Award for the healthiest companies in Germany
Fuel Saver, Eco Impact, Ecopia, Energy Saver, Efficient Grip: anyone buying new summer tyres this year will have noticed that tyre manufacturers have been name-checking rolling resistance and fuel consumption. However, a search for the same features in winter tyres draws a blank across the board. Is carbon footprint reduction irrelevant where winter tyres are concerned? Does good grip on ice and snow automatically take precedence over saving energy? Not at all, claim TÜV SÜD's tyre experts.
Research and testing: Before making a purchase, car drivers should weigh up how they will actually be using their car in the winter season. Do they plan to make weekend skiing trips to the mountains? In this case, tyre properties under conditions of ice and snow are top priority. Drivers who expect to do extensive motorway driving should look out for durability and wet grip. Once drivers have determined their main type of winter driving, tyre test results provide a useful overview of winter tyre characteristics. All well-known tests now include rolling resistance.
Safety and environment: Safety must not be sacrificed to energy efficiency. "Products by the best-known major tyre manufacturers all offer a good compromise between features such as snow grip, durability, wet and dry handling properties and rolling resistance", confirms Staude.
Pressure and fuel consumption: Tyre pressure has a significant effect on fuel consumption. When pressure falls by even a few tenths of a bar, rolling resistance may soar by up to 20 per cent – while safety plummets. Drivers in the EU waste over two billion euros every year by failing to maintain adequate tyre pressure! "0.2 or 0.3 bar more can't hurt", recommends Staude. However, if you plan to push your winter tyres to the limit – such as driving in the mountains – it is better to keep to the exact tyre pressure quoted. Staude notes, "This is when the tyre properties are at their best."
