UPDATED: EU urged to tap tire label to drive uptake of quality tires

Brussels – The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has urged EU member states to “incentivise” the uptake of higher-performing tires as budget brands continue to expand their market share.

ETRMA released more than one million tire label data points collected on its behalf by Liezeo Group ahead of the “implementation dialogue on energy efficient product legislation” with EU commissioner Dan Jorgensen 14 Oct.

The data, covering the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) markets between 2012 and 2023, assessed both fuel efficiency and wet grip label ratings.

The study found that the EU tire label “is nudging the market in the right direction, but progress is uneven.”

According to its findings, in 2023, the most common label combination across passenger car, van, and heavy-duty segments was D for rolling resistance (fuel efficiency) and C for wet grip (safety), while “B–B or better” tires remained in the minority.

Introduced in 2012, the EU label was designed to help consumers and fleet managers compare tire safety and fuel efficiency.

“Yet despite the tire label, the fastest-growing part of the market is also the lowest-performing: budget tires,” said ETRMA secretary general Adam McCarthy. “Not enough consumers are aware of nor use the label to guide their choice.”

McCarthy called for “complementary strategies that act on price, cost of use, and incentives, while keeping the label itself simple and credible.”

ETRMA also urged EU member states “to incentivise the uptake of best-performing tires in public procurement and through other incentives based on the tire label.”

Clearer awareness and consistent use of the label, the association said, will “reward innovation and accelerate the market shift towards better-performing tires.”

Read the Full Liezeo Group Study.