EU Tyre Label Guide

Why regulate tyre labelling?

• Tyres make an important contribution to road safety and to the environmental impact of road transport. However, all tyres don't offer the same performance.
• The Regulation enables consumers to make more informed choices when buying tyres. The EU's targeted outcome is that road safety will improve and that the environmental impact of road transport will be reduced.

What does the Regulation introduce?

• Tyres are graded according to wet grip, fuel efficiency and external noise. The presentation is based on the familiar EU energy efficiency label.

What does the label mean in practical terms?

• Fuel Efficency
  
  7.5% loss of fuel economy between best and worst class for a full set of tyres fitted to an average car. Much more for trucks.
  
  
• Wet Grip
  
  30% shorter braking distance between best and worst class for a full set of tyres fitted to an average car.
  Eg 18 m shorter when braking from 50 mph.
  
  
• External Rolling Noise
  
  3 black bars: above future EU limit 2 black bars: meets future EU limit 1 black bar: at least 3 dB below the future EU limit.
  
  
• Note for car, 4x4 and van tyres: class D is not used so there are only 6 classes for Fuel efficiency. In addition, for Wet grip class G is also not used so there are only 5 classes for Wet grip.

When did the Regulation come into force?

• Manufacturers and importers have to provide information regarding the performance of tyres they supply in the EU that were manufactured from 1st July 2012.
• Since 1st November 2012 retailers in the EU have to provide consumers with information regarding the performance of tyres offered for sale that were manufactured from 1st July 2012. (Date of production code 2712 or greater).
• NB certain tyres are exempt – see Exclusions.

What about tyres manufactured before 1st July 2012?

• Operators throughout the supply chain have to manage a transition period while stocks contain tyres made both before and after 1st July 2012.
• Some manufacturers or importers may choose to label tyres made before 1st July 2012 but the Regulation does not require them to do so.
• Retrospective labelling of tyres already in the supply chain that were made before 1st July 2012 would be costly and carries potential legal risks. The labelling information relating to tyres made from 1st July 2012 may not in every case be applicable to tyres made before that date.

As a retailer, how can I manage all this extra information?

• Tyre manufacturers and importers are required to provide labelling information in product catalogues and other technical documents. They must also provide labelling information on their web-sites.
• The principal software houses that support the tyre retail sector are informed of the requirements of the tyre labelling Regulation and are developing products to meet the extended needs of retailers.

What does the information on the side of the tyre mean?

The meaning of the tyre numbers/code on the side of your tyre can be interpreted as follows:

• Speed Rating
  
  The tyre speed rating is always represented by a letter. This can be found on the sidewall of the tyre as illustrated in the example image. Once you know your speed rating you can work out the maximum speed that the tyre will do. You can use the table below to work this out. In the example the speed rating is Q which means the maximum speed is 99mph.
  
  
• Load Rating
  
  The load rating lets you know what weight the tyre is capable of carrying. This can be found on the sidewall of the tyre as illustrated in the example. You can use the table below to work out the load in kg. In the example to the right the load rating is 121 which means it can carry 1450kg in weight.
  
  
• Rim
  
  This is the diameter of the tyres inner rim and is measured in inches.
  
  
• Profile
  
  The profile of the tyre is the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width.
  
  
• Width
  
  This number is the width of the tyre this is measured in mm.
  
  

Tyre Information Tables

Tyre Speed Rating Table

Load Rating Table