Veteran tire manufacture Bridgestone has launched its first EV-dedicated tire in front of a crowd in Southern California this morning. The Turanza EV is a grand touring tire designed to handle the heavier-torque of electric vehicles through all seasons. Several new Bridgestone technologies also make their debut on the Turanza tire, which will be targeted toward Tesla and Ford EV drivers to begin.
Bridgestone Corporation’s history dates back to the early 1930s in Japan, so the company clearly knows tires. EVs however, have been a slightly different story. In our previous coverage, we’ve seen Bridgestone support the EV revolution through partnerships.
First, Bridgestone’s EMIA (Europe, Russia, Middle East, India, Africa) arm developed a specific tire for the now defunct Lightyear One solar EV. In August of 2021, Bridgestone announced a partnership with autonomous commercial EV developer Einride, to become its sole tire supplier for US fleets. In exchange, Einride is helping the tire manufacturer electrify its truck fleets in a quest to make a majority of its vehicles EVs.
Most recently, we saw Bridgestone partner with Blink Charging to deploy Level 2 EV chargers at dozens of its retail locations. As you can see, Bridgestone has been supporting EVs for years, but has yet to deliver its own EV-specific tire for the mass market… at least until now.
Bridgestone debuts first tire dedicated to premium EVs
The Turanza EV tire made its debut at the Electrify Expo in Long Beach, California today and features some unique technology from the tire manufacturer. First off, the new replacement market tire is Bridgestone’s first in North America to feature ENLITEN technology, which is manufactured using 50% renewable and recycled materials, while still providing longer wear life and all-season performance.
Recycled materials include carbon black from old tires, synthetic rubber from plastic bags and bottles, renewable soybean oil, and even rice husk silica which is usually a discarded byproduct during rice harvesting.
Also debuting on the Turanza EV tire is Bridgestone’s PeakLife technology – a next-generation polymer that enhances tread wear resistance, enabling longer tire life. President and chief sales officer for Bridgestone Americas Riccardo Cichi spoke to the potential of the company’s first EV-dedicated tire:
With the accelerated progress toward an electrified vehicle fleet, we’re thrilled to launch a tire that is designed to help drivers get the best overall experience from their electric vehicles, including ride comfort, all-season driving performance and excellent wear life. We are also excited to introduce ENLITEN, which marks a major pivot in how we approach tire technology and design to deliver both exceptional dynamic performance and increased use of renewable and recycled materials.
The Turanza EV tire is designed, developed and manufactured in North America – the targeted market it will serve first. To begin, Bridgestone states its initial five sizes will fit the Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X, Model Y, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Goodyear also has EV specific tires in its lineup.
Looking ahead, Bridgestone is planning 13 additional tire sizes that will launch in early 2024. The Turanza EV comes with a 50,000 mile limited warranty and is “wet road ready.”