European Commission makes tyre pressure monitoring for trailers compulsory from mid 2022

• Existing BPW AirSave tyre pressure control system already exceeds forthcoming EU requirements
• More fleet uptime: system helps avoid accidents, extends tyre lifespan and reduces CO₂ and diesel consumption dramatically
• Potential savings of around 1,000 euros per vehicle per year
• Caren Freudenberg: ‘Higher diesel prices are driving demand for AirSave’

Wiehl, 11.4.2022 --- There are many good reasons to opt for a tyre pressure control system like AirSave from BPW: it saves tyres, fuel and nerves – and already pays off within its first year. Now there’s another good reason to order all trailer running gears with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) or AirSave from BPW: the European Commission is making tyre pressure monitoring compulsory from mid 2022.

Tyre pressure monitoring systems have long been legally required in many vehicle categories: they first made their way into legislation in the US in 2008, followed shortly thereafter by Japan, South Korea, and, in 2012, the EU. An amendment to the UN ECE R 141 Regulation is planned for 2022 that will also require a tyre pressure monitoring system for trailers for the first time. The legislation will be implemented in two parts: from July 2022, it shall apply to all new vehicle type approvals; from July 2024, tyre pressure monitoring will be required for all newly registered trailers. The UN ECE is a regulatory framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; it also applies far beyond the borders of the EU. Parties to the agreement include countries such as the UK, Russia, Turkey, all Eastern European nations, South Africa, Australia and many more.

UN ECE R 141 precisely stipulates the tyre pressure monitoring system’s range of functions. When a loss of pressure greater than 20 per cent or a system malfunction occurs, the driver must receive a warning within ten minutes. In tyre pressure refill systems, a change in pressure of five per cent must be automatically offset again within ten minutes. A warning must be displayed in the driver cab; the systems’ sensor data can be transmitted by cable or wirelessly. ‘Detecting a loss of pressure on the move is good – but regulating it automatically is even better,’ says Caren Freudenberg, product manager at BPW in Wiehl. ‘That offers added uptime that truly pays off. We therefore recommend that all vehicle operators now order their trailers with the AirSave tyre pressure control system.’

For Caren Freudenberg, however, using a tyre pressure control system in the trailer isn’t just a matter of meeting requirements – it’s about good business sense: ‘skyrocketing fuel prices have seen a marked increase in demand for our AirSave system’. For a three-axle vehicle with a mileage of 120,000 kilometres per year and an average pressure deviation of ten per cent, AirSave delivers a cost benefit of 700 euros per year – solely as a result of the fuel savings (around 250 litres) and the longer service life of the tyres. At 200,000 kilometres of mileage, the cost savings increase to almost 1,000 euros. And they do so year after year. ‘The gains in time and safety have not yet been factored into this calculation,’ emphasises Caren Freudenberg.

Caren Freudenberg, product manager at BPW: "Skyrocketing fuel prices have seen a marked increase in demand for our AirSave system"

Mustafa Celik, CEO of M. Celik Transport GmbH, based in Iserlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia, has already had his new order of 15 semi-trailers for 2022 kitted out with the AirSave system. The haulier has specialised in demanding coil transport for years. Its constantly growing fleet currently numbers around 60 vehicles and 75 semi-trailers. The fleet has already been connected with the system from idem telematics since 2016. This allows data from the tyre pressure monitoring system to be transmitted to drivers, planners and other predefined recipients in real time. ‘We’ve already been able to bring the vehicle safely to its destination despite an incipient tyre issue on two occasions, as the system continually re-adjusted the system’s air pressure,’ says Mustafa Celik on motionist.com. Without AirSave, there would have been a risk of unplanned vehicle downtime and an expensive tyre change on the move.