India: rolling resistance and fuel saving 2016

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Research StudyGathering experts to improve transportation in India
INDIA TRANSPORT PORTAL February 2016
IN BRIEF
T
he Indian population has witnessed a
marked transition in the quality of life
as a result of increasing economic
growth. As one of the fastest developing
economies in the world, Indians’ lifestyle
and consumption patterns are changing
thanks to technology and affluence. Today,
Indians are more aware of the need for
sustainable development; they realise that
mitigating the environmental consequen-
ces of their fuel consumption is the need
of the hour. People have adopted various
fuel-saving measures in the face of price
fluctuations driven by the economy—from
driving with the windows open to constant-
ly checking the tyre pressure.
INDIA:
ROLLING
RESISTANCE
AND FUEL SAVING
How do the Indians try to save fuel? According to the Shell Fuel economy Fact or Fiction
Report, nearly 83 per cent of the Indians want to work towards achieving some measure
of fuel economy and a staggering 63 per cent of the people don’t know how to go about
getting to that goal.
This study shows that improvement of vehicle’s fuel economy needs to take into account
tyre and rolling resistance.
Rolling resistance affects fuel consumption in the same way as natural phenomena like
wind, slope and vehicle inertia, which must be overcome in order to move.
Reducing rolling resistance reduces costs and helps preserve the environment. Reducing
a vehicle’s fuel consumption means cutting down on fossil fuels and releasing fewer ex-
haust gases into the atmosphere while lowering the vehicle’s operating cost per kilome-
ter according to Michelin.
Keywords: rolling resistance, fuel saving

ROLLING RESISTANCE AND FUEL SAVING2
Table of contents:
I. Overview of Indian automotive Market
II.Rolling Resistance Challenges in India
- Rolling Resistance in a nutshell
- How it works
- Low rolling resistance contributes to fuel
economy
- Indirect effects of rolling resistance on
CO2 emissions
III. A view of the World tyre regulation
- The aim of regulation
- European Union
- USA
IV. A useful focus on Heavy Duty Vehicle
- Global Truck Tyre Market
- Heavy Duty Vehicles in USA
V. Requirements for India
- Regulation in India
- Tyre labelling
- Heavy Duty Vehicle
- Other ways to achieve fuel economy
- Impact of road texture on rolling resis-
tance and fuel economy in India
Conclusion

I. Overview of
Indian automotive Market
India is currently the seventh largest producer
in the world with an annual production in 2015
of 23.37 Million vehicles, following a growth of
8.68 % over the last year. An average of 3.57
Million are exported.
The automotive industry accounts for 45% of
the country’s manufacturing gross domestic
product (GDP), 7.1% of the country’s GDP and
employs about 19 Million people both directly
and indirectly.
The Indian automobile market is estimated to
become the third largest in the world by 2016
and will account for more than 5% of global
vehicle sales.
India is the largest manufacturer of three-whee-
lers (949 000 in 2014-15) and the eighth lar-
gest commercial vehicle (697 000 in 2014-15).
Two-wheeler production reached 18.5 m units
in the same year. India is the largest tractor
manufacturing country (around 1/3 of global
output) with a total domestic sales of 664 000
units in 2013-14.

II. Challenges of
Rolling Resistance in India
-Rolling Resistance in a nutshell
Rolling resistance is defined as the energy
consumed by a tyre per unit distance covered.
It is also called rolling friction or rolling drag.
It is one of the forces that act to oppose the
motion of a driver. The main reason for this is
when the tyres are in motion and touch the
surface it changes shape and cause deforma-
tion of the tyre.
“According to Yokohama
Tire, approximately 90% of
this resistance comes from
the tyres.”
Source: Maxxis
Source: Globalyokohamatire.net

