Bridgestone to Supply Solar Car Tires Using Fuel-Efficient Tire Technology to 32 Teams Competing in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

TOKYO, September 27, 2019 /3BL Media/ — Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) will supply solar car tires using its fuel-efficient tire technology to 32 teams participating in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC), for which Bridgestone is the naming rights sponsors.

Held in Australia once every two years, the BWSC is the world’s foremost solar car race. The 2019 race event will begin on October 13, 2019, and racers will compete on a course spanning 3,000 km from Darwin on the northern edge of Australia to Adelaide on the southern edge over a period of approximately five days.

The solar car tires “ECOPIA with ologic” to be supplied to teams competing in this race are fuel-efficient tires designed specifically for solar cars using Bridgestone’s fuel-efficient tire technology “ologic.” “ECOPIA with ologic” tires ensure the necessary durability while featuring reduced rolling resistance. Tires using ologic technology are narrower than standard tires with a wider diameter, making for a shape that realizes high levels of fuel efficiency and safety. The wider diameter limits changes in the shape of the contact patch to yield lower rolling resistance, which improves fuel efficiency. In addition, the narrower shape reduces air resistance while driving.

This event partnership seamlessly aligns with the three priority areas of Bridgestone’s global corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment, Our Way to Serve: mobility, people and environment. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge embodies that philosophy with their purpose to contribute to the development of solar cars, support young engineers, and contribute to the environment while using a new power source: solar light. The Bridgestone Group employs innovation and technology to improve the way people move, live, work, and play.

Overview of BWSC:

1. Official Name: 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge
2. Date: October 13-20, 2019
3. Host Country: Australia (Start: Darwin; Goal: Adelaide)
4. Host: South Australian Tourism Commission
5. Race Classes
(1) Challenger Class
A race to reach the goal the quickest in vehicles designed for speed; vehicles require four wheels and one driver.
(2) Cruiser Class
A race testing vehicles’ energy efficiency and practicality; vehicles must have four wheels and be able to be ridden by one driver and more than one passenger.
(3) Adventure Class
A race open to vehicles that are based on the criteria for participating in previous BWSC races or that otherwise do not meet the requirements to compete in the Challenger Class or Cruiser Class.

About Bridgestone Corporation:

Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.