The new labels will offer more information to consumers and will be more visible. The EU Council adopted legislation that will introduce new labels next year.
The Council adopted new rules on tyre labelling on Tuesday. According to the Regulation, labels are to be more visible and offer more information to consumers. For example, they are to take into account parameters such as fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise, so that buyers can choose tyres that are safer, more fuel-efficient and quieter. Tyres, mainly due to their rolling resistance, account for 20-30% of vehicle fuel consumption.
The new labels are a tangible benefit for consumers across Europe: they will provide more information about fuel efficiency, safety and external noise. The new legislation will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tomislav Ćorić, Croatian Minister of Environment and Energy and President of the Council.
The Regulation introduces a number of important changes to the previous provisions. The labels will show information on the tyre’s impact on fuel consumption (rolling resistance) on a scale from A (lower consumption) to B, C, D to E (higher consumption). The current scale goes from A to G. Similarly, in terms of wet grip, tyres will be graded on a scale from A (more grip) to E (less grip) – the current scale goes from A to G. The indication of the average value of the external noise made by the tyre while driving will also be changed. Labels will also include symbols to indicate grip on snowy and icy roads and the label design will be updated.
The Regulation also provides for new parameters: mileage and abrasion of tyres, which will be introduced as soon as the appropriate methods of measuring them become available.
In addition, the new regulations also cover retreaded tyres. However, the requirements for retreaded tyres will only apply if an appropriate method of measuring their performance is available.
The Regulation has yet to be formally adopted by the European Parliament.