- Rolling Resistance: How it works
The rolling resistance, traction, and general
lifespan of a tyre is affected by the material,
the components, the design and the structure
of the tyre. Research suggests 40% of a tyre’s
rolling resistance is determined by its treads,
40% by its sidewalls and belts, and the remai-
ning 20% by the bead area.
When the tread is distorted by compression,
the downward weight of the vehicle acting
against the solid immovable road – energy is
consumed. Well-supported tread locks mi-
nimise distortion. Therefore, rib-type treads
that restrict the movement of tread blocks
have lower rolling resistance than lug treads.
Tyre manufacturers are engineering tyres with
tightly packed tread lugs which reduces move-
ment and ‘squirming’. They are also developing
closed shoulder designs with a tighter tread
pattern.
- A low rolling resistance contributes to
fuel saving
The rolling resistance of a vehicle is an impor-
tant factor in determining its fuel efficiency.
According to David SHAW (Chief Executive at
Tire Industry Research): “a motorist can expect
to get a maximum fuel-economy benefit of
around 7% when replacing four bad tyres with
four good ones”.
Tire Research Industry shows that a motorist
can expect to get a maximum fuel-economy
benefit of around 7% when replacing four bad
tyres with four good ones. Replacing a single
tyre will yield a quarter of that benefit.
Most vehicles drive with under-inflated tyres.
That 7% saving due to high-tech tyres is more
than wiped out by the 8% or more fuel economy
loss when driving on under-inflated tyres. In
Europe studies show that two-thirds of car tyres
are under-inflated. The median under-inflation
is 0.2 bar (3 psi) below nominal.
“A motorist can expect to
get a maximum
fuel-economy benefit of
around 7% when replacing
four bad tyres with four
good ones.”
-David Shaw
Chief Executive at
Tire Industry Research

Rolling resistance affects the fuel efficiency
of all types of vehicles from bicycles to large
trucks and everything in between. It wastes
fuel and contributes to environmental pollu-
tion. Research suggests a tyre can consume
up to five times its cost in wasted fuel with
large modern trucks losing up to 30-33% of to-
tal fuel cost to rolling resistance. More speci-
fically, if a tyre costs US0.04 per mile, the fuel
cost of rolling resistance could be anywhere
from US$0.14 to US$0.28. A 10% reduction
in rolling resistance can generate fuel savings
worth 3-4%.
For passenger cars, a 10% change in rolling
resistance can contribute 1 to 2% in fuel
economy; for heavy trucks, a 10% change in
rolling resistance can contribute 2 to 3% to
fuel economy. The International Energy Agency
has recommended that legislation to set a
maximum rolling resistance of tyres is a good
step towards reducing fuel consumption in a
country.
“Once vehicles have been
sold, replacing tyres with
low rolling resistance tyres
is one key way to improve
fuel economy of
any vehicle.”
-Randy Clark
Vice-President, Norms & Regulations,
Michelin Group
Tyre contribution to Fuel Consumption by usage segments:
Source: Michelin Group Source: Plateform for Aerodynamic Road Transport

Gerald Potts (CEO/CTO TMSI LLC, a MESNAC
Company) brings shades to fuel economy, these
figures have to be put in the right perspective.
“Some popular and technical articles mislead
the reader by stating that hysteresis of rolling
tires consumes 30% of the energy input to
the tire, thus making the reader think he can
increase his fuel economy by 15% if he can
reduce the rolling resistance by ½.” he said. At
the 2012 Tire Technology Conference in Colo-
gne, Germany, he explained that calculates the
horsepower absorbed by both passenger and
truck tires and it is surprisingly low for passen-
ger tyres. In this way, rolling resistance issue
is more important for trucks than passenger
vehicles.
The percentage of fuel consumed by a passen-
ger tire in both city and highway driving is only
4 and 7%, respectively. So decreasing rolling re-
sistance by ½ would only improve fuel economy
by 2 – 3.5 %.
- Indirect effects of rolling resistance on
CO2 emissions
Given climate and environmental concerns and
the impact of high fuel consumption on global
pollution, technologies that improve fuel effi-
ciency are constantly in demand.
In a country with an explosive growth of car
users, low rolling resistance should gradually
becoming a standard for tyres, and will become
a regulatory requirement that will in turn put
pressure on manufacturers, retails and custo-
mers alike to hasten improvements and adop-
tion.

