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 fuel-efficient tire technology from Bridgestone, “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 the Bridgestone 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.

Source and photo credit: Bridgestone