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EU Tyre label

EU tyre label

The new EU tyre label provides important information about safety and environmental aspects of a tyre. Similar to the energy label found on domestic appliances, the EU tyre label makes it easy to make comparisons between products from different sources. In the case of truck tyres the comparisons are in terms of wet grip, fuel efficiency and external noise.

Where can I find the EU tyre label?

Since November 2012, all new tyres, with very few exceptions, have an EU tyre label. For commercial vehicle tyres, the label grades must be shown in all promotional technical material and on the internet. EU ratings are displayed for each tyre on our website.

Fuel efficiency

Fuel efficiency is directly related to the rolling resistance of a tyre. The lower the rolling resistance the less power is required to move the vehicle and so less fuel is used.

How is fuel efficiency rated?

The tyre label shows the fuel efficiency rated from A to F (G is not used on a truck tyre label) on a color-coded scale. A (green) is the highest fuel efficiency rating and F (red) is the lowest fuel efficiency rating.

What do the ratings mean?

Goodyear’s most fuel efficient truck tyre range is FUELMAX. Among the three FUELMAX families - FUELMAX S steer tyres, FUELMAX D drive tyres and FUELMAX T trailer tyres – both the steer and trailer tyre ranges include tyres that qualify for the most economic A-grades in fuel efficiency according to the EU tyre label requirements. The 385/55R22.5 FUELMAX S steer tyre is believed to be the first truck steer tyre on the market to achieve an A-grade in fuel efficiency. The financial and ecological savings that FUELMAX can offer are considerable. An operator with a fleet of 50 trucks can save up to €230,000 each year by using FUELMAX tyres in place of tyres of the same size but which have EU Tyre Label D-grade for fuel efficiency. This saving relates to up to €4,655 per truck per year*. *The calculations are based on a typical 40 tonne 4x2 tractor unit and tri-axle trailer combination, an annual mileage of 100,000 kms, a fuel consumption of 32.3 l/100km and a diesel price of 1.50 euros per liter. Actual fuel consumption and cost saving may vary, depending on road condition driving style and other influencing factors.

What else influences fuel efficiency?

For optimal fuel efficiency, tyres must be correctly inflated. Low tyre pressure increases rolling resistance and impacts on wet grip performance, not only that but tyre life will be considerably shortened.

Wet Grip

Wet grip is an important factor to consider when choosing new truck tyres. Tyres with a high wet grip rating will stop shorter on wet roads when full brakes are applied. ‘Wet grip’ is the tyre’s ability to adhere to the road in wet conditions. The EU rating focuses only on one aspect of wet grip – the wet braking performance of the tyre.

How is wet grip rated?

Wet grip is rated from A to F with A being the highest rating and F the lowest. G Ratings are not used for commercial vehicle tyres.

What do the ratings mean?

With wet grip performance, the difference between A-grade and F-grade tyres could be up to 30% shorter braking distance. This means as much as 25 meters shorter stopping distance for a typical truck and semi-trailer operating at 40 tonnes GTW and driving at 80 km/h.*

* Actual stopping distance may vary, depending on road condition, ABS, driving style and other influencing factors.


Tyres contribute to the amount of drive-by noise a vehicle generates. Choosing a truck tyre with a low noise rating will reduce the impact on the surrounding environment.

What do the EU noise ratings mean?

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

Since many people are unfamiliar with decibel values, the noise class is also shown. This categorizes the tyre in relation to forthcoming European tyre noise limits.

  • 1 black wave: Quiet (3dB or more below the future European limit which will be mandatory for all tyres produced after Oct 31, 2016 )

What the 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 tyre produces.