EU Tyre Label

As the new EU tyre regaulations come into force across Europe, Goodyear is pointing out that that the label only highlights a few of the criteria which affect tyre performance.

The EU Tyre Label is designed as a scoring system to drive consumers to buy tyres which are more environmentally-friendly and safer by clearly displaying the tyre’s performance in three criteria – rolling resistance, wet grip and exterior noise. From November 1st all passenger, light truck and truck tyres must be sold with this label information at the point of purchase.

Goodyear welcomes the initiative, but stresses that the EU Tyre Label reflects only a few of the important factors that impact tyre performance.

Jean-Pierre Jeusette, general director Goodyear Innovation Center Luxembourg, says: “The label has a huge potential impact – financially, environmentally and on road safety across Europe. Our analysis shows that if all European cars ran on A-graded tyres, it could save up to €27 billion in fuel each year. This could mean a reduction of CO2 emissions by 20 million tons.”

“Choosing an A-graded passenger car tyre for wet braking compared to a G-rated one could mean a 30% shorter braking distance on a wet road – stopping up to 18 meters earlier. This is around three to four car lengths.”

“However the label can only serve as a starting point for consumers and fleet managers, who should look beyond the label to other criteria that affect the overall performance of a tyre. To put it into perspective, Goodyear tests over 50 different factors during the development process including a tyre’s handling on dry and wet roads, lateral stability and high speed stability. Crucially for safety, aquaplaning performance in curves and on straight roads is not reflected by the EU Tyre Label.”

Independent testing organization TÜV also highlights the limited information displayed on the new EU Tyre Label.