Adopted in April 2024, the Euro 7 regulation imposes new rules on vehicle emissions, extending beyond engine exhaust. For the first time, the EU has set specific thresholds for emissions generated by tyre wear, a source estimated to release around 500,000 tonnes of particles onto European roads every year. The measure aims to bring about a significant reduction in these emissions and to acknowledge the efforts of manufacturers that adopt lower-impact design solutions.
The European Commission has established that all tyres sold within the single market must undergo uniform measurement. Differences between products are considerable: depending on materials, structure and mileage, emissions can vary by up to a factor of four. This makes representative testing methods essential to ensure the regulation’s effectiveness. But how should these emissions be measured?
Two approaches are currently under review. The first, based on on-road testing under real conditions, measures emissions in grams per kilometre and per tonne of load. This method, developed in collaboration with the automotive industry and validated by the German association Adac, delivers reproducible and consistent results. The second approach, involving a drum test in laboratory conditions, is still under development and its parameters are not yet fully defined. An Adac study published in June 2025 highlighted that the laboratory method is not yet sufficiently reliable for immediate application, with result discrepancies in some cases reaching 28 per cent.
Michelin warns that premature adoption of the laboratory test would entail environmental and economic risks. On the industrial side, it could open the European market to low-cost, less innovative tyres; on the environmental side, it could undermine the very impact of Euro 7. For this reason, the French company advocates the immediate use of on-road testing, while keeping the door open to future integration of laboratory tests once they reach sufficient technical maturity.
According to president Florent Menegaux, Michelin will be ready to fully apply Euro 7 by 2028 for new products and by 2030 across all passenger car ranges. The manufacturer highlights the work carried out over the past two decades to reduce tyre abrasion. The Adac study of June 2025, based on 160 models, found that Michelin tyres emit on average 26 per cent less than those of four other premium brands, confirming an earlier 2022 survey that pointed to a 28 per cent gap compared with the market average. Between 2015 and 2020, the company cut wear emissions by 5 per cent, preventing the release of around 100,000 tonnes of particles into the atmosphere.
