European legislation on tire pressure monitoring
The European legislation on tire pressure monitoring according to ECE R64 is valid for newly homologated vehicles since November 2012, and from November 2014 for all new cars/motorhomes.
The law was enacted to prioritize the reduction of CO2 emissions from motor vehicles. The gradual loss of air pressure plays a decisive role here. However, safety-related aspects such as rapid loss of air pressure also played a role in the law. The system must detect and display the loss of air pressure in the tire from as little as 20% deviation from the operating air pressure.
EU Regulation 661/2009 (valid since November 2012) obliges all car manufacturers to equip vehicles in the M1/M1G class with air pressure monitoring systems in accordance with ECE R64. This vehicle class includes vehicles for passenger transportation with a maximum of eight seats (excluding the driver's seat), i.e. passenger cars, off-road vehicles and motorhomes. Since November 1, 2014, all newly registered vehicles in the M1/M1G category must be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in accordance with ECE R64.
Tire pressure monitoring systems are available as direct and indirect systems:
Direct TPM systems
Direct systems measure and archive precise air pressure data using battery-powered sensors that are usually attached directly to the valves. This data is transmitted via radio (EU: 433 MHz or Bluetooth) to the vehicle electronics in near real time and displayed to the driver.
Indirect TPM systems
Why do you need tire pressure monitoring systems?
The EU has decided to introduce tire pressure monitoring systems in order to reduce fuel consumption and contribute to greater road safety. Correctly inflated tires have a lower rolling resistance and generally suffer less from tire wear, which significantly increases the service life of the tires. This can reduce fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emissions.
Correct tire pressure also contributes to shorter braking distances, optimum cornering stability and better driving comfort, as the German Road Safety Council (DVR) explains in its tire safety initiative. For years, these statements have been confirmed time and again by experts from the fields of driving safety and the environment and their studies.
In summary, the following statement can be made:
The correct tire pressure guarantees safe driving characteristics, more grip when cornering and shorter braking distances.
A large number of relevant air pressure tests in Germany and Europe clearly show that at least 35 percent of all motor vehicles in operation are underinflated. As a result, around 3.1 billion liters of excess fuel are consumed in Europe every year - with corresponding pollutant emissions. Just 0.6 bar too little air pressure causes an increase in fuel consumption of four percent. With an average annual mileage of 14,210 km per car in Germany (2013, according to DAT) and an average consumption of 6.6 l/100 km, this corresponds to an additional fuel consumption of around 40 liters per year. In addition to the environmental impact, with today's fuel prices, a three-digit amount is quickly missing from the till at the end of the year.
A tire pressure that is 0.6 bar too low also significantly reduces the service life of the tire: The maximum mileage drops by up to 45 percent. The use of TPMS therefore only contributes to a noticeable reduction in pollutant emissions and thus protection of the environment.