Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
Bridgestone has launched Enliten, a new lightweight tyre technology designed to reduce rolling resistance and contribute to the reduction of a vehicle’s CO2 emissions, while providing the same wear life as a standard original equipment tyre. The company states the new material will benefit car manufacturers, drivers, and the environment.
Firestone has launched the second generation of its new all-season touring tyre, the Multiseason. Accommodating a wide variety of cars and drivers, the tyre joins other recent models, such as Roadhawk and Vanhawk 2, supplied by the Bridgestone brand to offer reliable tyres at a value price point.
TireHub, the USA-based tyre distributor co-founded by Bridgestone Americas and Goodyear Tire & Rubber, has undergone its first expansion since its creation last July with the opening of a new TireHub Logistics Center (TLC) in Fort Myers, Florida.
Bridgestone has launched its first tyre fully dedicated to the coach segment, the Coach-AP 001. The tyre is designed to offer cost efficiency, comfort, and safety in dry and wet, wintery conditions alike, with high labelling scores for rolling resistance and pass-by noise.
During the first half of 2019, Manchester-based commercial wheel services company MWheels has been implementing an evolutionary process to change its target. The company has sought to position itself differently within its markets; from a UK wheel distributor campaigning for legislative input on wheel safety, to a European provider of wheels and wheel services designed to make commercial operators more aware of the safety and business implications of fitting and maintaining the most suitable products for their fleets. “The last four months,” chief executive officer Matthew Mardle tells Tyres & Accessories, “have been a big success in following through on the strategies” implemented since the changes in leadership at the helm of the company in January – Mardle was appointed CEO, while company founder John Ellis took up a new position as chairman – and, in the longer term, since the company opened its European operation, MWheels GmbH, in Germany.
Several tyre makers have received new silverware of late, with OEM partners in the vehicle manufacturing sector handing out awards to honour their suppliers. We’ve already shared news of awards Hankook Tire received from Honda and General Motors; more recently, Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Maxxis and Pirelli have commented on the accolades they’ve gained.
Priorities for operators of coaches and buses differ from those for other commercial vehicle types. While safety is important for all, these passenger vehicles must also be particularly quiet and comfortable. Acknowledging the coach segment’s unique requirements, Bridgestone has announced its first tyre fully dedicated to these vehicles, the Bridgestone Coach-AP 001.
With the launch of the Duravis R002, Bridgestone is offering fleets an “ultra-durable” tyre that is designed to lower operational costs per kilometre through “outstanding wear performance and optimised fuel efficiency.” The main four Bridgestone Duravis R002 sizes will be available as of September 2019, with six additional sizes arriving next year. The arrival of the Duravis R002 will simplify Bridgestone’s line-up in the versatility segment by replacing all current products.
Volkswagen’s first fully electric race car, the ID.R has broken the electric-powered vehicle lap record on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, using Bridgestone Potenza tyres. The car completed the challenging 20.83km track in 6:05.336 minutes, beating the previous record by 40.56 seconds. Bridgestone custom-developed the Potenza tyres to help the ID.R navigate the demanding track in record-breaking time.
Bridgestone’s OTR major accounts manager Rob Cole is celebrating his 30th anniversary with the world’s largest tyre manufacturer. He spoke exclusively with Tyres & Accessories about his role at the company – and the changes he has encountered over the years.
TomTom is set to return roughly 750 million euros to its shareholders after the sale of TomTom Telematics to Bridgestone for 910 million euros closed in April 2019. According to the company, TomTom will return the money on 27 May, through a consolidation of shares. Telecom Paper reported that for every 16 shares, nine will remain, resulting in the repayment of 5.74 euros per remaining share. This is said to be equivalent to 3.22 euros per share, based on the number of outstanding shares before consolidation.
Bridgestone’s approach to BAUMA, a leading global trade fair for the construction and mining markets, exemplified the current megatrends prevalent among premium tyre brand manufacturers in the OTR sector – indeed in most tyre segments – highly specialised products with a range of services developed to support end users; or to use Bridgestone’s own term, solutions. The manufacturer said that it is committed to support customers by identifying and solving the challenges of a business, and world, in rapid transformation.
Bridgestone’s new studless Blizzak ICE winter touring tyre is designed to offer improved snow and ice performance, superior ride comfort and significantly increased life. The manufacturer said these characteristics have been identified by targeted market research studies as key demands of motorists in winter driving situations.
Bridgestone has retained the title of ‘Australia’s Most Trusted Tyre Brand’ for a sixth consecutive year. The leading tyre company remains the sole recipient of the coveted award since the tyres category was added to Reader’s Digest’s Most Trusted Brands accolades in 2014.
Bridgestone has launched a new e-bikes subscription service. Mobeflex will be available in several major French cities. The tyre giant said that the move acknowledges both the changing megatrends in how people travel in urban areas, promoting affordable and environmentally friendly smart city mobility.
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