4 _289 2023 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT_MICHELIN 4 NON-FINANCIAL STATEMENT Sustainable Development Report Moreover, in Europe, the Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO) developed for the European Commission serves as the basis for Regulation (EU) No. 2017/2400 on the determination of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of heavy-duty vehicles. The regulation, which has been in effect since January 1, 2019 and was extended to buses, coaches and heavy vans in 2022, takes into account the energy performance of a vehicle’s different components, including tire rolling resistance. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have issued Phase 2 of their greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy-duty engines. The standards, which have been in effect since the 2018 model year, are becoming stricter every year. On November 12, 2021, however, the regulation’s scope of application was changed when the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit ruled that the EPA and the NHTSA did not have the authority to regulate trailers pulled by hauling trucks. As a result, the regulation no longer applies to trailers. However, all other types of motor vehicles listed in the regulation must continue to comply with the law. These standards stipulate that, before certification, a new vehicle must be tested for compliance using the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model (GEM) simulation tool, two of whose variables are tire rolling resistance and vehicle weight. The impact of tires on vehicular particle emissions(1) In December 2023, the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on the Euro VII regulation. As part of the regulation’s development, since April 2022, Michelin has been an active member of a UN working group formed to define a suitable method of measuring abrasion performance in passenger tires and setting acceptable abrasion limits. The introduction of Euro VII standards, which are designed to reduce gaseous, particulate and solid pollutant emissions, and the ensuing sale of compliant vehicles will have a direct impact on tires. Compared with current Euro VI standards, Euro VII will be extended to wear particle emissions from brakes and tires. These tire road wear particles (TRWPs) are the physical result of abrasion from a tire’s grip on the road. A method to measure such abrasion is currently being developed by the UN’s Working Party on Noise and Tyres, which proposes to measure tire weight loss per kilometer traveled and per tonne of load on the tire. Once this method is available, the Euro VII working group will define minimum abrasion standards. Tires may be sold in Europe only if they meet this minimum standard after measurement and homologation. Michelin supports this approach, which will help to reduce the quantity of particles in the environment. Snow performance of winter tires Many countries, particularly in Europe, now require drivers to fit winter tires on their vehicles, either for a given period or when demanded by weather conditions, or else in particular regions or at particular times. However, while these rules generally stipulate that only manufacturer-marked Mud and Snow (M+S, M.S. or M&S) tires may be mounted, such markings do not correspond to the tire’s demonstrated performance in snowy conditions. Michelin is urging that national highway codes be amended with an obligation to fit only winter tires marked with the Three-Peak Mountain Snow Flake (3PMSF) symbol, which means that they have demonstrated minimum required snow grip. France introduced such markings in March 2017, followed by Sweden in 2019. Worn tire performance The existing minimum standards for rolling resistance, noise and wet grip concern the measured performance of new tires. However, newness is fleeting and a tire’s performance evolves as it wears. In the case of rolling resistance and noise, for example, performance remains the same and sometimes actually improves with wear, so it makes sense to define their minimum standards on the basis of a new tire, as is currently the case. On the other hand, a tire’s wet grip declines as it wears. In 2019, the EU approved the introduction of a regulation governing the wet-grip performance of worn tires. Michelin participated in the United Nations working group that is developing the regulatory method (R117-04) for introducing a minimum wet grip performance standard in 2024 on worn tires still within the legal wear limit, so as to ensure that tires deliver acceptable performance throughout their useful lives. Compliance with materials standards A multidisciplinary team of experts continuously tracks changes in regulations governing chemicals, the environment and health, enabling the Group to factor them into its strategy and product design processes. (1) See section 4.1.1.2 d) The Michelin 4R circular economy process/ Reduce/Reducing harmful pollution from the use of our products: tire and road wear particles (TRWPs).
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