EU tyre legislation due in 2012 is so strict it would kill off 30 percent of today's new tyres at a stroke.
In October 2012 a three-strand tyre grading system will be introduced. It will require every tyre on the market to carry a marking displaying its wet braking and rolling resistance standards on an A to G scale - and its noise level in decibels.
Tyres will be expected to meet minimum thresholds to be legal for sale, though these will be raised each year. By 2016's expected standards, a whopping 70 percent of today's tyres would be illegal.
The move is expected to see the vast majority of budget tyres, particularly those imported from China, become unfit for sale. However, critics claim it will also drive up average prices for consumers.
Tyre makers are yet to agree on a standardised test method for the rolling resistance and wet braking elements, and there will be no standard for tyre life, which is extremely difficult to quantify and rank.
During a demonstration of its Energy Saver tyre, a spokesman for Michelin claimed there is a "one to ten ratio tyre wear difference depending on use, weather, tyre pressure and other factors".
It is hoped the labelling system will change consumer trends in the same way it did for white goods, by emphasising the eco-impact a tyre has.
A car's tyres are responsible for up to one fifth of its fuel consumption, because of losses through rolling friction. Michelin claims its Energy Saver low rolling resistance tyres can reduce CO2 emissions by 4g/km.