New Bridgestone Range Gives Motorists an All-Weather Option

Bridgestone is preparing to launch its first all weather tyre, the A001, in Northern Europe ahead of the coming winter season. This new tyre, the company says, is intended to meet the safety and performance demands of the region’s fast changing weather conditions.

Following the harsh weather experienced at the start of 2010, a phenomenon predicted to become a more frequent occurrence, motorists in the UK and other countries across Northern Europe are increasingly looking for a tyre that can handle extremes in the weather all year round. Bridgestone explains that its new Bridgestone A001 Weather Control tyre, unlike pure winter tyres which are softer and can wear more in warm, dry conditions, is designed specifically for the UK’s mixed weather conditions. Featuring an advanced ‘All Weather’ silica compound, the A001 is said to give a level of wear expected from a standard tyre such as the Bridgestone ER300 and low rolling resistance for a highly efficient drive.

The tyre also features a specially designed lens shaped water evacuation block to reduce the risk of hydroplaning in the wet, and high edge density and increased contact area to improve grip on frozen roads. When tested, the A001 outperformed Bridgestone’s ER300 summer tyre and LM-30 winter tyre by 5 and 10 per cent respectively in the wet, and delivered 30 per cent more snow traction and 20 per cent improving braking efficiency than the ER300.

“As the weather in the UK and across Northern Europe becomes increasingly unpredictable, with wet summers and harsher winters, motorists need a tyre which can meet the demands of these varying weather conditions – without having to change their tyres and foot the cost,” comments Andy Lane, marketing manager at Bridgestone UK. “The A001 meets these needs without compromising on the summer or winter performance.  The tyre provides maximum safety to meet more challenging winter conditions whilst retaining good tyre life in the warmer summer months.”

The A001 is also accepted as a snow tyre in markets where changing to winter tyres is law and meets EU regulation levels for noise emissions. The range will be launched in the UK replacement market in October 2010.