Tyre Label Information: How to Read the EU Tyre Label and E/e Approval Marks

The short answer

Tyre label information usually refers to one of two things. The first is the EU tyre label, a sticker or printed label supplied with a new tyre sold in the European Union. It rates a few tested properties using letter grades and pictograms. The second is the set of approval markings moulded into the tyre's sidewall, mainly the E or e mark. That mark shows the tyre type was approved under a European or UN regulatory scheme. The number beside the letter identifies the authority's country that granted the approval.

Neither one tells you whether a tyre suits your vehicle. The label compares tyres on specific test results. The approval mark shows regulatory approval. Fitment depends on size, load index, speed rating and the vehicle maker's specification, which come from the vehicle documentation.

US readers should know that the EU label and European approval marks are a separate system from the US one. Tyres sold in the United States carry DOT markings and, for most passenger tyres, Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) information. A tyre made for global markets may carry both sets of markings, so an E mark on a tyre sold in the US is normal.

What type approval means

Type approval is confirmation from an approval authority that production samples of a product meet specified performance standards. It is not a one-off check: the manufacturer must also show continuing conformity of production, meaning tyres built later still match the approved type. Two approval schemes appear on tyres, the UN scheme and the EU scheme, and each has its own symbol.

Capital E versus lowercase e

• Capital E with a number inside a circle: approval under a UN regulation, developed through the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and applied by many countries. UN Regulation 30 covers passenger car tyres.
• Lowercase e with a number inside a rectangle: approval under the European Union's own type-approval scheme, often called the little e mark.
• The number beside the letter: the country of the authority that granted the approval.
• The string of characters printed near the symbol: the approval number, which identifies that specific approval. EU type-approval numbers on certificates also begin with a lowercase e.

The quickest visual check is the shape and the letter case. A circle with a capital E points to UN approval. A rectangle with a lowercase e points to EU approval. Some tyres carry both, each with its own approval string.

( E # )  approval string   <- circle, capital E: UN approval
[ e # ]  approval string   <- rectangle, lowercase e: EU approval

# = number of the approving authority's country

What an approval mark does not tell you

• It is not the manufacture date. The date is a separate code elsewhere on the sidewall.
• It is not the country of manufacture. The number identifies the approving authority, not the factory.
• It is not a performance grade or quality ranking. It shows the tyre type met the regulation's requirements, not how well it performs against other tyres.
• It is not a fitment guarantee for any particular vehicle.

How to read the mark on your own tyre

• Find the circle or rectangle on the sidewall. It is usually small and close to the other regulatory markings.
• Note the letter case and the shape: capital E in a circle, or lowercase e in a rectangle.
• Write down the full mark exactly as moulded, including the number beside the letter and the whole approval string next to it, along with any letters or suffixes that follow.
• To decode suffixes or the exact meaning of each part of the string, check the text of the regulation that applies or the tyre manufacturer's documentation. Formats differ between regulations and their versions; for example, a suffix such as S is used with approvals for external rolling noise.

In the UK, the vehicle roadworthiness test manual for cars and light commercial vehicles refers to the tyre approval mark as an E marking with a number inside a circle, which is the form most often checked on car tyres.

Reading the EU tyre label

The current EU tyre label format has applied since May 2021 under Regulation (EU) 2020/740. It shows the following:

• Fuel efficiency: a grade from A (best) to E, based on rolling resistance, which is the energy a tyre loses as it rolls. Lower rolling resistance generally means lower fuel or electricity use.
• Wet grip: a grade from A (best) to E, reflecting braking performance on wet roads.
• External rolling noise: a decibel (dB) value plus a class from A (quietest) to C. This is noise heard outside the vehicle, not cabin noise.
• Snow and ice pictograms, where applicable: the snow symbol corresponds to the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) marking for severe snow conditions, and a separate ice pictogram may appear on tyres approved for ice.
• A QR code: links to the tyre's entry in the EU product database (EPREL).

A common question is how much a grade A tyre saves over a grade C tyre for fuel efficiency. The label does not express the difference as a fixed percentage, and the real-world effect depends on the vehicle, its load, driving style and tyre pressure. Use the grades to rank tyres of the same size against each other rather than to predict a fuel bill.

Choosing replacement tyres with this information

Start with the vehicle manufacturer's tyre specification, usually listed in the owner's manual or on the door-jamb placard, and match size, load index and speed rating. Then use the label grades to compare the tyres that meet that specification, keeping in mind that the label covers only fuel efficiency, wet grip, external noise and, where shown, snow and ice. It does not rate dry handling, wear life or comfort. Approval rules and label formats are revised over time, so for a legal or roadworthiness question, check the current regulation text or your national vehicle authority's guidance for your jurisdiction.