United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation No. 117 was originally published in 2005 and introduced requirements on the maximum rolling sound emissions of tyres. In 2006, the 01 series of amendments to ECE Regulation No. 117 were published which added requirements on the minimum wet grip performance of Class C1 tyres (i.e. passenger car tyres approved to ECE Regulation No. 30). Now, the 02 series of amendments have been published which add requirements on the maximum rolling resistance of tyres and increase the stringency of the maximum rolling sound emissions requirements.
Specifically, the recently published 02 series of amendments to ECE Regulation No. 117 introduce the following changes:
- New test procedures and requirements for tyre rolling resistance.
- Lower limit values for rolling sound emissions, and
- Revised definitions of special category tyres.
With regard to the tyre rolling resistance requirements introduced by the 02 series of amendments, the test procedures for determining the rolling resistance of tyres are based on ISO 28580 and permit the use of four different measurement methods. The maximum rolling resistance limits are introduced in a two stage process with separate limit values specified for Class C1, Class C2 and Class C3 tyres. Compliance with the first stage limits is mandated from 1st November 2012 for all new types of tyre, from 1st November 2014 for all new Class C1 and Class C2 tyres and from 1st November 2016 for all new Class C3 tyres. Compliance with the second stage limits is mandated from 1st November 2016 for all new types of tyre, from 1st November 2018 for all new Class C1 and Class C2 tyres and from 1st November 2020 for all new Class C3 tyres.
With regard to the revised rolling sound emission limit values introduced by the 02 series of amendments, as with the limits specified in the original version of the Regulation, separate limit values are specified dependent of the nominal section width for Class C1 tyres and on the category of use for Class C2 and Class C3 tyres. The new limit values are between 2 and 4 dB(A) lower than those specified in the original version of the Regulation. Compliance with these new rolling sound emission limits is mandated from 1st November 2012 for all new types of tyre and from 1st November 2016 for all new tyres.
The 02 series of amendments also introduce a date after which Contracting Parties may refuse the sale and entry into service of Class C1 tyres which do not meet the minimum wet grip performance requirements; 1st November 2014. (Note: the 01 series of amendments to ECE Regulation No. 117 only specified a date after which new types of tyre had to comply with the minimum wet grip performance requirements.)
With the introduction of these new requirements and implementation dates, the requirements of ECE 117.02 are now fully aligned with the requirements on tyres contained within EC Regulation No. 661/2009 (also known as the General Safety Regulation or GSR).
The final changes introduced by the 02 series of amendments are to more accurately define the special categories of tyre for which exemptions or relaxations in the requirements are permitted, e.g. snow tyres, traction tyres, professional off road tyres, etc.