Tyre maker Bridgestone has announced it will be supplying teams at the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) with tyres developed using 63% recycled and renewable materials. The tyres, which are custom-designed to meet the unique challenges of the 3,000 km across Australia, mark the first use of the company’s new Enliten technology in motorsport competition.
Bridgestone adds it celebrates the 60th anniversary of its motorsport activities in 2023 and keeps the endeavour to support sustainable global motorsport by doing the following:
Enliten: Bridgestone’s new technology for premium tre design in EV era
Enliten elevates conventional tyres by enhancing environmental performance while also exceeding the customer and market demands in product performance. The tyres supplied to the BWSC were designed to help teams meet the extreme demands during the 3,000 km event, including low rolling resistance, wear and weight. Bridgestone will customise tyres based on the needs from the teams to demonstrate the new Enliten technology and capabilities of the tyres.
BWSC tyre made using 63% recycled and renewable materials
The tyres Bridgestone is supplying will include a tyre with recycled and renewable material ratio (MCN – Material Circularity Number) of 63%, which is an improvement compared to approx. 30 % in the 2019 BWSC event, The recycled and renewable materials used in development of these tyres includes recycled organic fibre, recovered carbon black, recycled rubber chemical, recycled oil, and reinforcement material using recycled steel. Furthermore, tyres supplied to the cruiser class were additionally developed using rice husk silica and carbon black recovered through pyrolysis of used tyre.
Low carbon emission logistics in tire shipping
For BWSC tyre shipment, Bridgestone chose to work with DHL, a logistics provider targeting zero emission by 2050. Through the use of DHL’s GoGreen Plus solution, the transport of tyres to the BWSC will be a 100% carbon neutral shipment through a combination of using sustainable marine fuel (insetting) and compensation of emissions via VER Gold Standard carbon credits (offsetting).
“Bridgestone is passionate about contributing to a more sustainable motorsports future at the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge through our Enliten tyres made with 63% recycled and renewable materials, as well as our collaborative supply chain initiatives. We will demonstrate the new technology through the extreme conditions.” said Naotaka Horio, Director, Bridgestone Motorsports. “Additionally, as title sponsor, we are looking forward to helping young and diverse engineering minds from all over the world create breakthrough technologies in the BWSC that can play a role in a more sustainable mobility society of the future.”