Publication date: 19 October 2009

European Commission officials are set to discuss, on 20th October, the technical parameters of tyre pressure monitoring systems for the European Union. Currently, certain commercial interests are lobbying to favour expensive so-called "direct" systems that could saddle car buyers with additional costs of up to several hundred Euros. Cheaper but comparably reliable "indirect" systems, however, would only cost some ten Euros.

FIA clubs in Europe are in favour of the introduction of mandatory tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) as a means of reducing CO2 emissions and improving driver safety. However, such systems should balance the benefits, on the one side, for CO2 emission reductions and traffic safety and, on the other, provide for minimum additional costs for car buyers.

"Direct systems are expensive and are linked by radio transmission to car board computers. They have already proven their efficiency on the market but they can add several hundred extra Euros on top of the price for new car buyers," explains FIA European Bureau Technical Director Wilfried Klanner.

Furthermore Dr Klanner calls for fine-tuning the far cheaper indirect systems that work with already existing sensory anti-block systems with the objective to come close to the efficiency of direct systems. He is convinced that these systems will become an effective solution especially in the case of the low budget cars.

For more information contact Sinziana Radu Gille - Tel. +32 2 282 08 16.

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Notes for Editors

The Eurocouncil of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the leading motoring and touring organisation, represents via its 71 national motoring and touring organisations in 47 European countries, 35 million European motorists.

In the European Union the Commission is seeking to make tyre pressure monitoring systems obligatory in new cars sold from 1st November 2012.

Currently, specifications in EU Regulations for type-approval of motor vehicles note that tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) must be "accurate". A draft proposal to establish an obligatory TPMS is currently being examined by the UNECE ad hoc working group as well as internally in the EU.

On global level the TPMS parameters are established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).