By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone has expanded the size line-ups for its popular low rolling resistance Ecopia EP150 tyres.

The tyres, which offer lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, are now available for most popular car models.

The Ecopia Bridgestone EP150, which is fitted on the Nissan LEAF, the first all electric vehicle to win the prestigious title European Car of the Year 2011, can now fit a wide range of compacts and mid-sized passenger cars with 14” to 16” rim sizes in 55 to 65 series.

Combined with the extensive line-up of the Turanza ER300 Ecopia, launched in 2009 and now offering more than 40 sizes for larger family cars and executive saloons, Bridgestone Ecopia tyres now fit most popular car models on European roads.

The “Ecopia” name signifies the eco-friendly benefits of Bridgestone tyres developed under the company’s long-term safety and environmental programme. Ecopia tyres feature compound filler technology that reduces friction and heat build-up during tyre rotation.

This reduction in heat build-up leads to improved rolling resistance and lower fuel consumption, in turn leading to lower CO2 emissions.

The key advantage of Ecopia tyres is that these ecological gains have been obtained without sacrificing safety, especially wet braking and handling.

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone tyres are driving home three key themes with their stand at the annual Geneva Motor Show.

A trio of distinct zones highlight the direction of product development: reliable, ecological and innovative tyres.

To demonstrate reliability, the left side of the stand features Bridgestone’s top priority: safety.

The star of the stand is the brand-new Bridgestone Turanza T001 premium touring tyre. Its new technologies provide increased safety, comfort and environmental performance; a special wet display demonstrates T001 safety in the wet.

To get across the ecology message, the right-hand side of the stand plays host to the latest Ecopia developments, including the updated Ecopia EP150 tyre.

The popular “bicycle” demonstrator again shows visitors how low rolling resistance makes transport easier.

And finally, innovation is promoted at the front of the stand where Bridgestone displays some of its latest revolutionary developments and dreams for the future.

The BMW i concept tyre, a 100% Bridgestone Original Equipment fitment developed exclusively for the new BMW Born Electric vehicle, is on display along with the new Bridgestone CAIS (Contact Area Information Sensing) system, which detects changes in the road surface for added safety and comfort.

The Bridgestone stand is situated in Hall 6 for the Show, which runs from 8 to 18 March 2012.

It sounds like a ride at Alton Towers, but the new Adrenalin RE0002 is the latest addition to the premium Potenza range of tyres from Bridgestone.

As the name might suggest, the tyre is targeted at motoring enthusiasts ‘who love a sporty feel’.

According to Bridgestone, the new tyre offers a more exciting, sportier everyday driving experience through outstanding dry grip and stability.

Within Bridgestone’s existing premium sport range the Potenza S001 remains the flagship product for high-performance and luxury cars in both the OE and replacement markets, offering perfectly balanced wet-oriented performance.

The Potenza Adrenalin RE002 by contrast is a pure sport, replacement market tyre largely tuned for dry performance, combining razor-sharp steering response and precision handling for the two-seat roadster, hot hatchback or tuned car driver.

To enhance dry handling and sheer driving pleasure, the tread design boasts large, stiff outer blocks with a 3D connection between shoulder and adjacent rib, giving the tyre an exhilarating cornering ability. Road grip and sporty manoeuvring are enhanced by the wide offset rib design with grooved edge and waved centre block.

The Adrenalin also gives the wet security drivers need in European weather conditions through its new “pulse” groove and deflector technology, which breaks the water film faster in front of the footprint and deflects it away from under the tyre, increasing resistance to hydroplaning.

Tomio Fukuzumi, Director Consumer Products, Bridgestone Europe said: “With this range expansion, the new Potenza Adrenalin RE002 is appealing to new Bridgestone consumers. We are targeting enthusiasts who love a sporty feel and want an alternative to touring tyres.”

The new Potenza Adrenalin RE002 is available in 15 to 18 inch sizes, 60 to 40 series.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone has confirmed the long term lease on its testing ground just outside the Arctic Circle – which has helped shape its new range of winter tyres.

It has enabled the tyres manufacturer to gather vital data to develop improved products.

