Contributing to Mercedes-Benz’s goal of giving an increased range to the VISION EQXX, Bridgestone has developed tyres for the EV to claim a real-world 1,000-kilometer driving range.
Mercedes-Benz AG has chosen Bridgestone as its tyre development partner for the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX technology initiative. The German automaker designed the electric vehicle (EV) to boost electric range and make EVs more efficient. Bridgestone engineers worked with Mercedes-Benz engineers to develop custom-designed tyres that helped the car achieve a real-world 1,000-kilometer driving range. The testing was done by driving the car from Sindelfingen, Germany, to Cassis, France, on a single charge.
Design details Turanza Eco tyres for an EV
Bridgestone created bespoke Turanza Eco tyres that combine its lightweight ENLITEN Technology, which reduces tyre rolling resistance and weight by up to 20%, with its ologic technology, which increases battery range by reducing rolling resistance and reducing aerodynamic resistance through a large tyre diameter and narrow tyre width.
The tyre also has optimised sidewalls and a bead area design that matches the covers put on the 20-inch, forged-magnesium wheels, considerably increasing the tyre’s aerodynamics.
Virtual tyre development
The tyres were developed using Bridgestone’s virtual tyre modelling and simulation capabilities, which enable a digital version of an in-development tyre to be created and tested. Using this technology means that development time was cut considerably.
Bridgestone leveraged the virtual environment for a large part of the development process, enabling the prediction of how the tyre would perform in different conditions before physically building it.
The increased flexibility offered by virtual tyre development enables the company to test far more variants of a given tyre, thanks to the speed at which modifying a tyre’s digital twin and immediately testing it can take place.
Emilio Tiberio, COO & CTO at Bridgestone EMIA, said: “As part of our commitment to help shape a sustainable future of mobility, Bridgestone is proud to have co-developed with its long-term partner the right tyres for a project as innovative as this. The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX is a project that is totally aligned with our own EV ambitions and targets, especially as we are investing to make electric mobility more efficient and accessible through a fully integrated approach. This includes pioneering premium tyres and tyre technologies able to tackle the greatest EV challenges. This is especially true as we heavily invest in EV tyre development – currently allocated over 30% of our R&D resources – and improve upon our technologies in 2022.”
