EU tyre label explained

The EU tyre label provides important safety and environmental information about each tyre.

The EU tyre label provides important safety and environmental information about each tyre. It helps you to compare tyres performances such as for wet grip, fuel efficiency and noise.

New labelling rules, applying from 1 May 2021, are set out under Regulation (EU) 2020/740. This replaced the previous Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009, applicable from 2012, that first introduced the obligation of labelling car and van tyres. The new rules are extended to cover bus and truck tyres, and introduce options to show if the tyres are suitable for use in severe snow conditions or in extreme climatic situations.

Where can I find the tyre labelling?

It should be on the tyre itself – it’s the law to provide an EU tyre label. But if you can’t find it on the tyre, ask your dealer or look on our website.

Fuel efficiency

Did you know that tyres account for up to 20% of your vehicle’s fuel consumption? Choosing tyres with a high fuel efficiency rating will give you more miles from your tank and lower your CO2 emissions.

What makes a tyre fuel-efficient?

Simply put, fuel-efficient tyres require less energy to roll. This ultimately translates into less fuel used.

How is fuel efficiency rated?

Fuel efficiency is rated from A to E on a colour-coded scale.

A = highest fuel efficiency rating

E = lowest fuel efficiency rating

What the tyre fuel ratings mean

The difference between an A rating and a G rating could mean a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 7.5%. To put this in real terms, choosing A-rated tyres instead of G-rated tyres could save you more than 6 litres of fuel every 1,000 kilometres.*

Don’t forget, you’ll also be reducing your environmental impact!

What else affects fuel efficiency?

Low tyre pressure.

Tyre pressure shall be checked regularly, not inflating your tyres properly increases rolling resistance and affects grip in wet conditions.

The weight of your vehicle.

How much your car weighs and how you drive it can also make a big difference. You can reduce your fuel consumption by driving in a more energy-efficient way (also known as ‘eco-driving’)

Label values shown are for illustrative purposes only. Values for a certain tyre line/size may vary.

Wet grip rating

Tyres with a high wet grip rating will stop more quickly on wet roads when full brakes are applied.

What is wet grip?

‘Wet grip’ is the tyre’s ability to stick to the road in wet conditions. The EU rating focuses only on one aspect of wet grip – the wet braking performance of the tyre.

How is wet grip rated?

Wet grip is rated from A to E:

A = highest rating

E = lowest rating

What the wet grip ratings mean

In an emergency situation, a few metres can make all the difference. For a passenger car applying full brakes from 50mph, a set of A-rated tyres will brake up to 18 metres shorter than a set of F-rated tyres. *

Note: You should always respect the recommended stopping distances when driving.

*When measured according to the test methods set out in Regulation EU 2020/740. Braking distances may vary according to driving conditions and other influencing factors.

Label values shown are for illustrative purposes only. Values for a certain tyre line/size may vary.

Noise rating

What does the EU noise rating measure?

The external noise generated by the tyre, measured in decibels. The noise class is rated from A (quiet) to C (noisy).

The EU tyre ratings also consider the exterior noise a tyre generates while driving. By choosing a tyre with a good noise rating you can lower the impact of your driving on the surrounding environment. The noise level is sorted into class A, B or C. The rolling noise of the tyre is measured in decibels and the exact number is shown in the bottom part of the label. Tyres with a low noise level have between 67 and 71 dB. The highest level shows sound waves in between 72 and 77 dB. An increase of just a few decibels represents a big difference in noise levels. In fact, a difference of 3dB doubles the amount of external noise the tyre produces.

Think about the many thousands of cars on our roads each day. If we all chose tyres with lower noise ratings, imagine how much quieter our towns and cities would be.

Snow grip

The snow tyre pictogram is shown on the EU tyre label sticker, if a tyre is suitable for severe snow conditions.

Ice grip

A symbol of an ice stalagmite indicates that a tyre provides a shorter braking distance on ice covered roads in winter. For tyres meeting the technical requirements, the ice grip pictogram will be included on the new EU tyre label.