The automotive club compared his tyres tests carried out in past years and analyzed the results of measured tyre wear to get an average figure. All in all, the wear data of about 100 models of different tyres sizes were analyzed. According to their own information, the experts identified models for each tyre size with reduced tyre wear in combination with safe driving characteristics.
Quintet with backlog
As a prime example, the testers cite the Michelin CrossClimate+ in the 185/65 R15 tire size suitable for small cars. They discovered wear of only 58 g/1,000 km. When looking at all the comparative figures, the profiles of the French manufacturer achieved an average wear of 90 g/1,000 km and, thus, they are under the total average of the study.
Moreover, Vredestein (100 g/1,000 km) and Goodyear (109 g/1,000 km) undercut the average figure of 120 gram per 1,000 kilometres, which was determined by the ADAC. Seven brands find themselves in the middle position of the study, whereas the automotive club attests that five manufacturers have considerable deficits in the area of tyre wear: Continental (126 g/1,000 km), Maxxis (128 g/1,000 km), Bridgestone (130 g/1,000 km), Nokian (134 g/1,000 km), and Pirelli (134 g/1,000 km) get noticed with increased amounts of wear. According to the testers, the Blizzak LM005 from Bridgestone, which was the series winner of the last winter test season, turns out to be a negative example. In the size 195/65 R15 for compact vehicles and vans, the ADAC discovers an amount of 171 grams of tyre wear per 1,000 kilometres.
Criticism of sporty tyres
The ADAC is convinced that a combination of low wear and a high level of safety can no longer be ruled out: “Thanks to modern tyre technology, the target conflict between low wear and safe driving features has mostly been solved”, the study reveals. According to the experts, above all sporty tyres offer a lot of room for improvement. In the summer tyre size 225/40 R18, all the tested models showed an extremely high tyre wear of 160 grams, which was highly above the average.
Dr. Reinhard Kolke, Head of the ADAC technology centre, expresses a clear demand: “The trend towards bigger and sportier tyre dimensions is not recommendable, especially with regard to aspects of sustainability. Moreover, the supposedly sportier tyres are not able to offer any additional safety advantage in daily road traffic. Some tyre manufacturers should urgently rethink and shift their focus more towards sustainability of the tyres.” According to current EU studies, 500,000 tons of tyre wear are produced in Europe per year.