III. A view of the
World tyre regulation
- The aim of regulation
The overall goal of all the regulation is to incen-
tivize manufacturers to design their engines
and vehicles to operate efficiently across the
range of operating conditions that are typically
encountered on the road (i.e., accelerating,
decelerating, cruising, and idling).
Many countries around the world, including
Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and various European
countries, now regulate tyre production, setting
minimum standards for rolling resistance and
wet traction. Others such as Morocco, South
Africa, India and China are considering setting
similar standards
- European Union
The European Union (EU) is a world leader in
setting global standards. The emission require-
ments set by the EU forced tyre manufacturers
to develop low rolling resistance tyres. A focus
on tyre labelling helped improve transparency
and ensured customers could usefully compare
different types of tyres. A computer simulation
tool, VECTO (Vehicle Energy Consumption Cal-
culation Tool) has been developed to measure
CO2 emissions from new vehicles. The trend is
gradually spreading outside the region.
The United-Kingdom alone estimates that the
phase 1 rolling resistance maximum thresholds
have saved somewhere between 1 and 3%
in fuel consumption over the fleet of vehicles
across the country. The EU also plans a more
stringent phase 2 for rolling resistance values.
“The European Union began
maximum rolling resistance
for tyres with a calendar
phase in that started in
November 2012.”
-Randy Clark
Michelin Group

The European Parliament set minimum require-
ments (Regulation 1) for the rolling resistance of
tyres in July 2009. Technology has made it possible
to improve upon these requirements, with advan-
ces in materials and design making stronger yet
more flexible tyres with better traction a reality. By
2011, it had become apparent that there was po-
tential for even greater energy savings which would
further ‘reduce the environmental impact of road
transport’.
A certain number of tyres were put through rigorous
laboratory testing and then labelled based on ‘fuel
efficiency class, the external rolling noise class and
measured value, and the wet grip class of tyres’.
The fuel efficiency class was based on each tyre’s
Rolling Resistance Coefficient’ and graded accor-
dingly A to G. The grading was set according to
UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe) Regulation No 117. A network of volunteer
test laboratories was set up to create an ‘Expert
Group’ consisting of tyre manufacturers and tech-
nical services providers. Based on the results
of these tests, Regulations 2 and 3 of the EPC’s
directive were passed in 2011. This means that the
EPC’s regulations are now consistent with those
set by EC Regulation No. 661/2009 (the General
Safety Regulation, or GSR).
The EPC concluded that consumers would need
‘harmonised’ information to be able to compare
various types of fuel-efficient tyres.
Standardised tyre labelling is required across the
EU based on the European Tyre Labeling Regula-
tion (EC/1222/2009). Consumers must be provi-
ded with information on the tyre’s fuel efficiency,
wet grip and external rolling noise’. The regulations
are uniform across the EU to ensure a level playing
field, and will ‘increase the safety and the environ-
mental and economic efficiency of road transport
by promoting fuel-efficient and safe tyres with low
noise levels’.

Impact of regulation on tyre manufacturers
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are responding to this by putting pressure on tyre
manufacturers to develop high performance tyres and help ‘attain fuel economy and emissions
goals’.
This has transformed the industry, as manufacturers are increasing their investment in new
technologies for vehicle design, engineering and technology. It has also led to its growth as manu-
facturers invest in cutting-edge technologies and seek out alternative, sustainable sources of raw
material to compete in a crowded market where differentiation is critical.
The development of hybrid and electric vehicles is also affecting demand for ‘alternative’ design
and materials. Tyre manufacturers are investing in developing ‘harder wearing’ nanomaterials and
sustainable raw materials to reduce dependence on natural rubber and oil products. They are
also developing ‘intelligent’ and non-pneumatic tyres.
- USA
The United States are in the process of setting up a ‘mandatory
tyre registration system’. If passed, Senate Bill 1741 will create
minimum performance standards for tyre fuel efficiency and
wet traction. Only tyres that meet these minimum standards
will then retail in the USA.
The USA already have a ‘Tyre Fuel Efficiency Consumer Infor-
mation Program’, which provides information but does not set
minimum requirements for the type of tyres that may be sold in
the USA, and that consumers might legally buy.
Experts believe that minimum quality requirements setting
thresholds for rolling resistance and wet traction must be set to
enable customers to compare tyres.
Electric cars will increase the importance of tyre losses since
engine losses will become far less than what we see with to-
day’s internal combustion engines.
According to Gerald Potts: “Europe leads the way with tyre labe-
ling forcing the issue, while the USA is in a follow-on role even
though the problem is well recognised but remains a political
football amongst the legislators.”

