Does the New EU Tyre Label Change Affect the UK?

The EU announced changes to tyre labels as of May 2021, but will this affect the UK? The team at ASDA Tyres investigates.

After the announcement from the EU that the tyre labelling scheme is going to be redesigned, there have been many questions on how this will affect the UK. The aim of the change is to ensure improved functionality for consumers, so read on to see how this will affect you and other drivers around the UK. 

The EU tyre label was introduced by the EU in 2012 and was produced to provide vital information that both the consumer and manufacturer needs in order to ensure optimal tyre safety, as well as informing them how the tyre impacts the environment. This is important because this is a crucial factor that a consumer needs in order to evaluate the quality of the tyres they are purchasing for their vehicle. 

Not only important for the consumer, but this is also crucial for the manufacturer, as they are able to get across vital information to the consumer, which can determine whether or not they purchase their brand of tyres. 

Tyres already have a current label, which provides information on the tyres wet grip, noise level and fuel economy. The fuel economy label is crucial for the consumer, as they will use this information to determine whether or not they purchase certain tyres due to how much money they are willing to spend on a regular basis. This is because tyres are responsible for up to 20% of the vehicle’s fuel consumption. 

Safety is another large factor that needs to be taken into consideration, so the wet grip label allows manufacturers to put across this information in a simple way. The wet grip affects the tyres braking distance and grip in wet conditions. For example, an A-rated tyres braking distance will be a whole 18 metres shorter than an F-rated tyre in wet weather conditions. 

Lastly but not least, the noise rating tells the consumer the decibel rating. Alongside providing information on how quiet the drive will be, it also currently displays whether it will meet the future EU regulations.

What is changing?

There are a number of changes happening to the labelling of tyres. These include but are not limited to; the new labelling will be set out in a more visible and clearer way whilst performing the removal of any unused performance classes. Snow and ice grip will be added in order for consumers to easily identify the best winter tyre for their vehicle. This will now include bus and truck tyres into this labelling scheme. This will mean a mammoth rise in uploads to the European Product Database with more than 120,000 tyres needing to be added. Other improvements that are going to be made for the functionality for consumers include: 

1. Under the new regulation, bus and truck tyres will also be covered (tyre class C1, C2, C3).
2. Additional information (tyre type identifier = art. no.).
3. In addition to the standard label, there are also options for including icons relating to severe snow conditions (3PMSF) and/or grip in icy conditions (for C1 tyres only).
4. Noise classes: ABC replace sound waves.
5. Reclassification for lower label classes:D is the new E; Class D no longer empty (for C1 & C2 tyres only); F and G merge to form E.
6. QR code for each tyre type identifier with link to EU product database (EPREL).

Although there has been speculation on whether the industry will be able to transition to this new system amidst an already challenging environment, the industry as a whole has reacted positively to the change. 

When is it happening?

2021 will see the change implemented, so it isn’t too long to wait. The 1st of May 2021 to be exact, will see the banning of certain tyres from EU roads, despite a transition period being provided for most. This decision allows the labelling method to show its functionality in multiple countries across the world in a short period of time. However, the decisions made regarding Brexit will of course have an impact on the UK. 

Will it affect the UK?

During the process for the new EU tyre label, the UK government held a consultation in which they discussed three new legislations and how and when it will affect the UK. These were; Minimum standards legislation, current tyre labelling legislation and forthcoming labelling legislation. These are all, as of the present moment, still being discussed. However, a decision was made in which after the introduction date of the new label on 01/05/2021. Low-performing car and van tyres can no longer be supplied legally in the UK. 

Commercial vehicles, however, have until May 2023. This will not be possible to achieve overnight, so manufacturers have a 30-month grace period to sell off tyres that will no longer meet the rules. This has already commenced for car and van tyres starting on 01/11/2018.  

Another point that was discussed in the “Improving new vehicle safety and environmental compliance plus passenger vehicle digital radio requirement” consultation is as follows:

• Repair and maintenance (RMI) data from the on-board diagnostics (OBD)  port will be available for fast-fits and garages. This was a confirmed piece of legislation for the EU in September but had to be confirmed in the UK too due to Brexit. A statement from the Department of Transport read: “We can confirm that the definition of OBD in Article 3(49) of Regulation (EU) 2018/858 will be applied in the UK, as it is in the EU.” This helps independent garages remain on a level playing field with larger organisations. 

Although there has been no confirmation of whether the new labelling requirements will be fully adopted by the UK as they are currently in the EU, there is a high possibility of it being identically implemented in the UK over the coming months. This decision is finalised and made by the UK’s ministers. Based on past outcomes, it is likely that it will be accepted as is. 

At ASDA Tyres, we ensure all our tyres are in line with all legal regulations and rules and are of high quality with excellent performance. You can be sure of a safe drive with ASDA Tyres by simply entering your number plate, choosing your tyre size and selecting your preferred delivery option to get you moving safely and efficiently.