EU Tyre Labelling
As of May 2021, all new car, 4x4, SUV, van and most truck tyres manufactured carry an EU tyre label which is similar to the energy stickers that appear on white goods.
No two makes of tyre are the same, so the EU tyre label has been created to provide drivers with objective, reliable and comparable information about each tyre so that you can make a more informed choice when buying new tyres. The EU’s targeted outcome is that road safety will improve and that the environmental impact of road transport will be reduced.
The EU Tyre label explained
Every tyre is assessed on three key areas of tyre performance and given a rating in each of these three categories for the EU tyre label, allowing the consumer to compare tyres on a like-for-like basis. The three areas assessed are:
- Rolling Resistance - How economic is this tyre? - Savings
- Wet Grip - How quickly can the tyre stop in wet conditions? - Safety
- Exterior Noise - How noisy is the tyre? - Volume
How do you read EU tyre labels?
The EU tyre label is broken down into three main categories:
Rolling Resistance
The EU tyre labelling criteria looks at the rolling resistance of the tyre in order to rate its fuel/energy efficiency. Rolling resistance is the force acting opposite to the tyre’s direction of travel. As a tyre rolls along the road it creates friction, the higher the friction the more energy will be needed to keep the tyre rolling, making the engine work harder and using more fuel. Tyres with low rolling resistance place lower demands on fuel since less energy is being used as the tyres roll along the road.
The difference in fuel consumption between a car fitted with A and E class tyres is around 0.5 litres per 100km, that's a saving of around 80 litres and more than £110 per year.*
Other factors affect fuel consumption such as aerodynamics, vehicle weight, type of engine, auxiliary systems like air-conditioning slope of the road, personal driving style, tyre pressure level, accelerations or general traffic conditions.
*Savings based on a petrol engine car travelling 10,000 miles per year with £1.40 per litre fuel cost
Wet Grip
Tyres with excellent wet grip have shorter braking distances on slippery roads and increased aquaplaning resistance, essential for keeping you safe in the rain.
These ratings (from A-E) are measured from the distance travelled by a car after braking at 50mph in the wet.* Tyres with the best EU tyre label rating for wet grip will exhibit a 30% shorter braking distance than those with the worst rating for a full set of tyres fitted to an average car.
A tyre’s EU tyre label wet grip rating reflects the capacity of the tyre to brake on a wet road. However, there are other parameters which are relevant for safety (e.g. road holding ability, directional control, deceleration ability on wet and dry surfaces at higher speed and aquaplaning behaviour) but wet grip was chosen by the EU as the most representative situation of reduced adherence in Europe.
*Testing according to regulation EC 1222/2009
Exterior Noise
Exterior noise levels are measured in decibels (dB) and shown as a rating of A-C on the EU tyre label. An A rating is the best performance and C is the worst. In fact, a C rating is the current limit, while a B rating meets future laws and A is a further 3dBs below. The EU tyre label only measures the external rolling noise of the tyre which is not related to the in-cabin noise that the driver will experience.
Additional Information
The new label also includes additional icons for tyres suitable for severe snow conditions (3PMSF) and/or for grip in icy conditions.
What is the new EU TYRE label?
The new EU tyre mark gives a foundation for making educated decisions on more fuel-efficient tyres. The new tyre marking allows for the comparison of relevant data. Rolling resistance and wet grip classes will be shown, as well as noise classes (A, B, and C). The new EU tyre label includes more information about tyre performance in snow and ice conditions. The label classes for wet grip and rolling resistance now include 5 instead of 7, denoted by the letters A through E..
Are EU tyre labels accurate?
When purchasing tyres, the EU tyre labels are useful since they provide a basis for making an informed decision for more fuel-efficient tyres. It is crucial to remembe, that EU tyre labels do not indicate how well a tyre grips in the dry, how well it corners in the wet or dry, how much it contributes to the car's comfort, or how old it is.
What is the new EU tyre label and how does it differ from previous EU tyre labels?
All information shown on the previous EU Tyre Label has been carried across onto the new format. The rolling resistance and wet grip categories have been simplified to a scale of A-E; rather than the previous A-G. Tyres that would previously be placed in Class E will now be in the new Class D, and tyres from the old Class F & G will merge to form the new Class E.
The tyre noise classes will now be identified by a grading of A, B, or C, instead of the previous sound waves.
The 2021 EU Tyre Label now covers bus and truck tyres (C3) in addition to car (C1) and van (C2) tyres. These are displayed in the ‘Tyre class’ field in the top right of the new label, along with the suppliers name and tyre size.
The new label also includes two new pictograms used to indicate if the tyre suitable for use on snow and/or ice. Finally, a QR code is now included in the top right hand corner of the label. These are unique for each tyre model and will be linked to a product sheet on the EU product database (EPREL), allowing consumers to easily access additional product details by just scanning the code.
