Treading wisely 06 November 2012

From 1 November 2012, manufacturers have to provide information on their tyres' rolling resistance, wet grip and noise classification. Peter Fairlie explains

It is just a few days since Regulation EC/1222/2009 – which makes tyre performance labels compulsory on new car, van and truck tyres – became law Europe-wide. But what exactly will it mean for fleet engineers, transport managers and, for that matter, professional drivers?

Everyone knows that tyres are among the critical components helping to determine vehicle reliability and fuel efficiency. They also have a profound impact on safety, not only in terms of stopping distances but also grip – a vehicle's ability to cope with extreme weather and poor road conditions. And they play a part in noise pollution.

So selecting the right tyres for your van, truck, bus or coach fleet has meant either prioritising against some or all of those factors, or choosing tyres that offer good all-round performance. For example, some energy-type tyres are deemed better for fuel economy, while others offer enhanced grip on wet or icy roads.
So-called budget tyres might be recommended where the main concern is cost.

The problem to date has been that there was no objective or universal method of categorising tyres so that fleet managers could compare like with like, quickly, easily and unambiguously. Well there is now. From the beginning of this month (November 2012) a mandatory Europe-wide tyre labelling system covers all tyres manufactured since July for sale now. This will help everyone in the industry, including your local tyre service supplier, to select precisely the tyre to meet your requirements, irrespective of brand.

You'll see the new labels on virtually all car and van tyres. Truck tyres will be graded too, but won't carry a physical label. There is no legal requirement for them to appear on the tyres supplied with new vans, unless the manufacturer offers a choice of tyres. However, replacement van tyres must have labels that are clearly visible (to you, not just the retailer). If the tyres can't be seen, the retailer must inform you of each tyre's ratings. Remould tyres are not included under the tyre labelling legislation.

As for the labels themselves, tyre manufacturers are required to use an approved label design and grading format, mostly ranging from A to G, with A equating to the best performance and G the lowest. The labels cover three elements.

First is rolling resistance, which is linked to the degree of deformation, and consequent energy losses, as a tyre contacts the road. Tyres can absorb 20% of the energy used to move the vehicle, so reducing rolling resistance means better fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
Second is wet grip performance, which affects safety, but generally also means a trade-off against rolling resistance and fuel economy. Again, the measure is A to G.
And third is exterior rolling noise, measured in dB. The new labels provide three categories, from one to three sound waves, representing ascending noise levels.

Are there drawbacks? In general, the information provided is a significant improvement on what was previously available, which was nothing. It does, however, have some shortcomings, simply because it doesn't include everything. There are four notable exceptions that well-informed transport managers may notice.

First, the price of a tyre is one thing, but to judge whether or not it is good value, the buyer needs to know its life expectancy in miles. After all, a cheaper tyre that wears out quickly may be poor value compared to a more expensive tyre that lasts much longer.

Secondly, the life of the tyre also affects its overall impact on the environment. A low-cost tyre that wears out fast costs the same in terms of energy and resources (and money) to recycle as one that lasts twice as long.

Thirdly, the new labelling system takes wet grip into account but doesn't require any measure of grip when cornering, where, in many cases, it may be more critical.

And finally, the system measures braking on wet roads, but not dry roads – a factor that may worry some transport engineers.

Generally, however, the new tyre labels will increase user awareness that all tyres are not equal. Tyre labelling also draws attention to the limits of low-cost tyres, often referred to as budget fitments.

Peter Fairlie is group sales director of ATS Euromaster

Author
Peter Fairlie

Related Downloads
45858\Treading_wisely.pdf

Related Companies
ATS Euromaster Ltd

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.