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Tyre makers economical with the truth?
Date: 16 July 2014 | Author: Jack Carfrae
Economy ratings on tyre labels do not reveal the full story on fuel efficiency, says new research carried out by Emission Analytics.
The firm, which specialises in emissions data, proved that at certain speeds, tyres with lower efficiency ratings can perform just as well as higher-rated tyres. The research compared F- and B-rated tyres and found that between 40-55mph the more expensive B-rated tyre only saved about 4% in fuel. The gap between the two only begins to widen at around 70mph when the economy tyre returns a 13% saving.
"Our test found that at mid-range speeds, F-rated tyres can perform as well as B-rated tyres," said Nick Molden, founder of the company.
Molden is worried that buyers and fleets paying extra for economy tyres might not ever see genuine fuel savings if their journeys are confined to urban routes. This could have implications for public sector fleets such as council vehicles that rarely venture out onto fast A-roads and motorways.
"Tyre-efficiency labels don't provide enough information for buyers to make an informed choice," said Molden, who is calling for more real-world testing to replace the test-bench-measure rolling resistance.
