Class tires

The tire industry is researching the energy efficiency of tires. They should lead to a classification of tires in terms of the energy required to overcome rolling resistance.

The tire industry is doing research on… the energy efficiency of tires. They should lead to a classification of tires in terms of the energy required to overcome rolling resistance. However, the introduction of a general obligation to classify tires is still a long way off.

Better energy efficiency means less fuel burn, longer tire life and therefore less air pollution and, very importantly now, less dependence on crude oil. Not surprisingly, the rationalization of consumption energy is the apple of the apple of the eye of the European Union.

Tires in the book

The June 2005 Green Paper of the Commission of the European Communities on energy efficiency focuses on the automotive industry. Savings in this area can be found almost everywhere - from production to operation of the car. The book contains suggestions on how to achieve energy savings at low cost - some of which are already in use, such as the obligation to report carbon emissions, car manufacturers also post stickers with information about the correct air pressure in tires (and it is proposed to install pressure sensors in cars ). It is estimated that between 45 and 70 percent of cars are driven with too low pressure in at least one tire, which increases fuel consumption by 4 percent. Friction between tires and road surface can account for up to 20% of fuel consumption. Tires with the right performance characteristics can reduce them by 5%.

Fleet operators can save

The rolling resistance of a tire depends on the structure of the tire, the shape of the tread and the composition of the compound used to make the tire. “By the end of this year, tire manufacturers must complete the tests and submit the results to the European Commission,” says Malgorzata Babik from Michelin Polska. - They should contain rules for dividing tires into categories. Today, virtually every tire manufacturer offers energy efficient tires for cars and trucks. Especially in the case of the latter, the use of such tires is important. For fleet owners, even 5 percent. less fuel means huge amounts of money. Michelin, in turn, claims that the owner of a passenger car will save 8 fuel tanks by using a set of energy-efficient tires.

Prices? EU experts will focus on tire development – ​​It is not so easy, because in order to classify tires, it is necessary to develop a catalog of strict parameters that they must comply with, says engineer Piotr Lygan from Pirelli Polska. For this, centers for such tests must be established.

Only after all conditions have been met can a directive binding in the EU be issued. Initially it is planned that it will be ready in 2007. If this happens, will tires with the best energy class be more expensive than others? After all, for example, a washing machine of energy class A costs about 10 percent more than class B - Today it is difficult to talk about the price, - says Małgorzata Babik. – Today, the prices for energy-efficient tires are comparable to others. Michelin Energy with the same size and speed rating as the Pilot costs about PLN 15 more.