EU Tire Label Explained

EU tire label explained

The EU tire label provides important safety and environmental information about each tire. It helps you compare tires for wet grip, fuel efficiency and noise.

Where can I find the tire labelling?

It should be on the tire itself – it’s the law to provide an EU tire label. But if you can’t find it on the tire, ask your dealer or look on our website. 


Fuel efficiency

Did you know that tires account for up to 20% of your vehicle’s fuel consumption? Choosing tires with a high fuel efficiency rating will give you more miles from your tank and lower your CO2 emissions.

What makes a tire fuel-efficient?

Simply put, fuel-efficient tires require less energy to roll. This ultimately translates into less fuel used.  

How is fuel efficiency rated?

Fuel efficiency is rated from A to G on a colour-coded scale. 

  • A (green) = highest fuel efficiency rating 
  • G (red) = lowest fuel efficiency rating 
  • Rating D is not used for passenger cars.

What the tire fuel ratings mean

The difference between an A rating and a G rating could mean a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 7.5%. To put this in real terms, choosing A-rated tires instead of G-rated tires could save you more than 6 litres of fuel every 1,000 kilometres.* 

At an average petrol price of £1.10 per litre, that adds up to cost savings of more than £220 over the life of the tires.*

Don’t forget, you’ll also be reducing your environmental impact!

*Based on an average consumption of 8 litres/100km, a fuel price of £1.10/litre, and an average tire mileage of 35,000 km. Actual fuel and cost savings may vary depending, among other things, on tire pressure, vehicle weight and driving style.

What else affects fuel efficiency?

  • Low tire pressure. 

Not inflating your tires properly increases rolling resistance and affects grip in wet conditions.

  • The weight of your vehicle.

How much your car weighs and how you drive it can also make a big difference. You can reduce your fuel consumption by driving in a more energy-efficient way (also known as ‘eco-driving’) 

Label values shown are for illustrative purposes only. Values for a certain tire line/size may vary.


Wet grip rating

Tires with a high wet grip rating will stop more quickly on wet roads when full brakes are applied.

What is wet grip?

‘Wet grip’ is the tire’s ability to stick to the road in wet conditions. The EU rating focuses only on one aspect of wet grip – the wet braking performance of the tire.

How is wet grip rated?

Wet grip is rated from A to F: 

A = highest rating 

F = lowest rating 

Ratings D and G are not used for passenger cars.

What the wet grip ratings mean

In an emergency situation, a few metres can make all the difference. For a passenger car applying full brakes from 50mph, a set of A-rated tires will brake up to 18 metres shorter than a set of F-rated tires. *

Note: You should always respect the recommended stopping distances when driving.

*When measured according to the test methods set out in Regulation EC 1222/2009. Braking distances may vary according to driving conditions and other influencing factors.

Label values shown are for illustrative purposes only. Values for a certain tire line/size may vary.


Noise rating

Some of the pass-by noise a car makes comes from the tires. By choosing a tire with a good noise rating you can lower the impact of your driving on the surrounding environment.

What does the EU noise rating measure?

The EU rating measures the external noise emissions of the tire in decibels.

Since many people are unfamiliar with decibel values, a loudspeaker image with black waves is shown to signify how noisy the tire is. The more waves there are, the louder the tire.

  • 1 black wave: Quiet (3dB or more below the European limit)
  • 2 black waves: Moderate (between the European limit and 3dB below)
  • 3 black waves: Noisy (above the European limit)

What the noise ratings mean

Decibel levels are measured on a logarithmic scale. This means that an increase of just a few decibels represents a big difference in noise levels. In fact, a difference of 3dB doubles the amount of external noise the tire produces. 

Think about the many thousands of cars on our roads each day. If we all chose tires with lower noise ratings, imagine how much quieter our towns and cities would be.


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We put our own tires through fifty different tests to make sure each one meets the highest of standards. There is no bar higher than the one we set ourselves.

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