On some of the new tires manufactured in Europe that are coming out like the Vredestein Ultrac Cento, what do the E4, -S and –W markings on the sidewall mean?
a. Tires made in Europe like Nokian and Vredestein have to be officially certified, which is indicated by the letter E. The number beside the E is a country code where the certification was approved; for example 4 indicates Holland. The -S (Sound) indicates a sound requirement for silent tires. All car tires narrower than 195mm sold on the replacement market in Europe have to meet this requirement. Tires with widths between 195mm and 225mm have until Oct 1, 2010 to comply and wider widths until Oct 1, 2011. The -W is a compulsory performance requirement on wet road surfaces in Europe for car tires newly introduced to the market. The wet grip performance of these tires has to be at least 10% better that that of an internationally appointed reference tire. The Vredestein Ultrac Cento is the first tire that TiresByWeb.com is carrying that meets these new regulations.
