Lower rolling resistance - less fuel, less emissions
Rolling resistance refers to the energy lost when the tire moves as you drive. The lower the rolling resistance, the less energy is lost and less fuel needed. Better fuel efficiency has a positive effect on the environment and on the driver’s carbon footprint, as there are less CO2 emissions. For electric cars lower rolling resistance means longer driving range.
Our goal for developing the rolling resistance of our tires is that by 2028, we aim to have at least 60 tires in the best rolling resistance A class of the EU Tyre Labeling system.
Tires' most significant environmental impact: fuel consumption during driving
Carbon dioxide is the most significant greenhouse gas generated by traffic, and fuel consumption during driving is the single most significant environmental impact over a tire’s service life.
A class A rolling resistance summer tire with correct tire pressure can save up to 0.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers compared to the lowest performing tires. The difference is significant for a car owner – and not just environmentally.
Around 90 percent of our tires are in the best rolling resistance categories A, B or C. We have reduced the rolling resistance by improving tire constructions and compounds, among other things.
Approximately 85 percent of a Nokian Tyres tire’s carbon footprint is created during its use. In the end, the driver has all the power to make a positive impact: a wise choice of tires, the right tire pressure, and a careful driving style significantly reduce the CO2 emissions from driving.
Assessing impacts
When assessing the environmental impacts of our products, there are different ways to approach the matter, such as an LCA and a True Value analysis.
Life cycle analysis
Nokian Tyres is a member of Tyres Europe (former ETRMA) life cycle assessment task group that is working on an LCA study. The study is planned to be finalized in 2026. We participated in an LCA study earlier in cooperation with ETRMA and other European tire producers. The study was compliant with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, and it was critically reviewed by three independent experts. It was also in line with LCA good practices established by international organizations, such as the International Reference Life Cycle Data System ILCD Handbook. Even though the LCA was conducted for a limited number of products, the results are considered relevant for a broader product group, because raw materials and the construction and production of tires are homogeneous enough.
True Value
Tires with low rolling resistance have a positive impact on society. If, for example, all passenger cars using premium tires in Finland, Sweden and Norway used Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta R5 tire over the product’s lifecycle, the estimated fuel savings total 340 million liters, equaling the capacity of some 10,000 tanker trucks, and carbon dioxide emissions would decrease by an estimated 900,000 tons. Benefits to society from this CO2 reduction are estimated at 54 million euros based on the social cost of carbon.
The assessment is based on KPMG’s True Value methodology, comparing the fuel consumption and rolling resistance of Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta R5 to the fuel consumption and rolling resistance of other premium winter tires. The calculation was made in December 2021.
Key assumptions used in the calculations are as follows: number of passenger cars in Finland, Sweden and in Norway, annual average mileage, and annual average fuel consumption. Winter tires are estimated to account for 45% of the mileage. The societal cost of carbon dioxide emissions has been calculated with an assumed price of 60 euros per ton of CO2 emissions, which is in line with the cost used by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the Ministry of Climate and Environment Norway and the US Environmental Protection Agency.