The Swedish Proving Ground (SPG), which is located at Vidsel, less than 100 km from the Arctic Circle, provides the company with an exclusive winter tyre testing facility for up to 17 weeks a year.

According to Bridgestone: “It has helped test a premium range of tyres which designed to keep motorists on the road in Europe’s varying winter conditions because the facility has the space and technology to allow objective testing measures that analyse vehicle movement quantitatively, enabling engineers to calculate the tyre grip force in contact with the frozen surface.”

The data from the ground, which Bridgestone has used since 2009, provides the platform for much more precise tyre design – found in the new range if winter tyres.

Franco Annunziato, CEO, Bridgestone Europe: “Winter tyres are one of Bridgestone’s strategic product pillars in Europe and the sophisticated and efficient testing of winter tyre technology is essential to our future plans.”

Traditional winter testing has been largely based on ‘subjective’ handling, supported by laboratory simulation and benchmarking, in which the test driver evaluated vehicle behaviour. Typically, the driver allocated scores on a ‘feel’ basis for steering, cornering and overall grip for each tyre tested in any specific condition.

Harsh winter conditions in 2009 and 2010 triggered an explosion of winter tyre demand in Europe. Sales in western and central regions of Europe increased 42 per cent between 2007 and 2011 and have now reached 38 per cent of total car tyre sales in the whole European region.

Demand increased by 20 per cent in 2010 alone, with Bridgestone sales growth exceeding the market rate. Traditionally mild-winter countries, such as the UK, Ireland and the Low Countries, experienced unprecedented sales increases.

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone will sponsor the majority of the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup events in a bid to boost brand awareness for its premium winter tyres range.

The German tyres manufacturer will be a main partner at 34 World Cup Alpine Ski events in nine European countries – Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland – during the 2011-2012 season.

The deal offers them branding on start huts, gate flags and athlete singlets and Bridgestone plans to optimise this exposure with track-side signage, corporate hospitality and trade marketing programmes.

Winter sports have a strong following in Europe and particularly the Alpine Ski World Cup has a wide European TV coverage.

The sponsorship initiative is part of an integrated Europe-wide product and marketing approach to further strengthen Bridgestone’s growing winter tyre business.

Working closely with leading car manufacturers, Bridgestone has built up the winter tyre range with the latest winter technologies.

The line-up now has tyres for all types of European conditions – from changeable, milder winters to severe Nordic conditions.

The world’s top skiing series is a perfect platform for promoting the performance of Bridgestone premium winter tyres in Europe. This dynamic sport displays the same performance values as Bridgestone’s products: control, balance, safety and grip.

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone has created a new range of tyres to help motorists cope with the unpredictable British winter weather.

With the much talked about cold snap, which saw snow fall in most areas of the country last week, many drivers in the UK are being warned to fit specialist winter tyres.

However, Bridgestone, which has recently launched the A001 Weather Control tyre, says that winter tyres are possibly not needed in the majority of conditions in the UK.

Andy Dingley, Communications Manager, for Bridgestone, said: “With 70 per cent of motorists not checking their tyres at all, driving on under-inflated tyres and 1 in 50 driving on both severely worn and severely underinflated tyres, we need to make sure that those people are still safe on the roads – but we also recognise that households are feeling the pinch and changing tyres every season is costly.”

Bridgestone’s Weather Control tyres can stay on a vehicle all year round. In winter, the tread pattern’s high-density siping has plenty of edge effect for controlled handling and braking on cold, frozen and snowy roads.

Additionally, a special silica compound provides strong grip in wet and wintry conditions, regardless of the temperature, ideal for UK weather conditions.

The Bridgestone A001 Weather Control has been developed for specific European regions and is suitable for moderate climates and wet, light winters such as the UK, Ireland, Belgium and Denmark.

The new Bridgestone A001 Weather Control is designed to give drivers in these regions a confident, safe driving experience all year round.

Dingley added: “Many motorists are being given inaccurate advice about winter tyres in this country, in fact a survey by Bridgestone at the end of last year discovered one in twenty families have sold the second car due to the recession.

“We feel that a balance must be struck where families can drive safely in all road conditions in the UK without breaking the bank, and Weather Control tyres could be that balance for many motorists.”

