In Northern Europe, new requirements are being introduced for studded tires
When a regulation was introduced in Northern Europe requiring winter tires to have either no more than 50 studs per meter of tread or meet road wear standards, it had a significant impact on the industry. Some manufacturers, such as Continental, claimed that a small number of studs was sufficient to provide high traction on ice, but then the studded (a record 250 at the time in size 205/55 R16) tire Michelin X-Ice North 4 appeared, showing such test results that other companies could not help but follow the example of the French, and now all top models have a large number of lightweight studs.
Since studs still damage roads, the requirements will be tightened, which, of course, is taken into account by manufacturers, and, for example, Continental reported that due to new regulations, it will stop producing Continental IceContact 3 and Gislaved Nord*Frost 200 tires no later than the end of 2026.
The control over the introduction of new rules is carried out by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, and tires that meet the new standard will be classified as A+, while the previous class is designated as A. Road wear should be reduced by 15%, and one of the most important innovations is that the tire must pass the test not in the most massive, as before, size, but in the one that is most difficult for it, that is, first of all, with the maximum number of studs per meter of tread. The new requirements will apply to C1 and C2 category tires (passenger and light truck), produced from January 1, 2027, and 2029, respectively.
"The introduction of the A+ standard marks important changes in the studded tire segment," said Per Lindberg, product manager at Continental's Swedish division. "For us, this is a search for a balance between safety and careful attitude to road infrastructure and the environment. We are making great efforts to ensure that our tires provide excellent traction on ice while meeting strict road wear requirements."
Some manufacturers have already tested tires according to the A+ standard, which, for example, include Continental IceContact 8, Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2, Vredestein Wintrac Ice+ and GT Radial Maxmiler Ice. Chinese companies are also "in trend", and the new requirements are met by Atlander Landerstuds ATL78, Grenlander Icedefensor Stud III and others.
In May, the Yle portal reported that 11 manufacturers, including Nokian with their new tires Nokian Hakkapeliitta 01, which reduce road wear due to the use of retractable studs, have passed certification. The development of the tire has been ongoing since 2014, and the new rules were one of the factors that accelerated the process. Mikko Liukkula, manager of the studded tire design department at Nokian, notes that "traditionally, the problem of road wear was solved by reducing the number of studs or reducing their protrusion", but the company has found a new approach.
Nokian promises that the reduction in road damage is up to 30% compared to the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10, while traction on ice and wet asphalt has been improved by 10 and 5%, respectively.