Bridgestone adds new sizes to ECOPIA fuel-efficient truck tyre line-up

Bridgestone is expanding its ECOPIA highway truck tyre line-up with the introduction of new sizes in 2013. Both ECOPIA H-STEER 001 and ECOPIA H-DRIVE 001 add sizes 295/80R22.5 and 315/80R22.5 to the currently available 315/70R22.5. ECOPIA H-TRAILER 001, already available in size 385/55R22.5, will add size 385/65R22.5 in 2014.

Fuel is one of the largest operating expenses for fleets, accounting for around 25-30% of all fleet related costs. Fuel economy and efficiency has therefore become imperative, especially for advanced, fuel-conscious long-haul operators.
Bridgestone’s response to the challenges of these customers is a full range of premium fuel efficient tyres for Steer, Drive and Trailer positions: ECOPIA H-STEER 001, ECOPIA H-DRIVE 001 and ECOPIA H-TRAILER 001. Together they can deliver a reduction of up to 5%* in fuel consumption compared to the previous range of ECOPIA tyres.

Depending on the situation and driving conditions, between 20 and 50% of fuel consumption is a result of rolling resistance, which is the force required purely to roll the tyre. Bridgestone has achieved a drastic reduction in rolling resistance of the new ECOPIA range versus previous tyres: independent road tests** show that ECOPIA H-STEER 001 and ECOPIA H-DRIVE 001 provide respectively 18.9% and 26.5% lower rolling resistance than the previous ECOPIA series, leading to 4.4% lower fuel consumption.
Together with the ECOPIA H-TRAILER 001, highway operators can save up to 5%* of fuel with the combination of ECOPIA H-STEER 001, ECOPIA H-DRIVE 001 and ECOPIA H-TRAILER 001 compared to the previous ECOPIA series.

To achieve these benefits, Bridgestone has employed its proprietary NanoPro-Tech™ compound which reduces internal friction between the different tyre compound elements, decreasing the energy loss in the top compound as the tyre rotates. This reduced energy loss translates as lower rolling resistance – but without compromising other tyre performance areas such as drive traction, wet grip and mileage.
Rolling resistance is also reduced through the use of a new sidewall compound in ECOPIA H-STEER 001 and ECOPIA H-TRAILER 001, while the Low Energy Pattern of ECOPIA H-DRIVE 001 allows for better control of the movement in the tread blocks, creating less deformation. Because there is less deformation, tread wear is reduced and the resulting reduction in absorbed energy also reduces the tyre’s rolling resistance.