EU Tyre Labelling: What does it all mean?
Tyre labelling for all passenger cars and light trucks has taken affect from 1 November 2012 under the European Regulation No: 1222/2009. This new regulation is intended to reduce the impact tyres have on the environment and the graphics used to represent the differences in tyres are similar to the ones used to review household appliances.
The labelling classifies three different areas of performance from A to G, however D is not going to be used as a classification to clearly differentiate between the top three grads A, B & C and the bottom three E, F & G.
Compare Fuel Economy
The energy lost when a tyre rolls is expressed as ‘rolling resistance’, and tyres with lower rolling resistances will use less energy which will increase your fuel economy. Tyres classified as ‘A’ are the more economical and have the least rolling resistance, and tyres classified as ‘G’ have the poorest full economy and the most rolling resistance.
If you fitted tyres that are classified as ‘A’ instead of ‘G’ you could save up to £110 or 80 litres of fuel for the life of the tyres (results can vary depending on the type of car or climate conditions)
Compare Wet Grip
The more grip a tyre gives you in wet weather conditions the safer the journey will be. Wheels always take longer to stop in wet conditions but tyres with a good web grip classification will have a shorter stopping distance than those with a ‘G’ classification.
The difference in breaking from 50mph across two grades is 3metres, meaning the difference between an ‘A’ classification and a ‘G’ classification is 18 metres.
Compare Noise Emissions
The final area tested is the exterior noise grading in decibels, with the decibel rating included alongside one to three black sound waves. One black wave is the quietest and three back sound waves are the noisiest. The introduction of noise emission tests is intended to encourage users to purchase quieter tyres which will help to reduce noise pollution.
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System