IV. A useful focus on
Heavy Duty Vehicle
- Global truck tyre market
Demand in the global truck tyre market is ex-
pected to average 3.3% per year for the next ten
years, to 2025. By year end, 477 million truck
tyres will have been sold during 2015, a figure
that is expected to reach 658 million by the end
of 2025. The broad consensus is that truck and
Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV) fleets can save
money by making adjustments to their vehicles
that make sense given the geography and climate
of their regions, the quality of their road networks
and the type of strain the vehicle is likely to expe-
rience.
Governments around the world are reacting to the
effects of climate and environmental change in-
troducing a host of regulations to control and re-
duce pollution and the sources of pollution. New
environmental agreements, laws, and regulations
are being introduced in various parts of the world
as the impact of pollution becomes increasingly
apparent. As vehicles - especially HCV - are a
major pollutant over the world, and tyres play a
significant role in the extent of that pollution, the
focus is on improving their efficiency. Tyre produc-
tion, use, and demand are all increasingly subject
to governmental scrutiny and regulation.
Research by Bridgestone suggests that if a ty-
re’s rolling resistance accounts for 25-33% of a
truck’s fuel consumption, a 5% improvement in
rolling resistance would generate fuel economies
of 1.3%-1.7%. Direct comparisons between spe-
cific tyres are difficult and depend on the context
such as driving conditions, weight, speeds, speci-
fications, etc.
“Some states are moving
to require that replacement
tires have rolling resistance
values as low as the OEM
tire that they replace.” “Re-
placement tires have his-
torically had RR values 25
– 30% higher than their
OEM counterparts, thus si-
gnificantly increasing fuel
consumption. Such legisla-
tion would be important in
improving fuel economy of
the entire vehicle fleet.”
-Gerald Potts
CEO/CTO TMSI LLC,

Global Truck Tire sales by region to 2025,
million units
With the advent of aerodynamic truck design, tyre
rolling resistance accounts for a greater propor-
tion of fuel consumption. It has risen from approx.
15-20% of total fuel consumption historically, to
more than 30% today according to Bridgestone-
truck tires. This figure is expected to further rise
as truck design and engine technology continues
to improve.
- Heavy Duty Vehicles in USA
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and the National Highway Traffic Security Asso-
ciation (NHTSA) are working together to develop
efficiency and emission standards for medium
and heavy duty vehicles. Their aim is to reduce
emissions, conserve oil, and lower fuel costs.
In the US, truck companies are recognizing that
low rolling resistance tyres can have a significant
impact on fuel efficiencies with benefits gradually
offsetting the challenges accroding to Trucking
Efficiency (an initiative set up by the North Ame-
rican Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) ).
Studies conducted by the NACFE show significant
savings for truck fleet operators following a switch
from regular to low rolling resistance (LRR), and
from LRR to super-LRR tyres. A fleet operating
80,000lb tractor-trailers and racking up 120,000
miles annually could save up to as much as
US$7,396 per truck per year by switching to from
standard to LRR tyres; alternatively that could be
US$2,680 by switching from LRR to super-LRR
tyres (savings here are based on US fuel costs of
US$2.80 per gallon).
The latter savings are somewhat offset by the
high cost of super-LRR tyres which are manu-
factured using ‘multiple and more costly rubber
blends to achieve super-low resistance levels’.

