Bridgestone engineers have collaborated with Mercedes-Benz to create custom-designed tyres that have contributed to increasing the Vision EQXX’s efficiency to a higher level. As we already know, the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX has achieved a staggering real-world drive range of 1,000km – from Sindelfingen, Germany to Cassis, France, on a single charge. Bridgestone has become the official tyre supplier for the new Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept. The tyre manufacturer was selected by Mercedes-Benz AG as the development partner for tyres for its technology programme.
Mercedes-Benz aims at making the Vision EQXX more efficient and increasing electric range to a higher level and tyres’ rolling resistance has a very crucial role to play in that development. The bespoke Bridgestone Turanza Eco tyres combine its proprietary and lightweight Enliten technology to reduce tyre rolling resistance and weight by up to 20 per cent. The ologic technology also helps as it is designed to enhance the battery range by means of a large tyre diameter to reduce rolling resistance, and a narrow tyre width to reduce aerodynamic resistance. In collaboration with Mercedes-Benz’s aerodynamic department, the tyre also comes with optimised sidewalls and a bead area design that match the covers mounted on the 20-inch, forged-magnesium wheels, greatly improving the tyre’s aerodynamics.
The tyres were developed using Bridgestone’s virtual tyre modelling and simulation technology which enabled a digital version of an in-development tyre to be created and tested. Hence, the development time was cut considerably. The increased flexibility offered by virtual tyre development enabled Bridgestone to test far more variants of a given tyre.
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