With the changeover of three facilities this month, Bridgestone is powering all but one of its tyre and raw material plants in Japan with 100% renewable purchased electricity. The Kurume, Amagi and Saga sites are the latest where Bridgestone is sourcing renewable power. A total of ten plants in Japan now run on purchased renewable electricity, the earliest having changed to renewable sources in July 2021.
Lamborghini has chosen Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres for its new Revuelto. In this mixed-fitment homologation, three bespoke options are available for the front wheels, which are powered by a trio of electric motors, and three for the V12 engine-driven rear wheels.
The World Solar Challenge 2023 will take place in October and, following the biennial event’s cancellation two years ago, Bridgestone Corporation returns as title sponsor. Bridgestone views its sponsorship as one that aligns with the company’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.
As of today, Thomas J. Higgins is “Responsible for Global Tire Industry Projects” at Bridgestone Corporation. He takes on this role in addition to his positions as the company’s global chief business strategic officer, vice chair of the Board at Bridgestone Americas and Supervisory Board chair at Bridgestone EMIA.
Vehicle manufacturers have built various models upon common platforms for years now, so why not do the same with tyres? Bridgestone sees the value in sharing modular components across tyre lines and is making something called BCMA a foundation of its New Premium strategy. It will market tyres resulting from this strategy under a global brand name and promote this brand via reactivated motorsport activities.
The expansion of Bridgestone Enliten into the replacement tyre market will commence in Europe this year with the launch of Bridgestone Turanza 6 and Duravis Van products featuring the technology. The tyre maker plans to debut a total of eight Enliten products for the European aftermarket in 2023, a figure representing around five per cent of all Bridgestone passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres in the European replacement market.
Bridgestone’s Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu tyre plants in Japan are now equipped with solar power systems. With a combined generation capacity of 5.8 MW, these systems will supply electricity to produce tyres at the two sites. Bridgestone speaks of an annual CO2 reduction of around 2,700 tonnes.
Bridgestone Corporation has announced the upcoming retirement of Masuo Yoshimatsu, the company’s chief financial officer. Yoshimatsu will retire on 31 January 2023, at which time he will also relinquish his position as a company senior vice president and executive officer.
For the second year running, EcoVadis has awarded Bridgestone EMIA a Platinum rating in its annual sustainability assessment. The award recognises Bridgestone’s sustainability achievements, with the Platinum status putting Bridgestone EMIA in the top one per cent of over 100,000 companies from over 200 industries worldwide.
New year, new offices. Bridgestone has relocated its Europe, Middle East, India and Africa headquarters to a “better connected, collaborative and sustainable” premises on the outskirts of Brussels. The new location is a short distance from Bridgestone’s prior office at the Corporate Village, covering three floors at Da Vincilaan 1, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium.
Solar rooftop panels installed upon Bridgestone’s Nong Khae plant in Thailand’s Saraburi province will directly power the tyre production process. The equipment installed at the Thai Bridgestone Co., Ltd., facility is the largest solar rooftop panel in use across the Bridgestone Group and has a total capacity of 9.95 MWp.
Days after announcing that its Alenza is an original equipment fitment on the all-electric BMW iX, Bridgestone shares that the fifth generation Lexus RX will also roll on these tyres. Lexus will equip models of the hybrid SUV sold in Europe and Japan with Alenza 001 tyres, while Bridgestone will supply the Alenza Sport A/S for versions of the Lexus RX sold in North America.
Masahiro Higashi, the Bridgestone Corporation chief operating officer with responsibility for the company’s business in Japan and its Bridgestone Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (BSCAP) business unit, will from 1 January 2023 additionally take on chairmanship of BSCAP.
Through its local subsidiary Bridgestone Do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda, Bridgestone Corporation is once again increasing production capacity at the Bahia passenger car and light truck tyre plant in Brazil. Earlier today, the company said it would invest approximately BRL 270 million (£45.4 million) in this project; when combined with the capacity investment announced in July 2021, total investment in boosting Bahia plant capacity amounts to approximately BRL 970 million (£163.2 million).
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