V. Requirements for India
- Regulation in India
India’s transport sector accounted for 7.5% of all
natural greenhouse emissions in 2007 (compa-
red to a world average of 23%). Based on current
trends, this is expected to rise tenfold by 2050.
India needs to urgently implement ‘vehicle ef-
ficiency improvements’ and invest in advanced
tyre materials and design in order to improve tyre
technology. The government hopes that setting
fuel consumption standards and introducing la-
belling requirements will encourage manufacture-
rs to do just that. It is hoped that these measures
will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5-2% in
India.
There are concerns that the minimum require-
ments being imposed by the EU will significantly
increase production costs. This will have a major
impact both on manufacturers and consumers,
especially in developing countries. India, though,
is ploughing ahead with plans to introduce rolling
resistance requirements in line with the EPC’s
Regulations.
Overall, the impact of global tyre regulations on
India’s market will be painful in the short-term
but very positive in the long-term. They will have a
knock-on effect in India by driving improvements
in tyre efficiency.
These will be driven not just by regulatory stan-
dards but also competitive pressure. The high
standards of production required will increase
costs, discourage new entrants, and they will
raise the overall standard of the industry. Better-
informed consumers will demand better, more
fuel-efficient, choices and will push up the share
of environmentally friendly green tyres.
“The entire tyre industry
must become accusto-
med to measuring rolling
resistance and perhaps
also wet grip on all their
products.”
-Randy Clark
Vice-President, Norms & Regula-
tions, Michelin Group

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has asked
the subcommittee TED7 to study rolling resistance
thresholds for India. It would seem logical that India
should proceed with voluntary thresholds for pas-
senger car tyre rolling resistance which should later
become mandatory. Since the tyres in India are on
average smaller in diameter than those of Europe,
the rolling resistance values may not be the same.
Studies are needed to help determine what should
be the threshold values for India. The tyre industry is
cooperating with BIS TED7 in their deliberations.
Thus, the Bureau of Indian Standards is in discussion
to create a maximum cap on tyre rolling resistance
for India, starting with passenger car tyres but no-
thing certain for Truck Tyres.
- Tyre Labelling in India
Prior to discussions of tyre labelling, there are many
systems and procedures to put in place. Laborato-
ries must be calibrated and aligned to assure that
readings can be compared. Accroding to Randy
Clark:“The entire tyre industry must become accus-
tomed to measuring rolling resistance and perhaps
also wet grip on all their products.” In Country com-
pliance mechanisms must be assured; what good is
a labelling scheme if the values are not confirmed?
All this will take place as the development of thres-
holds progresses. And then, discussions for labelling
could begin.
There is a strong need to spread awareness regar-
ding technological choices among Indian tyre dea-
lerships and Indian consumers. One advantage for
rolling resistance thresholds is that consumers need
not be educated and success does not depend on
consumer behavior. However consumer awareness is
key for labelling. Even in Europe, surveys show that
not all consumers take the rolling resistance grades
into account when they make purchasing decisions.
And if the consumers ignore the labels/ grades,
then the labeling will have no effect on reducing fuel
consumption in India.
“One advantage for rol-
ling resistance thresholds
is that consumers need
not be educated and suc-
cess does not depend on
consumer behavior.”
-Randy Clark
Vice-President, Norms & Regula-
tions, Michelin Group

