Read EU tire-label grades and snow or ice symbols
How to read the revised EU tire label: A–E rolling-resistance and wet-grip grades, noise dB and class, snow and ice pictograms, and what the sidewall shows instead.
Contents
The short answer
The EU tire label is a sticker or point-of-sale image. It reports test results in three areas. Rolling resistance (fuel efficiency) and wet grip are each graded A to E, with A best. External rolling noise is shown as a decibel figure plus a class from A to C, with A quietest. Two optional pictograms may also appear: a three-peak mountain snowflake for snow and an ice stalagmite for ice. Each shows that the tire has met a specified minimum test performance on that surface. The current version of the label comes from Regulation (EU) 2020/740 and has applied since May 2021.
The label and the tire's sidewall are separate sources of information. The A–E grades and the noise figure appear on the label, not molded into the rubber. The sidewall carries permanent molded markings such as the size designation. The snow symbol is the one label item that can also be molded onto the sidewall of a qualifying tire.
The label is an EU requirement. Tires bought outside the EU may not come with one. If you are comparing a tire sold elsewhere, check whether an EU label exists for that exact tire before you rely on these grades.
How to tell whether you are looking at the 2021 label
The clearest sign is the length of the grade scales. The revised label uses five levels, A to E, for rolling resistance and wet grip. The earlier label used seven levels. The revised label also has a QR code, which leads to public product details, the label itself and the tire's product information sheet. It can also show snow and ice pictograms.
Do not compare a grade on an old seven-level label directly with a grade on a revised five-level label. The letters sit on different scales. When comparing candidates, use revised labels for all of them where possible.
Reading the label step by step
- 1. Confirm the tire identity. Michelin lists the identification fields on the label as the supplier name or trademark, the tire type identifier, the size designation and the tire class. Make sure these match the exact tire and size you are considering, because grades can differ between sizes of the same model.
- 2. Read the fuel-efficiency grade (rolling resistance), A to E. A means lower rolling resistance, so less energy is lost as the tire rolls.
- 3. Read the wet-grip grade, A to E. A means a shorter braking distance on a wet surface in the standardized test.
- 4. Read the external rolling noise. Note both the dB(A) value and the A–C class. A is quieter.
- 5. Check for the snow pictogram (three-peak mountain snowflake) and the ice pictogram (ice stalagmite).
- 6. Scan the QR code if you want the full product information sheet or want to confirm the label matches the product.
What each grade does and does not tell you
Fuel efficiency: A versus C
An A-rated tire has lower measured rolling resistance than a C-rated tire. Lower rolling resistance means the engine or motor has less resistance to overcome. The label does not give a fuel or range saving in miles per gallon or dollars, though. How much difference you would see depends on the vehicle, how and where it is driven, and how well tire pressure is kept up. Treat the letter as a relative ranking from a common test, not a promised saving.
Wet grip
The wet-grip grade ranks braking on wet pavement under a defined test method. Manufacturers report grades using results from tests with European-defined methods, so tires with revised labels are graded on the same basis. The grade covers wet braking only. It does not describe dry handling, snow or ice.
External rolling noise
The noise rating measures the sound a tire makes for people outside a passing vehicle. It does not measure noise inside the cabin, such as resonance inside the tire carried into the car. A quieter label rating may or may not mean a quieter interior. When two tires share a noise class, the dB(A) number is the finer comparison.
Snow and ice pictograms
Both pictograms show a pass against a minimum test threshold. They are not a grade, so they do not tell you how far above the minimum a tire performed. The snow pictogram is the three-peak mountain snowflake. The ice pictogram applies to C1 tires, the class covering passenger-car tires. A tire with neither symbol has not been shown to meet those minimums. That does not by itself make it unusable in winter, but the label offers no snow or ice evidence for it.
