Drivers should have been able to read off the EU label for a long time how good a tire is. What it said was up to the manufacturer. Now the label is becoming more digital and meaningful.
Anyone who buys new tires from May 1st should inspect the tires more closely. Less to look at the profile than to pay attention to the tire label, which has been mandatory since 2012. Since May, all new summer and winter tires for passenger cars (C1), light trucks (C2) and heavy trucks and buses (C3) must have the revised EU tire label. This is intended to provide consumers with better information about the properties of a tire - now also about its suitability for winter - and it is now easier to check manufacturer information.
Why is there a revision?
The EU tire label introduced in 2012 was intended to inform tire customers about fuel efficiency (rolling resistance), wet grip (braking on wet roads) and the rolling noise of a tire and encourage them to buy a tire that is as fuel-efficient and safe as possible. The EU aims to further reduce CO2 emissions from road traffic.
The three criteria were symbolized by a gas pump, a rain cloud and a loudspeaker with sound waves. The data for rolling resistance and wet grip were given in classes and ranged from A for very good to G for very bad. A sound wave meant a very quiet tire, three waves indicated a loud noise behavior. The classifications were made by the manufacturers themselves. Critics complained, among other things, that there were too few verification options for the correctness of the manufacturer's information. According to the motto “paper is patient, sticker ditto”, some manufacturers have dealt “creatively” with the evaluation of their tires. The restriction to only three properties of a tire was also criticized. This would not reflect the many other parameters that are taken into account when developing a tire, such as handling on wet and dry roads, braking distance on dry roads or aquaplaning behavior. In addition, there was no information about the typical properties of winter tires. The graphical representation was also considered to be confusing and not precise enough.
What's new?
Probably the most important novelty is in the top right of the first line of the label: a QR code. This can be read out using a smartphone and leads to the “European Product Registry for Energy Labeling” database, known as EPREL for short. The specified values and the production sheets can be viewed by tire customers here. The latter provide information, for example, about when the tire model has been in production. But EPREL can do even more. Michael Schwämmlein, Technical Director at the Federal Association of Tire Trade and Vulcanization Crafts (BRV), rates the new database as a major step in transparency. "The test documents of the tire manufacturers must be stored in the EPREL, on the basis of which the label classes and value assignments were made." Schwämmlein expects that the market surveillance authorities will now have easier and faster control requirements thanks to better coordination and more efficient data exchange at EU level to check the accuracy of the manufacturer's information.
Another new feature is that the label must contain precise information on the tire: i.e. the name of the tire manufacturer and the precise specifications of the tire, such as 235/50 R19 103 V. The classification of the label classes for rolling resistance and wet grip as well as for Evaluation of the rolling noise. In terms of fuel efficiency, there are only ratings from A to E, while wet grip is rated from A to E. The rolling noise is still given in decibels, but the classification is now based on A, B or C instead of sound wave symbols.
Winter properties on the label?
For the first time, there are now statements about the winter suitability of a refrigeration specialist. If a snowflake symbol is shown on the label, consumers can be sure that it is a certified winter tire.
What else?
Tires that were imported into the EU before May 1st do not need to be relabeled. They can still be sold with the old label. It will therefore take a while before the new label sticks to all tires.
Even if the label has become more transparent and clear, there can still only be an initial orientation. Customers should seek advice from the tire dealer when choosing their summer, winter or all-season tires and / or inform themselves in advance using the tire tests carried out by the major specialist and consumer magazines.