- Heavy Duty Vehicle in India
India has some catching up to do. It has begun
to introduce function, safety, and performance
standards for cars but not for Heavy Duty Vehi-
cles (HDVs). A further 70% of all HDVs in India
have high rolling resistance bias tyres. The range
of rolling resistance across these HDVs is 30%.
Studies suggest that imposing rolling resistance
thresholds on Heavy Commerciel Vehicles could
yield fuel savings of 864 million liters and reduce
CO2 emissions by 2.3 million tonnes per year. Re-
quiring rolling resistance thresholds to be inclu-
ded in labelling would also help customers make
more informed decisions.
Speaking to India Transport Portal in 2012, Mr.
Anders Grundströmer, Managing Director, Scania
Commercial Vehicles India explained: “The Heavy
duty truck business will have a growth of more
than 8% by year 2020. With the infrastructure
spend targeted to double to USD 1 Trillion by
2017.”
In order to remain globally relevant India would
need to implement its own fuel efficiency require-
ments and bring tyre manufacturing standards in
line with global competitors. Fuel efficiency norms
could be used to categorise vehicles. Simulation
tools could be used to measure CO2 emissions,
fuel efficiency, aerodynamic drag, and rolling
resistance. According to The International Council
on Clean Transportation (ICCT): “India needs to
develop comprehensive ‘technical and policy
analyses’ to define a long-term plan for improving
fuel savings “across the entire range of technolo-
gies available for HDV fuel savings”. This will not
be possible without the full commitment of all
stakeholders, including governments, regulators,
OEMs, tyre manufacturers and most importantly
the customers.
“The Heavy duty truck
business will have a growth
of more than 8%
by year 2020.
With the infrastructure
spend targeted to double to
USD 1 Trillion by 2017.”
-Anders Grundströmer
Managing Director,
Scania Commercial

- Other ways to achieve fuel economy
Accroding to Gerald POTTS: “As for Rolling Resis-
tance being a “key element” in fuel consumption,
there are many other sources that can bear more
fruit, for instance simply stopping the engine at
stop lights can save 17% of fuel in the city and
changing to an electric motor as prime mover can
save 20%.” Hybrid cars use both of these facts to
dramatically improve fuel economy in city driving.
That does not relieve the tire companies from mi-
nimizing rolling resistance, but it does show that
the Return on Investment for reducing tire rolling
resistance is quite limited and the bulk of effort
could be better spent in other areas in trying to
double fuel economy by 2025. The potential for
doubling fuel economy does not lie in tires. A sta-
tistically significant, but small, improvement is all
that can be expected from tires.
- Impact of road texture on rolling resistan-
ce and fuel economy in India
The ‘true’ relationship between fuel economy
(rolling resistance) and road or pavement texture
has proven hard to quantify. However, research
shows that the smoother the road texture, the
smoother the ride and therefore the better the
fuel efficiency. The less erratic the ride (bumps
and springs), the less energy will be consumed by
‘shock absorbers, suspensions, and tyres’, and
the less fuel will be used.
How smooth the road or pavement texture ‘needs’
to be must, however, be weighed against the
importance of ensuring safe driving conditions,
which will always require some friction. Other
than that, well maintained smooth road networks
will extend the life of road pavements, require
less maintenance and by providing a ‘smoother’
ride will improve fuel efficiency for all drivers.
Source: cenews.com

Tyres on vehicles at these speeds play a more
significant role in fuel economy vs stop/go traffic
or vs ultra-high speeds (120 km/h plus) as in Eu-
rope or USA. Aside from fuel consumption, better
road infrastructure will slow tyre wear and reduce
damages to allow tyres to achieve their ultimate
mileages, lowering costs to consumers and end
users.
Conclusion:
The Indian Automotive Industry is harmonising
both Safety & Emission regulations with Inter-
national Standards for sustained growth of the
Industry for combating the environment and
become a global export hub.
As a reminder, in India, the vehicle population is
growing at rate of over 5% per annum and today
the vehicle population is approximately 40 mil-
lion. The vehicle mix is also unique to India in that
there is a very high proportion of two wheelers
(76%) according to the Automotive Research As-
sociation of India (ARAI).
Ambient air pollution has been identified as the
fifth biggest cause of mortality in India.
Fine particulates matter from diesel engine ex-
haust has been linked with increasing risk of lung
cancer according to World Health Organisation.
Growing air pollution has made the capital city
of Delhi rate among the top polluted cities of the
world.
Transport sector is one of the prime contributors
to air pollution in cities.
All that remains to expect is that the work of BIS
will result in an appropriate regulation to promote
a better low resistance of tyres and reduce fuel
consumption of Indian vehicles. It’s both an eco-
nomic and a climate issue for the country.
“Focusing on fuel consump-
tion, the improvement in
infrastructure will allow for
consistent vehicle speeds in
a range of 40 – 80 km/h”
-Randy Clark
Michelin Group

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