Designed for application in light commercial vehicles (LCV) within the last mile or regional delivery sector, the new summer Duravis Van tire from Bridgestone is stated to provide maximum efficiency in daily operations.
Results from tests carried out by TÜV SÜD show that the Duravis Van tire delivers best-in-class mileage for extended tire life, in addition to best-in-class dry and wet braking performance. The tire has also been awarded the highest available EU label rating for grip in wet scenarios.
Compared to its previous iteration, the Duravis R660, Bridgestone’s new Duravis Van tire benefits from a 21% improvement in rolling resistance, resulting in a Grade B EU label for rolling resistance in most of the currently available sizes. As a result, the tire helps to provide better fuel and energy efficiency.
The Bridgestone Duravis Van features a newly designed symmetric tread pattern, cavity crown optimization, and a new sipe design and void distribution. Each of these benefits from Bridgestone’s enhanced contact technology to improve performance levels. A higher wear tolerance also counteracts the heavier weight and torque levels of EVs, making the tire suitable for application to both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles.
Bridgestone’s latest tire was developed at its European R&D Centre using the company’s Virtual Tyre Development technology. This enabled a digital version of the in-development tire to be created and tested, helping Bridgestone to predict how the tire would perform in a range of different scenarios without needing to build multiple prototypes. The digital approach resulted in a 38% saving of raw materials and CO2 emissions, in addition to cutting 20,000km and 4.2 metric tons of CO2 which would have been generated from outdoor testing.
“Fleets today are facing several sizeable challenges,” said Steven De Bock, vice president consumer replacement and OE at Bridgestone EMIA. “They need to bring down their total cost of ownership, optimize their operations, reduce CO2 emissions, and overcome the logistical challenges of the last-mile delivery model. The new Bridgestone Duravis Van tire is the answer to all of these – it brings a range of benefits to both ICE and electric vehicles, delivering sustainability benefits, reduced total cost of ownership, and seamlessly connecting heavy load transportation with last-mile delivery. It is the tire to ensure businesses are prepared to perform.”
The Duravis Van tire will be available in 26 sizes from January 2023 onward.
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