Bridgestone: keeping commercial fleets moving
With commercial vehicle operators facing pressure to reduce costs in a challenging economic climate, tyre specialist Bridgestone says it is going the extra mile to demonstrate the financial benefits to fleets of its lowest total cost of ownership philosophy.
“Bridgestone’s complete package of fleet commercial support is designed to provide maximum efficiency, convenience and sustainability, with a portfolio of solutions tailor-made to meet fleets’ daily demands and create new social and customer value,” said the company.
The philosophy begins with its premium truck tyres, which are said to offer superior fuel saving and CO2 reducing performance as demonstrated through a recent four-month university study.
Students at Coventry University have shown that up to 40,000 metric tonnes of CO2 could be saved across the UK’s haulage sector per year if every long haul HGV ran on Ecopia H002 tyres, says Bridgestone, equating to between £2,200 and £3,200 in fuel per HGV (between 1,100 litres and 1,600 litres). The same equation was applied to all regional HGVs running on the company’s Duravis range, where up to 3 million metric tonnes of CO2 would be saved per year, with a fuel saving per-regional truck of between £1,300 and £1,900 (between 650 litres and 950 litres).
“Bridgestone’s lowest cost of ownership philosophy continues with its retreading processes and Webfleet digital systems, which harness fleet insights through data in order to deliver greater efficiencies and productivity gains,” said the company.
“For fleets that have yet to deploy Webfleet’s, advanced fleet management solutions, now might be the perfect time to do so. The return-on-investment opportunities – alongside significant sustainability benefits – are far reaching, offering a precious route to greater business resilience when it is needed most.”
Bridgestone’s flagship tyre for trucks is the Ecopia H002, said to pioneer low rolling resistance technology to make vehicles more fuel efficient, reducing both costs and environmental impact.
“It achieves best in class fuel efficiency through an EU label A-A-A grade combination in steer, drive and trailer and also boasts outstanding wet-weather performance and year-round convenience through full compliance with European winter legislation,” said Bridgestone.
Its latest range, the Ecopia Enliten, will also feature prominently, unlocking enhanced wear and reduced rolling resistance year-round.
“The range marks the first use of Enliten in a Bridgestone truck tyre, which is a combination of cutting-edge technologies providing maximum safety, outstanding tyre performance, improved sustainability characteristics and reduced ownership costs, while making tyres both EV- and future-ready,” said Bridgestone.
The ultra-durable Duravis R002 is another product that is also designed to help lower operational costs thanks to outstanding wear performance and optimised fuel efficiency, the company adds.
Meanwhile, Firestone’s truck tyres include a new on-road regional range which is also engineered to reduce cost of ownership and environmental footprint.
“The Bridgestone-owned brand will keep fleets moving in the driving seat through Bridgestone’s Enliten technology, which provides improved fuel efficiency through an up to 15 per cent reduction in rolling resistance across steer, drive and trailer axles,” said the company.
The Firestone line-up, available in six more sizes than its predecessors as part of an expansion, is said to combine value for money with reliable performance, making it a mid-segment choice to be reckoned with.
In recent weeks, Bridgestone’s commitment to retread has been underlined with a multi-million-pound upgrade of its range, which the firm says will further expand its manufacturing processes.
Under the new Bandag Hotread name, Bridgestone’s retread solutions will become some of the most advanced in the UK, the company claims, with 17 new products being manufactured from its Bourne-based Bulldog plant. Eight of these products are now on the market, mirroring Bridgestone’s flagship product range, with the rest of the Bandag Hotread portfolio to be introduced over the course of the year.
“The investment offers significant environmental and sustainable benefits, with retread tyres offering economical value for commercial fleets along with a massive reduction in the use of raw materials,” said Bridgestone.
“Typically, a retread tyre uses 70 per cent less oil in its production compared to a new product, along with 80 per cent less CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process. With 25,000 UK buses operating on retreads – along with 70 per cent of all supermarket delivery vehicles – Bridgestone believes that its investment arrives at the perfect moment.”
Bridgestone also highlights Fleetcare, the integrated tyre and fleet management solution that combines its premium tyres and tyre management solutions with Webfleet.
“Maximised customer satisfaction, time saving, regulatory compliance and increased sustainability, safety and security are provided in one user-friendly package,” said the company.
“Fleetcare delivers unique business benefits through IoT and data driven insights and services. If a fleet is looking for a comprehensive and modular solution package that adds cost control and automation to their daily work, then Fleetcare represents a compelling answer.”
