Car/Driving and Tyre Tips/How To Read/Eu Tyre Label

HOW TO READ THE EU TYRE LABEL

The EU Regulation introduces labelling requirements which refer to the display of information on the fuel efficiency (rolling resistance), wet grip and external noise of a tyre to increase the safety and productivity of road transport.

It allows end users to increase the safety and productivity of road transport. It allows end users to make a more informed choice when selecting a tyre. The Regulation requires that all tyres produced from 1st July 2012 and on sale in the EU from 1st November 2012 carry a sticker or have a label, which must be shown to the end user before purchasing.

PIRELLI POSITION

Pirelli, in compliance with stringent quality control procedures, welcomes and fully supports the introduction of the tyre label, considering it an excellent means to offering end-users more transparency and help in obtaining information when purchasing new tyres. The overall value of a tyre must be measured on a full list of factors (handling both on dry and wet surfaces, aquaplaning behaviour, high speed stability, dry braking, mileage etc.) on which Pirelli tests all tyres. As the label doesn’t show certain more specific information about a particular tyre such as winter tyres and their performances, the dealers retain a crucial role in the consumers purchasing decision as they will always be the expert who can recommend the right tyre for the individual needs of each end user.

WHAT IT TELLS YOU

FUEL CONSUMPTION

Fuel efficiency associated to the tyre’s rolling resistance
Resistance is a force acting opposite to the direction of travel when the tyre is moving. Considering that tyres contribute to up to 20% of the overall fuel consumption for a car and up to 35% for a truck, it is important to reach low rolling resistance values. Let's understand how it works: due to the vehicle load, the tyre is deformed in the contact area, with the road surface dissipating energy in the form of heat. The higher the deformation, the higher the rolling resistance and consequently the higher the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. On the EU tyre Regulation label, rolling resistance is expressed in grades, ranging from A (best grading) to F for industrial vehicles and G for cars (worst grading).

SAFETY ON SURFACES

Safety associated to the tyre’s wet grip
Wet grip is one of the most important safety characteristics of a tyre. Excellent grip on wet surfaces means shorter braking distances when driving in rainy weather. There are other important parameters which are relevant for safety but wet grip was identified as the most important factor in order to compare different tyres.

The difference between each grade means an increase or decrease in stopping distance of roughly 2.6 m* when braking from 50 mph.

NOISE EMISSIONS

External noise level (given in decibles)
Traffic noise is a relevant environmental issue determined by several factors such as: traffic intensity, vehicle type, driving style and tyre-road interaction. The value indicated on the label is not the internal noise that the driver perceives while driving, but the external one, which contributes to sound pollution.