For some time now, refrigerators, washing machines, and other household appliances have had labels which allow consumers to understand how much energy these devices are consuming. While this has been altogether commonplace for a number of years, these labels are now being introduced to gauge the efficiency of car tires across Europe as well.
Image Credit: psmithy on Flickr | CC BY 2.0
The new tire label has been in force throughout the European Union since November of 2012.
These labels are quite advantageous, for motorists will now be better able to determine which tires may be the best to utilise for traversing winter roads and will serve to better clarify their environmental impact and specific handling characteristics of a particular tire.
The implementation of these labels is part of a wider European plan which aims to reduce energy consumption by 20% by the year 2020. The accurate measurement of car tire performance is crucial, for an increased rolling resistance may increase fuel consumption by as much as 25%. Therefore, higher fuel consumption will naturally lead to an increased production of carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases.
As in the appliance measurement system, this label is separated into three categories. Some of the variables include wet tire grip, rolling resistance, and noise. For ease of understanding, the classification utilised is similar to school grades. Level ‘A’ being the most superior while level ‘G’ represents the lowest rating for tire performance and handling.
The impact upon reduced fuel consumption is considerable, as the difference in various rating classes can be as high as .66 litres of extra fuel usage per kilometre.
Although professionals representing various auto associations welcome such a system, they are also quick to point out that it is nearly impossible for a tire to score perfect across every category. Also, they say that there are other methods to measure the performance of a tire. Nonetheless, the same can easily be said regarding the labelling of refrigerators for efficiency. Although a single rating was established in 1994, there have been numerous innovations during the years that followed. Thus, new labels were introduced that reflected the state-of-the-art advancements and the increased differentiation between different makes and models.
This post was written and supported by Bucher AG, a specialist air conditioning and refrigeration company that has been operating in excess of 60 years. With over 30 employees Bucher AG services all areas of Switzerland and is a member of the SVK Swiss Association for Refridgeration.
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