Purchasing tyres in Australia could be made easier if the country adopts the labelling system to be introduced in Europe
November 4, 2011
Tyre buyers could soon find the purchase decision for new tyres made a lot easier if Australia adopts the labelling system to be introduced in Europe in November 2012.
The labelling system will rate all tyres, from passenger vehicles to heavy trucks, in the areas of noise, wet road braking and rolling resistance on a seven step scale.
European Parliament MP Malcolm Harbour says the move to labelling is part of a larger safety package involving road transport in the European Union.
Harbour says tyres are difficult items to purchase and there is a need for independent information to assist consumers.
Goodyear’s general director of its Innovation Centre in Luxembourg, Jean Pierre Jeusette, says the company welcomes labelling as it will allow consumers to choose safer and more environmentally friendly tyres.
Jeusette says Goodyear has trained its dealers and sales staff to understand the labelling system and how to explain it to customers.
More than 270 engineers and testers were involved in the project, grading over 10,000 tyre types with a variety of cars, vans and trucks, ensuring the label system is a valid comparison for buyers.
As an example of the efficiency of the labels, Jeusette says there is a 7.5 percent difference in fuel consumption between tyres labelled ‘A’ and ‘G’ on the rolling resistance test.
The test spins tyres and rims at a set speed before a flywheel is pressed against it to measure how much speed is lost.