French tyre maker Michelin has said it strongly supports the environmental ambition of the Euro 7 regulation, which for the first time sets limits on tyre wear particle emissions. It adds that a demanding and realistic testing method is the only way to identify the lowest-emitting tyres, designed by manufacturers committed to the most stringent environmental standards.
The European Union has made the transition to more sustainable mobility, one of its top priorities. Adopted in April 2024, the Euro 7 regulation represents a major step forward, by introducing, for the first time, particle emission thresholds for tyre wear, which Michelin says it fully supports.
This regulation will assess the global emissions of wear particles from all tyres sold on the European market. Tyres that exceed the established thresholds will no longer be permitted. The aim is clear: to significantly reduce tyre wear emissions to better safeguard the environment and give credit to manufacturers who uphold the highest standards of innovation.
Every year, road transport in Europe generates almost 500,000 tonnes of wear particles from tyres. Not all tyres are equal when it comes to this phenomenon: based on manufacturers’ design choices — longevity, materials and architecture — emissions can vary by a factor of up to four.
Ensuring the effectiveness of the Euro 7 regulation depends on the reliability of the measurement method. Two approaches are currently under discussion:
· Real-world on-road testing
This method measures emissions in g/km and per tonne of load. It provides reliable, reproducible and representative results. Developed and supported by the European automotive industry for the last six years in full transparency with the authorities, it has been adopted by ADAC, the German automobile association, recognised for the stringency of its testing and whose outcomes are consistent with manufacturers’ own results, making this method the most robust cornerstone for the Euro 7 regulation.
· The lab-based drum method
Still under development, this alternative relies on partially defined and non-transparent parameters. This method is therefore open to manipulation to meet regulatory thresholds, and may not accurately reflect real emissions. In its June 2025 study, ADAC acknowledged that this approach is not yet sufficiently reliable for immediate implementation.
Michelin adds that discrepancies between these two methods are considerable: in 28% of cases, the results obtained for the same tyre diverge sharply. For example, a tyre measured with an abrasion index of 1.42 on the road would be banned from sale, while the same tyre could be accepted in the laboratory with a result of 0.83.
Adopting the laboratory method immediately would entail substantial risks:
· Economic risks, by encouraging the import of low-cost, less innovative tyres into Europe;
· Environmental risks, by severely undermining the effectiveness of Euro 7 regulations.
Thus, Michelin says it advocates for the immediate application of the real-world test method, while continuing research on a laboratory-based approach, which could ultimately serve as a complementary solution provided it reaches technical maturity.
In June 2025, ADAC published a new study covering 160 tyre models, including how much Michelin tyres emit, which it says is on average, 26% fewer particles than those of four other premium manufacturers. This performance confirms the results of a 2022 study, which already showed a 28% reduction compared with the market average, it furthered.
Since 2005, Michelin says it has invested heavily in R&D to better grasp and reduce tyre abrasion. Leveraging its expertise in materials science and with a design that focuses on optimising the use of raw materials, the Group cut wear emissions by 5% between 2015 and 2020, avoiding the emission of 100,000 tonnes of particles.
In this context, Michelin says it will be ready to apply the Euro 7 regulation as early as 2028 for its new products, and in 2030 for all of its automotive ranges.