These Bridgestone tyres aim to help Volkswagen ID.3 to preserve battery power

Bridgestone has tied up with Volkswagen to bring its Enliten Technology lightweight tyres for the German car manufacturer’s new all-electric ID.3 vehicles. The 'environment-friendly' technology enables tyres to have a low rolling resistance while requiring less materials to be created.It is being applied by Bridgestone for the first time on Turanza Eco tyres specially engineered for the ID.3.

During the ID.3’s development, Volkswagen sought a tyre fitment that offered a high level of performance in both the wet and dry, good braking, long tyre life, and, most importantly, super low rolling resistance. That’s because rolling resistance can have an impact on fuel use and, in this case, the ID.3’s battery power operating range.

Bridgestone's custom developed Turanza tyre with Enliten Technology promises to help reduce battery power usage in Volkswagen ID.3. According to the tyre manufacturer, the new innovative lightweight tyre technology sets a new standard in material use and rolling resistance to deliver significant environmental benefits.

These tyres demonstrate a rolling resistance that is up to 30 percent lower than a standard premium summer tyre.This contributes, in a combustion engine vehicle, to a reduction of fuel consumption and CO2emissions, and significantly extends battery life in an electric vehicle.

Bridgestone claims such tyres will enable further fuel or battery conservation by being reduced in weight by up to 20 percent from equivalent standard premium summer tyres.This equates to up to 2 kgs fewer raw material resources required to produce every tyre, another environmental benefit from both a resources and final end-of-life stage management standpoint.

The early stages of development saw Bridgestone apply its ‘Virtual Tyre Development’ technology to digitally identify the ID.3’s optimum tyre dimensions. Besides quickening the tyre development phase, Virtual Tyre Development also brings significant environmental benefits by ensuring that the tyres don’t need to be physically produced and driven during development and testing.

The Turanza Eco tyres with Enliten Technology are available on Volkswagen’s ID.3 in 18, 19, and 20-inch variants. The 19 and 20-inch tyres are equipped with Bridgestone’s B-Seal technology, which ensures temporary air retention in case of a puncture in the tread area, allowing the vehicle to keep going.

Karsten Schebsdat, Head of Chassis Development at Volkswagen, said, “The ID.3 is our biggest launch since the Golf. We knew that the tyres had to be perfect if drivers were going to realise all of the vehicle’s performance and environmental benefits. So we selected Bridgestone and its Enliten Technology for the ID.3. The significant reduction of rolling resistance allowed by Enliten Technology has a huge impact on the ID.3’s battery conservation, which is very important, especially with there being many questions around electric vehicle range today. Enliten Technology can go a long way in helping to change perceptions on the viability of e-mobility. It’s a ground-breaking technology for sure."

Mark Tejedor, VP Original Equipment at Bridgestone EMIA, said, “The recent projects in the all-electric ID family have proved what e-mobility is capable of; in the ID.3 we truly have an electric vehicle that’s designed for everyone. We are very proud at Bridgestone to have helped bring the performance and environmental benefits of Enliten Technology to the roads for the first time on Volkswagen’s new all-electric ID.3 vehicle."