The EU tire label renewal

A revised version of the EU tire label will be in effect on May 1, 2021 onwards. This will bring with it several changes in the actual content of the label as well as how it must be displayed. 

The EU tire label has been mandatory on all summer, all-season and non-studded winter tires for passenger cars, SUVs and vans sold in the EU area since 2012. With the three classification criteria, fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise, its aim has been to make it easier for drivers to make informed choices when they are buying tires. The label renewal aims to make the choice for safer and fuel-efficient tires even easier. 

The new label includes the same three classification as before. However, the classes in wet grip and fuel efficiency are renewed to be similar to those of other household appliances. The empty classes are removed, and the scale is from A to E. In addition, there is a new way of marking noise class with letters from A to C, but the decibel level remains as earlier.   

In addition to the old criteria, the new label introduces Snow Grip Marking as well as Ice Grip Marking. A tire that is approved for severe snow conditions has the Snow Grip Marking, and a tire that passes the international ice grip test method has the Ice Grip Marking on their label.  

The new label includes a QR code that can be scanned to see more information about the tire in EPREL, European Product Registry for Energy Labelling. The tire label is also available for download and print out in EPREL.  

The use of the physical label on tire tread surface will be widened to also include truck and bus tires, where until now it has been required to show label grades only in marketing materials and technical specifications. Ice grip marking is not applicable for truck and bus tires. 

Better road safety: With the new Snow and Ice Grip Markings, it is easier for drivers in areas with severe winter conditions, such as in the Scandinavian countries, to buy tires that are safer on their winter roads.  

Lower emissions: The renewed label aims to help the driver choose more fuel-efficient tires and this way reduce the emissions from traffic.  

The new regulation states, that the label information must be clearly visible in your point of sale. In case of the tire not being physically available at a store, the information must be provided digitally.  

We will keep you updated on the mandatory actions concerning the label and its visibility. 

What does Nokian Tyres do for you?  

As before, Nokian Tyres provides each tire with the relevant EU tire label. Also all the promotional material we produce for you will have the tire label information as requested by the regulations. In addition, we will register all our products in the EPREL database.  

Please note that tires placed on the market by the supplier before May 1, 2021 do not need to be relabeled. There will be tires in the market with old and new labels for some time.