5 Dec 2019
Not all tires marketed as winter tires are suitable for all winter conditions
Nokia, Finland – Nokian Tyres has welcomed EU proposals to update European tire label regulations, saying it is especially useful for winter tire consumers.
Under the proposed new regulation, information concerning grip on snow and ice would be included in the label, a requirement which had been absent until now, said Nokian in a statement 3 Dec.
“Not all tires marketed as winter tires are suitable for all winter conditions,” explained Jarmo Sunnari, manager of standards, regulations and approvals for Nokian Tyres.
While wet- and snow-grip are crucial for winter driving safety in central Europe, ice-grip is a key factor in Nordic countries.
The proposed new ice-grip marking would distinguish tires that are suitable for Nordic driving conditions from other winter tires.
The snow-grip marking would be allocated to tires with snow performance high enough for central European winter.
“Wet-grip and ice-grip are mutually exclusive characteristics; the consumer may end up purchasing the wrong tires if the information on the label is not right,” Sunnari added.
The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agreed on the text of the updated European Tire Labelling regulation on 13 Nov.
Effective as of 1 May 2021, the regulation aims to make labels “more visible, more future proof and more accurate.”
Under existing rules, all passenger car and van tires must have a sticker that indicates wet grip, rolling noise and energy consumption. Truck tires do not currently require labels.
Under the new proposals, the ice-grip marking would initially only be used for passenger car tires, whereas the snow-grip marking would be required also for minivans, light truck, truck and bus tires.
The ice-grip test, said Nokian, is currently undergoing ISO standardisation, while the snow-grip requirements refer to United Nations ECE regulations.
Nokian said it has been actively working with Nordic authorities and other stakeholders in order to update the markings.
Subscribe for unlimited access. A subscription to European Rubber Journal includes:
Already a subscriber? Log in here
