tire performances will be displayed at the point of sale and on technical promotional literature such as catalogues, leaflets or web marketing.
The aim is to promote the market transformation towards more fuel-efficient, safer and low noise tires, beyond the standards already achieved. It will also pave the way for competition to run on tire performances in addition to prices, which will in turn stimulate investments in Research and Development.
(Source from European Commission)
a. Fuel Efficiency
b. Fuel efficiency is measured by the Rolling Resistance (RR) of tires.
Rolling resistance is the resistance that occurs when a round object such as a ball or tire rolls on a flat surface in a steady velocity straight-line motion It is caused mainly by the deformation of the object, the deformation of the surface, or both.
Additional contributing factors include wheel radius, forward speed, surface adhesion, and relative micro-sliding between the surfaces of contact. It depends very much on the material of the wheel or tire and the sort of ground.
| Class |
PCR (C1) |
LTR (C2) |
TBR (C3) |
| A |
RRC ≤ 6.5 |
RRC ≤ 5.5 |
RRC ≤ 4.0 |
| B |
6.6 ≤ RRC ≤ 7.7 |
5.6 ≤ RRC ≤ 6.7 |
4.1 ≤ RRC ≤ 5.0 |
| C |
7.8 ≤ RRC ≤ 9.0 |
6.8 ≤ RRC ≤ 8.0 |
5.1 ≤ RRC ≤ 6.0 |
| D |
empty |
empty |
6.1 ≤ RRC ≤ 7.0 |
| E |
9.1 ≤ RRC ≤ 10.5 |
8.1 ≤ RRC ≤ 9.2 |
7.1 ≤ RRC ≤ 8.0 |
| F |
10.6 ≤ RRC ≤ 12.0 |
9.3 ≤ RRC ≤ 10.5 |
8.1 ≤ RRC |
| G |
12.1 ≤ RRC |
10.6 ≤ RRC |
empty |
7 classes from G (least efficient) to A (most efficient)
Effect may vary among vehicles and driving conditions, but the difference between a G and an A class for a complete set of tires could reduce fuel consumption by up to 7.5 % and even more in case of trucks.
b. Wet Grip
Wet grip indicates the braking performance of tires on wet road surfaces and is related to the safety performance of vehicles. Tires with low rolling resistance have high fuel efficiency, but can have safety problems. This is because tires with low rolling resistance have low adherence to roads when the roads are wet. Accordingly, the European Council requires tire companies to provide information about their tires’ adherence (or grip) when applying the brake on wet roads.
| Class |
PCR (C1) |
LTR (C2) |
TBR (C3) |
| A |
1.55 ≤ G |
1.40 ≤ G |
1.25 ≤ G |
| B |
1.40 ≤ G ≤ 1.54 |
1.25 ≤ G ≤ 1.39 |
1.10 ≤ G ≤ 1.24 |
| C |
1.25 ≤ G ≤ 1.39 |
1.10 ≤ G ≤ 1.24 |
0.95 ≤ G ≤ 1.09 |
| D |
Empty |
Empty |
0.80 ≤ G ≤ 0.94 |
| E |
1.10 ≤ G ≤ 1.24 |
0.95 ≤ G ≤ 1.09 |
0.65 ≤ G ≤ 0.79 |
| F |
G ≤ 1.09 |
G ≤ 0.94 |
G ≤ 0.64 |
| G |
Empty |
Empty |
Empty |
a. Noise Level;:The exterior noise levels are measured in decibel (dB) and are indicated in three categories (refer to the black bars on the left). More black bars mean that the tires create more road noise.
b. In addition to the noise value in Decibel dB(A) a pictogram displays whether the tire external rolling noise performance is above the future European mandatory limit value (3 black bars= noisier tire), between the future limit value and 3dB below(2 black bars=average tire) or more than 3 dB below the future limit value(1 black bar = low noise tire).
