Bridgestone is adding to the newly-developed R-STEER 001 and R-DRIVE 001 truck tyres, currently available in size 315/80R22.5. Additional dimensions for the R-STEER 001 will be available in sizes 295/80R22.5, 315/70R22.5 and 385/65R22.5, while the R-DRIVE 001 will also be available in 295/80R22.5 as well as 315/70R22.5.
R-STEER 001 and R-DRIVE 001 tyres have been developed in response to the trend towards changing fleet operating conditions from one day to another and a broader mix of usage conditions in regional applications, ranging from highway driving to light on- and off-road usage. This “regional” segment, which represents around 42 per cent of the total truck tyre market, also covers various types of vehicles – general cargo trucks, tankers, refrigerated trucks, coaches, and specialized areas such as timber and waste transport – adding further to the versatility of conditions.
To meet this market situation, Bridgestone has designed the R-STEER 001 and R-DRIVE 001 truck tyres with more robustness for versatile conditions and broader usage, without loss of performance or safety. These new regional tyres are most suitable for trips of between 50 and 1,000 km, with up to 5 per cent on/off usage. They are also more able to cope with overloading and low inflation pressure which has been identified by Bridgestone internal experts as common behavior in today’s mixed operating conditions.
All R-DRIVE 001 tyres are also M+S marked, which makes them suitable for use on mud and fresh or melting snow, offering better driving performance than standard tyres. The 295/80R22.5 and 315/70R22.5 sizes are also suitable for winter conditions and therefore marked with the alpine symbol, which identifies snow tyres as defined in UN Regulation R117.02.
Longer service life and improved retreading potential
R-STEER 001 and R-DRIVE 001 are designed for customers looking to improve their mileage and reduce their cost per kilometre: this is Bridgestone’s Total Tyre Life promise.
Long life is achieved by using the company’s proprietary NanoPro-Tech™ compound, which reduces energy loss in the top compound as the tyre rotates. Reduced energy loss leads to reduced rolling resistance, which guarantees durability and abrasion resistance, without compromising tyre performance. On top of this, Bridgestone’s highly durable casings ensure maximum retreading potential, and improved re-grooving potential versus the predecessors R297 and M729 helps extending the tyre life.
The advanced tread patterns are designed with Bridgestone’s top tread technologies: Tie-bar between the tread blocks on the unidirectional R-DRIVE 001 allow for increased stiffness and service life; Square Shoulder design on R-STEER 001 ensure stable cornering and increased tyre life, together with Stone Ejectors for improved retreading potential and Dual Sipe technology for improved wet and winter handling.
“The built-in robustness and durability of these new R-STEER 001 and R-DRIVE 001 truck tyres provides them with an unmatched versatility, allowing them to lower tyre-related operational costs in a huge variety of fleet operations” says Harald Van Ooteghem, Senior Manager, Marketing Planning, Commercial Business Unit, Bridgestone Europe.
R-STEER 001 and R-DRIVE 001 apply Bridgestone’s new user-friendly naming system. Designed to make tyre names more transparent and self-explanatory, the new naming logic reflects the two most important aspects of correct tyre use, the surface type (R for regional) and axle (Steer or Drive).