A host of new vehicle safety and environmental requirements, including several tyre related measures, will become obligatory as of 2012. On May 23 the European Commission unveiled its timetable for the introduction of these measures, of which European Commission vice-president Günter Verheugen said: “We are simplifying legislation. We are improving road safety. We are promoting fuel efficiency. We are presenting a modern integrated policy approach beneficiary for citizens, for the environment and the industry.”

Low rolling resistance tyres (LRRT) are to become obligatory from 2012, and the European Commission notes that, in order to avoid any negative impact on safety, explicit safety requirements are to be introduced alongside new standards on noise. Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems will also become obligatory from 2012. Deflated tyres, comments the Commission, can cause up to a 4 per cent increase in fuel consumption while reducing tyre lifespan by 45 per cent. Tyres can lose 3 to 6 per cent pressure per month, and this may not be noticed by the driver. According to research by TNO in the Netherlands, the fuel saving potential of LRRT and TPMS in passenger cars is 3 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively. For new cars with expected engine test cycle performance of 130 g CO2/km this would mean additional reductions of more than 7 g CO2/km (3.9 LRRT and 3.25 TPMS). The CO2 reduction potential of LRRT+TPMS on a current car (with a test cycle of, for instance, 160g) would be greater than 7kg/tonne.