The Indian Transport Portal says that tyre rolling resistance affects fuel consumption in the same way as natural phenomena like wind, slope and vehicle inertia, which must be overcome in order to move.
According to David Shaw, Chief Executive at Tire Industry Research, “A motorist can expect to get a maximum fuel economy benefit of around 7% when replacing four bad tyres with four good ones”.
The International Energy Agency has recommended that legislation to set a maximum rolling resistance of tyres is a good step towards reducing fuel consumption in a country. Transport sector is one of the prime contributors to air pollution in cities. In India, the vehicle population is growing at rate of over 5% yearly.
Reducing rolling resistance reduces costs and helps preserve the environment. This relates both tyre manufacturers and national authorities. Randy Clark, Vice-President, Norms & Regulations, Michelin Group) said, “One advantage for rolling resistance thresholds is that consumers need not be educated and success does not depend on consumer behavior.”
In the US, truck companies recognizing that low rolling resistance tyres can have a significant impact on fuel efficiencies with benefits gradually offsetting the challenges. What about India? It has begun to introduce function, safety, and performance standards for cars but not for Heavy Duty Vehicles. In order to remain globally relevant India would need to implement its own fuel efficiency requirements and bring tyre manufacturing standards in line with global competitors.
The Bureau of Indian Standards is in discussion to create a maximum cap on tyre rolling resistance for India, starting with passenger car tyres but nothing certain for truck tyres.