How to read the tyre label properly
A tyre label in Great Britain grades three things: fuel efficiency from A to G, wet grip from A to G, and external noise in decibels. Great Britain kept the older Regulation 1222/2009 after leaving the EU, so the scale here runs to G and carries no QR code. Northern Ireland follows the current EU label, which runs A to E.
The three graded figures
Fuel efficiency is really rolling resistance, and on an electric car it is range. The difference between the best and worst grade in the same size is worth several per cent of how far you get.
Wet grip is a braking distance test, and it is the one to weight most heavily. The gap between the top grade and the bottom, on a full emergency stop from motorway speed, is measured in car lengths.
External noise is measured outside the car, in decibels, for the benefit of people living beside roads. It correlates loosely with what you hear inside and not reliably. Acoustic foam, which is what actually quietens a cabin, does not show up here at all.
What the label does not tell you
Nothing about dry grip, nothing about tread life on the European label, nothing about ride comfort, nothing about how the tyre behaves once it is half worn, and nothing about steering feel.
It is a floor, not a recommendation. Two tyres with identical grades can be very different to drive, which is why independent magazine tests still matter.
Reading it as an EV owner
Weight the efficiency figure more than a petrol driver would, because on an electric car it converts directly into range rather than into a few pence of fuel.
Weight the noise figure less than you would expect, and ask instead whether the fitment is available with an acoustic foam liner. That is the thing that changes the cabin.
Never let a good label grade talk you past the load index. The label describes performance; the placard describes what the tyre is allowed to carry.
Common questions
- Is a grade A tyre always better?
- No. It is better on the one measure being graded. A tyre can be excellent on wet grip and mediocre everywhere else.
- Does the label change with size?
- Yes, and this matters. Grades are measured per size, so the same pattern can carry different grades in 17 inch and 19 inch. A listing quoting one set of grades for the whole range is not telling you about your size.
Last checked 2026-09-22. Where this page and your own vehicle disagree, the vehicle wins.