The Tyre Label Explained: Fuel, Wet Grip and Noise

Every new car tyre comes with a label that rates it on three things: how much fuel it uses, how well it grips in the wet, and how much noise it makes. Modelled on the familiar energy labels seen on white goods, it is designed to make tyres easier to compare at the point of sale.

The three ratings

A tyre label always covers the same three measures:

• Fuel efficiency: based on the tyre's rolling resistance, the energy it takes to keep the tyre rolling. Lower rolling resistance means less fuel used.
• Wet grip: how well the tyre brakes on a wet road, measured as straight-line wet braking distance. This is the key safety rating.
• External noise: the rolling noise the tyre makes on the outside of the car, which affects noise around busy roads rather than what the driver hears.

Each rating has its own detailed guide, covering wet braking and grip, fuel efficiency and external noise in turn. Alongside them, the label shows the supplier, the tyre size and class, and on newer labels may carry a snow or ice icon and a QR code.

What changed in 2021

On 1 May 2021 the European tyre label was overhauled, and the differences are worth knowing because both old and new styles are still encountered:

• Fuel efficiency and wet grip were rescaled from a seven-grade A to G scale down to a five-grade A to E scale, dropping the old, largely unused lower grades
• Noise changed from three black sound-wave bars to a single A, B or C class (the old three-wave tyre became class C)
• New icons were added: a 3PMSF snowflake for tyres certified for severe snow, and an ice grip symbol for tyres tested on ice
• A QR code was added, linking to the EU's EPREL product database for fuller information

The snow and ice icons reflect the same standards as the markings on the tyre itself, and how the severe-snow snowflake is earned is covered separately.

Great Britain and the EU: a difference worth knowing

There is a post-Brexit subtlety that many guides gloss over. The new 2021 label applies in the EU and Northern Ireland. Great Britain legally retained the older A to G scheme.

Do not assume the framework from the tyre manufacture date alone. Read the scale and values actually supplied for the exact product, and ask for clarification if two listings use different formats. The rules for the market of supply matter; the appearance of a familiar label does not remove those requirements.

What the label does not tell you

The label is a useful comparison, but a narrow one. It rates only fuel efficiency, wet braking and external noise. It says nothing about dry grip, cornering, aquaplaning resistance, high-speed stability, cabin noise or how long the tread lasts. A tyre can score well on the label and still differ markedly from a rival on the road, which is why independent tyre tests remain valuable alongside it.

It is also worth noting that some tyres are exempt, including retreads, racing tyres, off-road tyres, temporary spares and tyres for vehicles first registered before October 1990.

Make a useful three-stage comparison

First exclude tyres that do not meet the vehicle specification. Next compare the labels for the exact size, load rating and version, rather than a headline grade for the whole range. Finally use relevant independent tests to assess what the label leaves out, such as aquaplaning, dry handling and wear. If two listings disagree about the same product's label, ask for the manufacturer's product identifier and supporting information before relying on either figure.