How the "Euro-7" standard will affect the tire industry

The introduction of the new "Euro-7" standard for passenger cars, scheduled for 2027, will have a direct impact on the tire industry, as not only emissions of exhaust gases will be taken into account, but also emissions of solid particles formed as a result of tire wear. The maximum limit has not been determined yet, but the UNECE has already ruled that the assessment of emissions will be carried out over a distance of 8,000 km, and the foundations of the methodology for future tests have also been laid.

It is impossible to completely eliminate friction between the tire and the asphalt, as it creates traction, and even the most wear-resistant tires lose about 1 kg of rubber at the end of their life cycle, so the goal that manufacturers now face is to achieve the best balance between safety, the cost of the finished product, and environmental impact.

AlVolante notes that, since environmental issues will become increasingly important in the future, tire companies are now optimizing their production processes and technologies, trying to find new compromise solutions, as, for example, more rigid rubber compounds reduce tread wear and, therefore, micro-particle emissions, but also increase the braking distance. Michelin, for example, uses diagnostic systems that allow weighing and analyzing particles in real-time to develop new compounds that reduce harmful emissions and are biodegradable, while Continental is expanding the use of various environmentally friendly materials that can reduce tire weight, slow down wear, and reduce rolling resistance. At the same time, Pirelli has an Elect technology adapted to the characteristics of electric cars, which can provide a 20% increase in wear resistance.

It is the increasingly popular electric cars that make the problem even more complicated for tire manufacturers, as they are on average 20-30% heavier than similar cars with internal combustion engines, which, combined with instantly available high torque, further increases the load on the tires, and research says that in some cases, tread wear can accelerate by 50%.

All this means that tire manufacturers have to increase investments in research, development, and testing of their products, and here, the growth of costs for raw materials that are becoming more expensive is also added, so, according to expert estimates, due to all these factors, the increase in tire prices may be up to 15%.