Bridgestone introduces Ecopia fuel efficient tires

Bridgestone Tires Thursday in Louisville, Ky., introduced its Ecopia fuel efficient tires designed to reduce overall tire wear costs up to 29 percent by fostering retreading.

Five tires in the Ecopia series will be complemented with equivalent Bandag FuelTech retreads to reduce life cycle costs.

“We added smarter designs and new technology in our Ecopia products, and implemented technologies that extend the life of an Ecopia casing for our Bandag FuelTech products,” said Scott Damon, vice president of marketing for Bridgestone Commercial Solutions. “These changes mean greater fuel savings for our customers that can contribute to a lower cost of ownership over the life of the tires.”

The new tires are redesigned in several areas. First, the NanoPro-Tech polymer technology helps control particle movement by bonding the carbon black in the tread more securely at an atomic level, which reduces flexing and related energy loss. Second, the Fuel Saver sidewall compound runs cooler, saving more energy, the company said. In addition, the IntelliShape sidewall, found in the M710 Ecopia drive radial and R197 Ecopia trailer tire, contain less bead filler volume, which lowers tire weight, improving fuel economy and conserving natural resources, the company said.

Several changes extend casing life. A new Defense Side Groove feature has been incorporated into the R283 Ecopia steer tire, which creates uniform pressure along the footprint at the shoulder and helps extend tread life. A High Rigidity Tread Pattern was added to extend wear. And, the Waved Belt design improves durability, contributing to a more retreadable casing, especially when paired with a Bandag FuelTech product, the company said. Turn-In-Ply technology enhances durability and retreadability over the life of the casing.

All these features remain after the tire is retreaded, extending both the fuel efficiency and the life of the tire.

All FuelTech tread patterns complement the new drive and trailer Ecopia tires, B710 FuelTech drive and B197 FuelTech trailer retreads. For users of wide base singles, Bandag B835 FuelTech and B135 FuelTech retreads are based on the new Bridgestone Greatec M835 Ecopia drive and Greatec R135 Ecopia trailer radials.

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