Continental shares details of the up-to-date regulations for winter equipment required for trucks and buses travelling across Europe, and also explains VECTO and the latest CO2 emissions.
To help fleet operators understand the latest regulatory requirements in individual countries, Continental is once again releasing an overview of the European regulations regarding winter equipment for trucks and buses.
In the coming winter season (2020/2021), tyres marked with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) will be mandatory in selected European countries. In line with these regulatory requirements, all Continental steer and drive axle tyres for truck and bus – the 17.5, 19.5 and 22.5 inch sizes – are available with 3PMSFcertified variants. Continental claims to offer one of the broadest truck and bus winter tyre portfolios in the industry.
What makes a winter tyre?
For driving safely with optimal traction, even on damp or icy roads, Continental recommends fitting trucks and buses with winter tyres on steer and drive axles for the cold winter season. Identified by the snowflake symbol on the tyre sidewall, the dedicated winter tyre portfolio by Continental easily outperforms M+S (Mud + Snow) tyres, whilst it also significantly exceeds the requirements of the Alpine symbol certification.
For winter tyres to be labelled with the 3PMSF symbol, they have to pass a standard practical test defined in UN regulation 117 and exhibit suitability for winter use on snowy roads in a braking and traction comparison test. Tyres marked with M+S provide a tread pattern or structure that is designed to deliver performance that exceeds that of a standard tyre in snowy conditions. The M+S label is not subject to a defined test procedure.
What is VECTO?
Continental has unveiled a new explainer video on the VECTO (Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculator Tool) initiative which highlights what rolling resistance is and how it has a direct impact on fuel costs, as well as on the CO2 emission of a fleet.
The video focuses on different target conflicts that might arise when choosing rolling resistance optimised tyres, and it reveals further factors that can impact rolling resistance, such as different payload conditions, air pressure, or the application of a fleet. The new content is the latest asset to be found on Continental’s VECTO microsite, which also includes infographics and further background information to shed light on the important role that tyres play, including reducing CO2 emissions.
In line with the Paris Agreement to combat climate change, the first CO2 emissions regulations for new heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) were introduced by the European Commission in 2019. These new regulations will mean cutting the average CO2 emissions from new HDVs by 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030, compared to figures from July 2019 to June 2020.
Here to help
Given that tyres significantly influence fuel consumption – and, therefore, the CO2 emissions generated by a vehicle – Continental has launched a microsite to provide fleet managers with information about the new regulations and the implications for their trucks.
The site includes:
- Embedded videos, including the video detailed here explaining how the VECTO simulation tool works and what exactly is calculated for the HDVs
- Information about the business effects for fleet operators, focusing on fuel efficiency and greater transparency with regards to the purchase of a truck
- An infographic with facts and figures showing how the VECTO tools performs its calculations, which vehicles are affected, the potential of tyres to reduce fuel consumption and fleet operating costs, plus other parameters to reduce CO2 emissions.
