• New to 2019, the innovative Enliten technology enabling less materials to be used in tyre production and improving the tyre’s fuel efficiency was brought to the roads for a more sustainable mobility.
• Several ground-breaking CASE mobility projects launched in partnership with leading car manufacturers addressed global macro trends, such as climate change and urbanisation.
• Bridgestone was chosen to provide approximately 100 new original equipment fitments in EMEA, across more than 50 different models from 14 different manufacturers in 2019, with a 10 percent year-on-year growth for HRD+ fitments.

Introducing Enliten

In 2019, Bridgestone pioneered a new lightweight tyre technology, Enliten, to help address global mobility challenges around sustainability.

Engineered with the environment front of mind, Enliten enables tyres to have a super low rolling resistance – a key factor in a vehicle’s fuel efficiency and battery use – while requiring less materials to be created^[1] – reducing the tyre’s environmental footprint and also improving fuel efficiency or battery range. In 2019, Enliten was brought to the roads for the first time on Volkswagen’s new, all-electric ID.3 and the Audi RS Q3. 2020 will see Bridgestone work to bring Enliten’s benefits to even more models and manufacturers.

A record-breaking partnership

Bridgestone is committed to helping its OEM partners achieve their goals. This year was no different, with the company developing record-breaking tyres for the likes of Volkswagen and Renault.

Bridgestone and Volkswagen’s long-time partnership was put to the test on the racetrack in 2019. Custom-engineered Bridgestone Potenza tyres were specially developed for Volkswagen’s electric supercar, the ID.R. The tyres delivered the confidence and performance to help Volkswagen break the world famous Nürburgring-Nordschleife’s EV track record by 40.56 seconds.

Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R also broke an Nürburgring record on high performance Potenza S007 tyres, showcasing the prowess of Bridgestone tyres, and the company’s dedication to its partners.

Developing CASE and space mobility

As technology and global challenges evolve, Bridgestone is investing in the future. In addition to its new Enliten lightweight tyre technology, the company’s proprietary technologies, such as B-Silent reducing in-vehicle noise, B-Seal and Run-Flat Technology for continuous mobility and ologic technology lowering rolling resistance, are helping meet new mobility demands and responding to the requirements of OEMs to help make CASE and sustainable mobility a reality for all.

In 2019, SEAT chose to apply Bridgestone’s renowned ologic technology to equip its Minimó electric concept car. The small two-passenger, all-electric vehicle is engineered to adapt to the mobility platforms that will shape the future of urban driving. The year also saw bespoke Bridgestone Connect ‘smart’ tyres, which relay information on tyre load, pressures, grip level and tyre health to the interior screens, custom developed for Nissan’s IMQ EV concept vehicle.

Bridgestone Corporation also partnered with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota to commit to an international space exploration mission. Bridgestone will help explore the mobility challenges and performance needs of tyres for use on manned, pressurized rovers^[2] to help them make better contact with the surface of the moon.