The Spanish Retreaders Association (AER) is actively campaigning for the inclusion of retreaded tyres in future European regulations regarding clean corporate vehicles. The association participated in the drafting of a position paper submitted by the Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE) to the BusinessEurope Transport Working Group and the European Commission.
AER Advocates for Retread Inclusion in EU Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation
This initiative follows the Commission’s recent presentation of the Automotive Package, a series of legislative strategies designed to ensure climate neutrality and strategic autonomy within the European Union by 2050. A central component of this package is the Proposal for a Regulation on Clean Corporate Vehicles, which includes binding targets for corporate mobility.
The proposed regulation establishes binding targets starting in 2028, restricting public aid, incentives, and subsidies for the purchase or leasing of corporate cars and vans exclusively to zero-emission vehicles manufactured within the European Union.
For Spain, the proposal outlines specific registration minimums. By 2030, the target for zero-emission vehicles is 36 per cent for cars and 29 per cent for vans. By 2035, these requirements rise significantly, with zero-emission targets reaching 64 per cent for both cars and vans, while combined zero and low-emission vehicle targets are set at 76 per cent.
While AER supports the regulation’s climate ambitions, the association warns that the focus must expand beyond electrification. AER argues for the incorporation of circular economy solutions, such as retreaded tyres, which offer immediate, measurable, and cost-effective environmental benefits.
In the documentation submitted to the Commission, AER provided comparative data regarding the environmental impact of retreading versus new tyre production, specifically for truck and bus tyres.
The data indicates that while a new tyre requires 100 to 110 litres of oil to manufacture, a retreaded tyre requires only 20 to 25 litres, representing an oil saving of up to 80 per cent per unit. Furthermore, a new tyre produces approximately 235 kg of emissions, whereas a retreaded tyre produces between 30 and 35 kg, resulting in a reduction of over 200 kg per tyre. Additionally, retreading saves up to 70 per cent of raw materials, including rubber, steel, and carbon black, and reduces water consumption by nearly 45 per cent.
AER highlighted the potential for retreading within Green Public Procurement. For instance, a public fleet of 100 buses utilising retreaded tyres can prevent the emission of 120 tonnes of and save 48,000 litres of oil in a single maintenance cycle.
Economically, retreaded tyres cost between 30 per cent and 50 per cent less than premium new tyres while maintaining equivalent safety and performance standards. This allows for the more efficient use of public funds.
Strategic Proposals
AER has proposed several measures to the European Commission, including:
- Establishing mandatory minimum percentages for retreaded tyres in corporate fleets funded by public money from 2028.
- Integrating life-cycle costs and environmental footprints into public tenders, moving beyond the simple purchase price.
- Promoting a European certification for “circular tyres” to assist fleet managers in identification and implementation.
AER maintains that the Clean Corporate Vehicles initiative should not focus solely on engine types. The association asserts that the most immediate and effective way to reduce the environmental impact of any fleet, whether electric, hybrid, or internal combustion, is the use of retreaded tyres. AER remains available to European institutions to provide further technical analysis, audits, and life-cycle studies to support this position.
