It's time to change tyres. While from 15 October it has already been possible to swap to winter tyres, from 15 November it will become compulsory to use this type of tyre until 15 April next year. This is a priority matter in terms of road safety, but not only: in Europe, road transport generates around 500,000 tonnes of wear particles from tyres and road surfaces every year.

How Brussels wants to limit the environmental impact of tyres

The issue therefore has significant implications from an environmental standpoint as well. It is no coincidence that tyre abrasion is a topic covered by the Euro 7 regulation, approved in July of last year. This measure will make it possible to measure the total wear particle emissions from all tyres sold on the European market: those that fail to meet the required standards will no longer be allowed on sale. Brussels' objective is clear: to significantly reduce the quantity of tyre particles emitted across the continent, in order to support the environmental transition of the sector and protect responsible manufacturers who uphold the highest standards of innovation.

It is important to highlight that not all tyres are equal — not only when it comes to vehicle performance, but also with regard to environmental impact: depending on manufacturers' design choices — mileage lifespan, materials and architecture — emissions can vary by as much as four times. Introducing, for the first time, emission thresholds for wear particles from tyres is a measure fully supported by Michelin, the leading manufacturer in Europe and worldwide.

Euro 7 regulation: the question of measurement methodology

Over the past 20 years, Michelin has invested with growing commitment in research and development (786 million euros in 2024 alone), in order to reduce tyre abrasion by deepening its understanding of the phenomenon. At the end of 2023, it established BioDLab, a joint laboratory with the CNRS and the Université Clermont Auvergne, which will conduct in-depth research into the bio-deterioration of wear particles and develop concrete solutions to make them more sustainable. By optimising the use of raw materials and basing its design choices on materials science, the company managed to reduce wear emissions by 5 per cent between 2015 and 2020, preventing the release of 100,000 tonnes of particles. Last June, the German motoring association ADAC published a new study covering 160 tyre models: the results showed that Michelin tyres emit, on average, 26 per cent fewer particles than those of four other premium manufacturers. This leadership will allow the Group to comply with the Euro 7 regulation as early as 2028 for its new products and, by 2030, across its entire passenger car range.

With regard to the European regulation, a decisive battle will now be fought over the reliability of the measurement methodology. Two options are on the table: the real-world on-road test — which measures emissions in grams per kilometre per tonne of load — and the laboratory drum method, which is still under development. The discrepancies between the two systems are significant, with divergences recorded in 28 per cent of cases: the same tyre would, in essence, be banned from sale (abrasion index of 1.42) under the on-road test, yet approved (index of 0.83) under the laboratory method. "While Europe is becoming aware of the need to support its own industry without abandoning its environmental ambitions," explained Florent Menegaux, Chairman of the Michelin Group, "the decisions on the tyre test method under the Euro 7 regulation perfectly illustrate the choices it faces: supporting innovation and rigour for the benefit of the environment, or accepting compromises that undermine the standard and penalise responsible stakeholders." Adopting the laboratory method immediately would, in essence, entail serious economic and environmental risks, incentivising the importation into the continent of less innovative tyres and undermining the effectiveness of the Euro 7 regulation.