ETRMA calls on authorities to end Nokian's ice & snow tyre label

ERJ staff report (LMH)

Brussels, -- ETRMA, the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association has distanced itself from Nokian Tyres' ice and snow tyre sticker based on the European tyre labeling legislation.

The association called on the “competent authories” to put an end to this “misleading” sticker.

The EU tyre label introduced 1 Nov 2012 provides information on three criteria: rolling resistance, wet grip, and external tyre rolling noise. The official label does not give any grading information on ice and snow performance since no official ice test method is available today, ETRMA said.

It noted that since 2010, the industry has therefore been working on defining a reliable and objective ice test method to measure this performance, but this work has not yet been concluded.

The association said that all ETRMA members, except “obviously” Nokian Tyres, are distancing themselves from Nokian's launch of an ice and snow sticker introduced for the winter season 2012/2013 in Finland, Norway and Sweden. “The classification from G to A of the tyre performance on ice and snow is not relevant from the test performance point of view,” ETRMA said. As a result, this sticker would give consumers the misleading impression that today ice and snow grip grading is possible.

ETRMA has therefore asked authorities in Finland, Norway and Sweden to put an immediate end to Nokian Tyres Ice & Snow label initiative.

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News release from ETRMA