Tyre Labelling In the EU: Part 5 of 5

Conclusion

The regulations for the labelling of tyres have been introduced for all tyres produced after July 2012, and sold in the EU after November 2012. The label is required to show the fuel efficiency of the tyre, the wet grip rating of the tyre and the external noise emissions of the tyre. The ratings have been introduced as part of the overall aim of the European Union to reduce carbon emissions and to acheive sustainable mobility. The implementation of the regulations is a much more detailed and complicated process, which also has ramifications for the entire worldwide market.

There must be a harmonisation not only of the grading and labelling of tyres, but also of the testing procedures used to grade them, and the verification of compatibility. Non-EU countries, such as Japan and Korea, have introduced their own rating systems to fall roughly inline with the EU legislation as much of their tyre production is imported into Europe. It is key therefore, that the laboratory alignment process is developed to ensure that there is a worldwide procedure for the testing and rating of tyres, which can achieve results which could be reproduced in any of the approved laboratories, to give a fair comparison of tyres from different manufacturers.

The benefit for the consumer is relatively clear; that they have access to greater information on the performance of tyres. The responsibilites of tyre suppliers, distributors, and vehicle suppliers and distributors are also clear; that they are obliged to provide the information to the consumer or end user. The development of international regulations and harmonised processes for testing and grading tyres, is still uncertain. It is this development which will ultimately determine how succesful the labelling scheme proves to be.

This article is part of our series on tyre labelling