Bridgestone has been chosen by the BMW Group to develop a range of tires for its i3 electric vehicle.
As the exclusive tire supplier for the BMW i3, Bridgestone has put all its technological and engineering know-how into developing an exclusive tire that translates BMW’s vision for a future sustainable mobility.
BMW has achieved a genuine milestone with the i3 electric car. Doing justice to its unprecedented levels of both efficiency and performance demanded more than just a new tire but an entire new tire concept.
Bridgestone’s answer came in the form of the ologic technology, which capitalizes on the synergies of a large diameter coupled with a narrow tread design. The result is a tire that delivers significant improvements in aerodynamics and rolling resistance, while still offering outstanding grip in wet weather conditions.
Combining a large diameter with a narrow tread pattern has several advantages. While the tread on smaller diameter tires is typically inclined to excessive movement or “deformation” during driving, the larger diameter and higher belt tension significantly reduce tire deformation and therefore conserve energy that is otherwise lost through internal friction which helps to reduce rolling resistance. By the same token, the narrow tread concept improves aerodynamics. The most spectacular achievement, however is that these improvements do not involve a trade-off in terms of safety. The tire’s long contact patch (relative to its narrow width), revolutionary tread design and compound still ensure outstanding grip in both wet and dry conditions.
Released together with the BMW i3 in November 2013, the Ecopia EP500 ologic tire is available in four sizes – 155/70 R19 84Q, 175/60 R19 86Q, 155/60 R20 80Q and 175/55 R20 85Q– and two winter varieties –the BLIZZAK LM-500 ologic a lamellen tire and the BLIZZAK NV ologic a studless tire (with Multicell compound for Nordic conditions).
The new Bridgestone i3 tire is the latest product of a longstanding partnership with BMW both on and off the racing track. Over the past 17 years, that partnership has included a long list of OE fitments, joint technological developments (such as Run-Flat Technology tires), exclusive collaboration on BMW’s Driving Experience and now, working as an exclusive development partner for the BMW i3.
This ologic technology should help realise one of Bridgestone’s Long-term Vision goals: to contribute to a globally agreed-upon target of 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.
Like BMW, Bridgestone is not only committed to developing products that cut down on fuel consumption and associated carbon emissions but which also reduce the overall environmental impact of the entire production and lifecycle.
