One of the forces influencing the fuel efficiency of a motorized vehicle is the Rolling Resistance of the tyres.
This phenomenon exists because a tyre deforms when rotating, resulting in energy losses in the form of heat. The higher the deformation, the higher the tyre rolling resistance, and consequently the more fuel required to move the vehicle forward. In other words, lower rolling resistance means lower fuel consumption and therefore lower vehicle emissions, including CO2.
Actual fuel savings and road safety depend heavily on the behaviour of drivers, and in particular the following:
The new label will display different grades in "rolling resistance" where A is the most "fuel efficient" and G the worst in class. The black arrow (in this case B) next to the grading indicates the performance level of the product.
The most important role of a tyre is to provide safety - in all conditions. Wet adherence or grip is one of the most important performance characteristics.
However, higher adherence and lower rolling resistance are often contradictory objectives that have traditionally required a performance trade-off. Thanks to the new labelling regulation, customers will be able to see and choose for themselves their preferred performances.
The label will display a range of 7 grades where tyres with an "A" provide the highest levels of wet grip and "G" the lowest.
Traffic noise is a relevant environmental issue, determined by:
Exterior noise levels are split into 3 categories and measured in decibel (dB) in comparison with the new European tyre exterior noise levels introduced in 2016.
The regulation aims at increasing the safety and the economic and environmental efficiency of road transport by promoting safe and fuel-efficient tyres with low noise levels. It also establishes a framework for the provision of harmonised information across the industry on some tyre parameters.
Such information will, at all times, be available for customers through technical promotional material, including the websites of the manufacturers. Some tyres are excluded, such as retreaded tyres, off-road tyres and racing tyres.
The expected cumulative benefits from the increased use of fuel efficient tyres will lead to saving up to 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year (depending on the speed of market transformation towards fuel efficient tyres) , and will also drive the market towards improved wet grip performance.
When tyres are delivered to any customer, they must be accompanied by a label for each size and type of tyre in the delivery, similar to the label shown above. This requirement can also be met by applying the label as a sticker on each tyre.
All sales promotion and technical material must show the label values for each tyre in an understandable way. Manufacturer's and Distributor's websites must also show the label information for tyres offered.
For car tyres and light truck tyres they shall ensure that
The label information shall be provided also when tyres offered for sale are not visible to the customer.
For all tyres (car, light truck, truck and bus) distributors shall ensure that the label values for any tyres purchased must also be stated on or with the bill to the customer.