DefinitionThe maximum speed which the tire can sustain, expressed by a speed category symbol (UN R30, para. 2.29).
Symbol to km/h
| Symbol | Maximum speed, km/h | Source |
|---|---|---|
| F | 80 | UN R54 |
| G | 90 | UN R54 |
| J | 100 | UN R54 |
| K | 110 | UN R54 |
| L | 120 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| M | 130 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| N | 140 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| P | 150 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| Q | 160 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| R | 170 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| S | 180 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| T | 190 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| U | 200 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| H | 210 | UN R30, UN R54 |
| V | 240 | UN R30 |
| W | 270 | UN R30 |
| Y | 300 | UN R30 |
| ZR | Marking for tires rated above 240 km/h; the rating itself is given by W, Y or (Y) | UN R30, paras. 3.1.3.4 and 3.1.4.1 |
| (Y) | Above 300 km/h | UN R30, para. 3.1.4.1 |
H sits after U in the table because it was assigned later; it is 210 km/h, not a value between G and J. “VR” is an older, non-standard designation and is not part of the current tables.
ZR and (Y)
On radial tires rated above 240 km/h but not above 300 km/h, the letter R before the rim code may be replaced by ZR. Above 300 km/h it must be: the size is written with ZR and the service description is put in brackets, for example (95Y). ZR is therefore a construction marking, not a speed; the actual rating is the W, Y or (Y) symbol.
Replacement rule
UN R142 requires the speed symbol to be compatible with the maximum design speed of the vehicle. Tire makers phrase it as: never fit a lower speed symbol than the original specification, except for winter tires.
The exception is precise. Snow tires with the Alpine symbol may have a lower symbol if it is at least 160 km/h or above the vehicle’s design speed, and a warning label with the lower maximum speed must be visible to the driver where the design speed is higher. Germany applies this through StVZO § 36 (5). M+S tires without the Alpine symbol do not qualify.
Speed and load together
Above 210 km/h the permitted load of V tires decreases, and W and Y tires have their own reduction tables. A tire’s load index therefore has to be read with its speed symbol. See the load index guide.
Sources
- UN Regulation No 30 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of pneumatic tyres for motor vehicles and their trailers (Official Journal L 201, 30 July 2008)
- UN Regulation No 54 — Pneumatic tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers (Official Journal 2008)
- UN Regulation No 142 — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor vehicles with regard to the installation of their tyres (01 series, Official Journal 2021)
- Michelin — Tyre load rating and speed rating
- Continental — Speed index
- StVZO § 36 — Bereifung und Laufflächen (Germany)
All sources accessed 8 September 2026. UN Regulations are quoted from their Official Journal publications on EUR-Lex; later supplements may exist. This guide is general information, not advice for a specific vehicle: the vehicle documents and the applicable national rules take precedence.