EU TYRE LABEL – OVERVIEW

From May 2021, Regulation (EU) 2020/740 applies, changing the way tyres are labelled. Find out more about the meaning of the tyre label and what’s new about the tyre energy rating.

Goodyear has worked closely with the European Institutions on the updated tyre label to promote industry innovation and to help consumers make more informed decisions about their tyres. We believe that the new EU tyre label will allow consumers to obtain more relevant and comparable information on tyre parameters and empower end-users to make an informed choice when purchasing new tyres. The new EU tyre label also provides more detailed information available online – making it easier for consumers and professionals to make the right choice. We prepared a more detailed tyre label explanation for you in the following sections.

The EU tyre label and efficiency classes come in a new design and slightly changed due to a newly formed scale. The former standard label only showed tyre classes with regard to rolling resistance, wet grip and external rolling noise. The new EU tyre label holds additional information on tyre performances in snow and ice weather conditions. The scale of the label classes for wet grip and rolling resistance now have 5 instead of 7 classes, designated with the letters A to E.

Fuel efficiency
Wet grip
External noise

Fuel efficiency is a measure of the tyre's rolling resistance. A tyre with low rolling is more fuel efficient since it requires less energy to roll. Fuel efficiency is rated from A (highest rating) to E (lowest rating).

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. Depending on the tyre’s rolling resistance, its fuel efficiency will range from class A, which indicates the best fuel economy all the way through to class E, delivering the worst fuel economy. Between classes, fuel consumption increases by approximately 0.1 liter for every 100 km driven. Simply put, fuel-efficient tyres require less energy to roll. This ultimately translates into less fuel used and you’ll also be reducing your environmental impact!

Wet grip is a measure of tyre’s braking ability on wet roads. Wet grip is rated from A (highest rating) to E (lowest rating).

‘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. The performance is graded between class A and class E. Tyres with a high wet grip rating will stop more quickly on wet roads when full brakes are applied. In an emergency situation, a few metres can make all the difference.

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

*When measured according to the test methods set out in Regulation UNECE 117. Braking distances may vary according to driving conditions and other influencing factors.

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.