Bridgestone’s A001 Weather Control tyre is M+S marked (Mud + Snow) and rated as a snow tyre in most markets where winter tyres are required by law. The Bridgestone A001 Weather Control is available in 11 sizes to fit popular cars in the small and compact segments.

It’s a big night for Bridgestone tyres tonight as the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants in the 2012 Super Bowl.

Madonna is starring in the halftime show, sponsored by the tyres manufacturer, and of course there are the eagerly anticipated commercials aired during game time.

It’s the fifth time Bridgestone has sponsored the halftime show, and the whole spectacle will be seen by around 100 million people - which is why the organisers command the big bucks for the 30 second commercials.

Last year Bridgestone scored a hit with its “Karma” ad with the beaver was among the most popular with viewers, receiving a 97 percent rating on Fox Sports.

This year the company will be taking the opportunity to launch its new brand campaign, fittingly titled “Time to Perform,” during the game.

Approximately 36 ads will be shown and it is estimated that the ads sold for approximately $3.5 million each.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone has extended its agreement to supply tyres to BMW Driving Experience, the business group that provides specialised training programmes to improve individual driver skills and safety.

The tyres will be fitted to the fleet of BMW 1-Series, 3-Series, X5 and X6 vehicles, in addition to the range of high-performance BMW M models.

In its previous form as BMW Driver Training, the programme put more than 50,000 motorists through driving programmes in Europe.

BMW Driving Experience now includes training courses for safety, snow and ice, the race track and professional driving, as well as BMW M Experience events, tours and customized driving experiences.

For Bridgestone, the programme fits perfectly with the company’s long-term strategic focus on safety, exemplified by Bridgestone’s leading position in the development of run flat technology.

Tom Fukuda, Senior Vice President of Bridgestone Europe Sales & Marketing, said: “BMW and Bridgestone share many of the same goals in terms of safety and sustainable motoring. This agreement with BMW Driving Experience adds another dimension to our growing partnership.”

The extension of BMW Driving Experience agreement further strengthens the long-standing partnership between Bridgestone and BMW in the development of high-performance tyres.

Bridgestone has grown to become BMW’s leading supplier of original equipment tyres and today provides Potenza and Turanza run-flat tyres across the whole BMW series range. More recently, eco-friendly Bridgestone Ecopia tyres have been supplied for the 1-Series and MINI Countryman.

Bridgestone Tyres UK has chosen the Midlands-based Acorns Children’s Hospice at its chosen charity for 2012.

Throughout the year the tyres company staff will be hosting a series of fundraising events including a monthly ‘Dress Down Friday’ day in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Established in 1988, the charity offers a care for terminally ill youngsters and their families, across the Midlands.

Acorns provides tailored nursing, emergency care and short breaks for the children at each of its three hospices across the region as well as continual support for their families from its highly trained Community Team.

Paul Lawrie, Human Resources Director at Bridgestone UK , said: “Supporting such as worthy cause is very close to many of our hearts within Bridgestone, and being based in the Midlands, it felt right we should support a local charity this year.

“In 2011 we raised more than £5,000 for our charity, we’re hoping to go beyond that this year.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Punctured tyres are the bane of motorists lives, but now Bridgestone has announced it has developed a prototype that never goes flat.

The groundbreaking airless tyres use a special plastic resin that is weaved into a mesh of spokes that help to support the tread of the tyre and ensure it does not collapse under the weight of the vehicle.

The pattern of the spokes also plays a key part in assuring that it does not collapse, performing the function air pressure does in regular tyres, according to the report in the Daily Mail.

An added bonus is that the tyres resin is made of a plastic that can be repeatedly recycled and is therefore better for the environment.

According to Bridgestone, the ‘non-pneumatic’ tyre is at an early stage of development but it should eventually be available in retail vehicles.

The company unveiled its concept at the 42nd Tokyo motor show, which took place last month.

A Bridgestone spokesman said: “There is no need to periodically refill the tyres with air, meaning they require less maintenance.

“At the same the worry of punctures is eliminated.

“Non-pneumatic tyres have less impact on the environment than today’s conventional tyres.

“Bridgestone developed this technology with the aim of practical implementation.

“The concept tyre could prove to be a viable and more environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional tyres in the future.”