Tag: tyre labelling
Michelin: Wet grip testing at 1.6mm will provide greater transparency
The debate over how much tread depth is sufficient and recommendable has been going on for years. While some tyre makers and motoring groups support changing the legal minimum tread depth to 3mm as a move towards greater peace of mind, Michelin has been a vocal advocate of not only keeping 1.6mm the legal minimum but of actually using tyres right down to this tread depth. It is also one of a growing number of parties calling for legislation that informs consumers how tyres perform when worn. Earlier this month, Michelin shared the latest developments in the quest for ‘Long Lasting Performance’.
Worn out – or just worn?
Michelin has been a vocal advocate of whole life tyre performance for several years now. Its belief that tyres should perform safely until reaching the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm is gaining traction, and Michelin is confident that, within the next few years, tyre labelling will provide greater insight into how wear affects performance, particularly in wet conditions. The tyre maker is currently reiterating its commitment to ‘Long Lasting Performance’ and sharing the latest efforts to better inform tyre buyers. Further details will be reported here on Tyrepress.com and in next month’s Tyres & Accessories magazine.
Test World opens newly expanded indoor proving ground
Test World officially opened additional new indoor test facilities at its Ivalo, Finland operation on 27 March 2019, signalling the culminating of that latest part of a multi-million-euro series of investments in Test World. The recently constructed indoor facilities increase Test World’s capacity for year-round cold weather testing, allowing for simultaneous testing on snow, ice, and wet and dry asphalt, 365 days a year.
ETRMA targets early 2020 for new EU Tyre Labelling Regulation
The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) is ready to enter the final phase of the review on the 2009 EU Tyre Labelling Regulation, following the outcome of the European Parliament plenary vote to replace the existing regulation. The association said that “an improved Regulation” could be adopted in early 2020, should the new European Parliament move the file into trilogues in the second half of 2019. ETRMA added that it is pleased with the commitment and efforts by the European Institutions to pursue a new Tyre Labelling Regulation, as it “increases consumer awareness of the label and strengthens market surveillance and enforcement in EU Member States.”
Updated EU tyre label to include snow and ice grip information
On 4 March 2019 the European Union adopted its negotiating position on the introduction of the next phase of its European Tyre Labelling legislation. In short, the EU is updating its rules in order to add information on snow and ice grip and raise the prominence of labels for consumers. At the same time there are plans to broaden the scope of tyre labelling to include wear/mileage performance once suitable testing methods have been found.
DfT ‘intends’ to retain EU tyre labelling regulation post-Brexit
The Tyre Industry Federation (TIF) has announced that it understands the Department for Transport (DfT) intends to retain alignment with future evolutions of the EU tyre labelling regulations in the UK, at least as far as the label itself is concerned. The rationale is to ensure a smoothly working market for tyres, the TIF adds.
ETRMA study: Rescaling of tyre label would be premature
The Market Surveillance Action on Tyres 2015 (MSTyr15) project may claim success in its aim of ensuring the enforcement of tyre labelling regulations, yet enforcement is only effective if end consumers actually consider label results when buying tyres. A report funded by the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) suggests they aren’t, and the association wants this considered during the European Commission’s current review of tyre label regulation (1222/2009).
Mislabelled tyres sold in the UK
The UK didn’t participate in the MSTyre15 project, yet we’ve gained a better understanding of tyre labelling non-compliance here thanks to freedom of information (FOI) requests made by Unite, the trade union representing many employed within the automotive sector in Britain and Ireland. In separate FOI responses, it was confirmed to Unite that no legislation exists to enforce Regulation (EC) No. 1222/2009 and that mislabelled tyres have been sold in the UK.
MSTyr15: Improving awareness of tyre labelling
The coordinator of the Market Surveillance Action on Tyres 2015 (MSTyr15) project claims success in its goal of ensuring that Regulation (EC) No. 1222/2009 on the labelling of tyres is effectively enforced. In a statement, PROSAFE (Product Safety Forum of Europe) has shared details of the 28-month project.
Audi recalls 3500 American RS 7s due to tyre label error
In the USA Audi has recalled 3,500 of its RS 7 models due to incorrect information on the tyre label. The vehicles covering model years 2014-2018 have tyre information labels that are printed with incorrect maximum weight ratings, the company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Chinese tyre labelling comes to the fore
In 2012 the EU introduced plans to support consumers with better information about a tyre’s noise, wet-braking and rolling resistance performance. Since then, Japanese, South Korean and US variants have been either mooted or implemented. However, the world’s largest tyre market (China), is also close to releasing its own labelling system – or should that be systems? Tyres & Accessories saw two labelling variants during the recent Tire+ exhibition in Shanghai and discussed the subject with a number of firms exhibiting there.
Two thirds of drivers unaware of tyre labelling
New research from Milton Keynes-based Just Tyres reveals drivers’ awareness of 2012’s EU tyre label legislation is low. More than two thirds (67 per cent) of drivers are unaware of EU legislation and only just under a sixth of drivers (15.5 per cent) even knew that the legislation existed. Back in 2012, the tyre industry experienced a major shake up when EU tyre labelling for all UK tyre manufacturers, distributors and retailers was introduced. From then on, every tyre needed to be tested and measured for three specific ratings; fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise levels.
Pirelli launches new generation Cinturato P7 Blue
Pirelli’s Cinturato P7 Blue range has been extended to include ‘AA’ European tyre label ratings on all new sizes. When originally launched in 2012, the Cinturato P7 Blue was the first tyre in the world to claim a maximum score on the European tyre label for energy efficiency and safety (in certain sizes). The latest Cinturato P7 Blue extends this standard to the new sizes added to the range, meaning it now boasts a maximum European tyre label score on nearly all the sizes in the entire range.
From doodling to tyre testing – the GIC*L
Some artists specialise in the human form, others find inspiration in landscapes and nature. And then there’s the guy who sketches tyres for a job. He’s part of a four-person team responsible for design at the Goodyear Innovation Center Luxembourg (GIC*L), and upon visiting at the end of June we were surprised to discover that the global top-ten manufacturer’s tyre design process begins with a very low-tech pencil and paper drawing.
UAE to implement tyre chip technology by end of 2017
Having announced that tyres sold on the internal market would be chipped and labelled with a QR code back in 2014, the United Arab Emirates’ authorities have announced plans to roll out tyre chipping by the end of 2017.