OTTAWA, Canada (March 18, 2010)—The creation of tire labeling in Canada is expected to be a voluntary program affecting only truck tries, according to Natural Resources Canada.
The government agency said is working with Canada's provinces to develop an Energy Star-like program for heavy-duty vehicles to address the lack of information identified by trucking industry representatives on the energy efficiency of tires.
Jurisdictions in Canada could use the system to promote tires that have the lowest rolling resistance, the NRC said, and the system is expected to resemble the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay heavy-duty tire recognition system.
The program is set up to address only tire rolling resistance, not grip, noise or life. However, the agency is conducting a study, with input from the trucking industry, tire manufacturers, academia and other government entities that could change those parameters.
Developmental work is expected to be completed by Spring 2011.