Label versus sidewall: where each item lives
| Information | Where you find it | Notes |
| Supplier name or trademark | Label (the brand also appears on the sidewall) | Use it with the type identifier to match the exact product |
| Tire type identifier | Label | Identifies the specific product the grades belong to |
| Size designation | Label and molded sidewall | Check that both match the size you need |
| Tire class | Label | The ice pictogram applies to C1 passenger-car tires |
| Rolling-resistance grade (A–E) | Label only | Not molded into the tire |
| Wet-grip grade (A–E) | Label only | Not molded into the tire |
| External noise dB(A) and class (A–C) | Label only | Measures passing noise, not cabin noise |
| Snow symbol (three-peak mountain snowflake) | Label, and molded on the sidewall of qualifying tires | The sidewall marking stays after the sticker is gone |
| Ice symbol (ice stalagmite) | Label | C1 passenger-car tires |
| QR code | Label | Links to public product details and the information sheet |
In practice, the sidewall is how you identify a tire already on a vehicle, and the label is how you compare tires before buying. Once a tire is fitted and the sticker removed, the A–E grades and noise figure cannot be read from the tire. To recover them, find the label or information sheet for that exact type identifier and size.
Comparing two tires with the label
The label shows trade-offs; it does not pick a winner. A simple worksheet keeps the comparison honest. First record the label version and exact tire identity. Then put each rating in its own column instead of merging them into one score.
Hypothetical example, not real products: two candidates in the same size, both on revised labels.
| Item | Tire X (hypothetical) | Tire Y (hypothetical) |
| Label version | Revised (A–E) | Revised (A–E) |
| Size and type identifier | Matches required size | Matches required size |
| Rolling resistance | B | A |
| Wet grip | A | B |
| External noise | 70 dB(A) | 71 dB(A) |
| Snow symbol | Record yes or no | Record yes or no |
| Ice symbol | Record yes or no | Record yes or no |
In this example, Tire X ranks better for wet braking and is 1 dB quieter outside the vehicle. Tire Y ranks better for rolling resistance. Which matters more depends on your situation. If you drive often on wet roads, the wet-grip grade carries weight. If efficiency or range is your priority, rolling resistance does. If you need tires for snow or ice, the pictograms become a screening step before the letter grades. The worksheet deliberately gives no overall winner and no predicted savings, because the label does not support either.
The label also does not confirm that a tire suits your vehicle. Size, load and speed requirements still come from the vehicle's specifications, and the size designation on the label and sidewall must match them.
Related articles
Distinguish minimum dual spacing, wheel centerline distance and sidewall clearance
What minimum dual tire spacing means, how it differs from sidewall clearance and axle spacing, and how to read the spec for a dual-wheel truck such as a Chevy dually.
Distinguish REGROOVABLE markings from regrooved and retreaded tires
A REGROOVABLE sidewall marking describes how a tire was built, not what has been done to it. Learn how it differs from regrooved and retreaded tires and what evidence confirms each.
Identify Pirelli PNCS acoustic treatment and distinguish external-noise grades
What Pirelli PNCS means, how to confirm a tire has it, and why the EU external-noise class and dB(A) value measure something different.
Identify Continental FR rim-protector features and verify catalog terminology
What FR means on a Continental tire, where the flange rib sits, how it appears in a size designation, and how to tell it apart from other rim-guard codes.
Interpret MPT, IND, ML, ET and POR tire markings in their documented contexts
What MPT, IND, ML, ET and POR mean on a tire designation, where each code sits, and why IND's axle-role wording differs between Continental, EDIWheel and Trelleborg.
Interpret Yokohama sidewall dots and distinguish tread paint stripes
A red dot on a new Yokohama tire marks its point of maximum radial force variation; a yellow dot marks its lightest point. Learn how they differ from tread stripes.
Decode Goodyear aircraft tire sizes and sidewall information
How to read Goodyear aircraft tire sizes in Three Part, Radial, Metric, Type VII and Type III formats, and how to separate size from other sidewall markings.
Identify blackwall, whitewall and tire-lettering appearance codes
OWL means outlined white letters; BW or BSW means a plain black sidewall. Learn how to decode tire appearance codes and tell whitewalls from tread stripes.
Find an EPREL tire label and check its product identity
How to open a tire's EPREL record from its label QR code, and how to check that the record matches the physical tire and the manufacturer's listing before you compare grades.
Understand NHS Tire Markings and Distinguish Adjacent Size and Rating Numbers
NHS on a tire means Not for Highway Service. Learn what the marking covers for car and truck tires, and how to tell whether a nearby 8 or 12 is a size or a ply rating.