Europe has become the first region in the world to start using an ice grip symbol for tyres.
The first EU tyre labels for all-season tyres, summer tyres, and non-studded winter tyres started selling in 2012.
But now the labels have changed, a snow grip symbol and QR code leading to a massive new database have been added to the tyres. The new symbols help consumers to compare different alternatives and to choose safe tyres that reduce emissions. As a winter tyre pioneer, Nokian Tyres has long advocated for developing the labels.
The right tyres for the right conditions
The earlier tyre labels did not communicate the true characteristics of high-quality winter tyres, and to this end, Nokian Tyres has been working for years to develop the labels further. This work is now paying off.
”In practice, wet grip is the opposite of ice grip: developing one usually reduces the other. Tyres designed for Central Europe emphasize the characteristics required on bare roads, whereas the ice grip symbol indicates that the tyre genuinely works and remains safe in the challenging Nordic winter conditions. The snow grip symbol, for its part, indicates that the tyre meets the EU’s official requirements for grip on snow; this is especially significant in Germany, Italy, and the Nordic countries. We do not recommend using tyres designed for Central Europe under conditions that they are not intended for”, says Technical Customer Service Manager Matti Morri from Nokian Tyres.