Bridgestone Turanza Eco tyres designed for VW’s new gold 8 offered with ENLITEN tech

Bridgestone’s ENLITEN technology is now available on its Turanza Eco tyres specifically designed for Volkswagen’s new Golf 8 to enhance the car’s upgraded driving dynamic.

Bridgestone had introduced ENLITEN technology on Volkswagen’s ID.3. Developed at Bridgestone EMIA’s R&D Centre in Rome, Italy, and produced in Spain, the new 205/55R16 91H Turanza Eco tyre with ENLITEN Technology is available to the European market from August 2020.

Offering significant environmental benefits, the ENLITEN technology improves vehicle handling and driving dynamics through lowered rotating mass to help increase driving pleasure.

While developing its new Golf 8, Volkswagen required a tyre that offered a super low rolling resistance without comprising other performance areas. Bridgestone, Volkswagen’s long-term partner, answered that brief with custom-developed Turanza Eco tyres with ENLITEN Technology which achieve a best-in-class EU label A-grade in rolling resistance, and much more.

One of the standout features of this custom-engineered tyre is the improved vehicle handling it enables. This is thanks to the synergy between the unique materials used to create ENLITEN Technology and a new mixing process that has enhanced the technology’s compound wear performance, without compromising on grip. Combined with a cavity and full 3D pattern design that maximises wet and wear performance, this ensures that the Turanza Eco tyres with ENLITEN Technology provide a wet grip performance that achieves an EU label B-grade with no compromise on wear performance.

 Speaking on this announcement was VP Consumer Replacement and OE at Bridgestone EMIA, Steven De Bock: “To this point we have talked about ENLITEN Technology as a breakthrough in sustainable tyres – and rightly so – but the improvements it can make possible in the realm of driving experience are also significant. Due to the low driving resistance and low weight of the Turanza Eco with ENLITEN Technology, the tyre’s impact on driving dynamics – on lower-powered engines in particular – becomes clearly visible. It’s fantastic that we’re able to bring to life the different benefits of ENLITEN Technology – environmental sustainability and driving pleasure – in collaboration with our long-term partner Volkswagen, as we continue to deliver on our commitment to provide social and customer value as a sustainable solutions company.”

Hana Technologies, Inc. (Hana RFID), a global leader in the design and manufacturing of embeddable RFID tyre tags, has become the first RFID company to join the Circular Rubber Platform. This development aligns with Hana RFID’s mission to drive innovation in tyre traceability and reinforces the company’s long-standing commitment to sustainability and circularity in the tyre and rubber industry.

Hana RFID has been at the forefront of RFID-enabled tyre traceability since 2005, facilitating smooth tracking from cradle to grave and promoting circularity. Hana's RFID tyre tags, which are embedded during manufacturing, provide each tyre a distinct digital identity, facilitating complete lifetime tracking from manufacture and use to recycling and reuse. Hana hopes to promote RFID usage in sustainable tyre lifecycle management by working with leading companies in the sector, which will eventually save waste and increase resource efficiency.

Using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, an RFID tyre tag is a tiny, embedded device that tracks, monitors and controls tyres. In addition to providing smooth connection with inventory monitoring, fleet management systems and other digital applications, such as the European Digital Product Passport (DPP), these tags produce digital twins of tyres. Hana's RFID solutions empower the whole tyre ecosystem to expedite fleet management, improve inventory control, optimize maintenance, and create creative business models that increase sustainability and efficiency.

Val Peters, VP – Marketing, Hana RFID, said, “We are excited to join the Circular Rubber Platform as the first RFID company in this initiative. RFID technology is essential for advancing a circular economy in tyre manufacturing, and we look forward to collaborating with partners across the rubber sector to drive sustainability on a broader scale.”

Enrico Koggel, Co-Founder, Circular Rubber Platform, said, “RFID technology is key to enabling a circular rubber economy. RFID enables seamless tracking from production to end-of-life recycling by connecting material and production data into each rubber product. It provides traceability and easy identification and allows for smart sorting of materials and efficient recycling to ensure responsible reuse, remanufacturing, recycling and waste reduction. We are therefore very happy to announce Hana as a new member of the Circular Rubber Platform, with the technology and experience they can provide to the platform. We look forward to sharing knowledge on RFID and working out opportunities for this technology in rubber industries that require Digital Product Passports in the near future, such as footwear.”

TÜV SÜD has expanded its test laboratory in Frankfurt am Main and unveiled new testing facilities at an Open Lab Day at the site, giving customers and employees an exclusive insight into the new state-of-the-art testing environments. The expansion strengthens TÜV SÜD’s position as a leading provider of independent testing and certification services.

Car charging plugs can now be tested in the lab to assess features like weather resistance, mechanical strength and electrical safety. To guarantee the endurance and durability of charging plugs and other parts, the new lab can also conduct crash testing on them. The inclusion of performance testing for tiny batteries is another significant development. Basic functional analysis will be the main emphasis of these tests at first, but in the second part of the year, comprehensive safety and performance evaluations will be included. Similar to this, power tool testing capabilities have been greatly increased to give manufacturers an even more thorough evaluation of the calibre, robustness and safety of their goods.

The capability to ascertain the biogenic carbon content of materials is an additional highlight of the expansion. These assessments support the implementation of sustainable manufacturing methods by giving businesses evidence of the utilisation of renewable raw resources. In order to make sure that packaging and other materials fulfil the strictest safety regulations and don't leak dangerous compounds into food, the testing infrastructure for materials that come into contact with food has been increased at the same time. It's also important to note the recently added ability to evaluate welding fume filtration systems, which may undergo a thorough performance assessment and will soon be certified.

TÜV SÜD is now able to provide an even greater variety of chemical testing services to make sure that products satisfy the most recent regulatory standards thanks to the expansion of its Frankfurt laboratory. With standardised testing for compounds including PFOS, PFOA, C9-C14 PFCAs, and PFHxS, there is a special emphasis on PFAS analysis. Due to the laboratory's expansion, even more businesses may now make use of its extensive testing knowledge, which includes services related to durability testing, risk assessment and certification for a range of product categories.

Walter Reithmaier, CEO, TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH, said, “By expanding our laboratory in Frankfurt, we are responding to growing demand for product testing and certification. Our new testing capacities will set new standards in safety, sustainability and performance. We look forward to supporting our customers with state-of-the-art testing technology and professional expertise.”

Chicago-based Koala Technologies (KTL), a leading automotive testing, measurement and evaluation tools provider, has launched Te.Sense Bloom – a breakthrough in non-destructive rapid tyre deflation testing. The company has introduced the base kits starting at USD 20,000.

The solution the company claims is fully compliant with FMVSS 110 and emerging EV stability test standards. The Te.Sense Bloom allows passenger vehicle manufacturers and tyre makers to cost-effectively reuse solutions, thereby optimising test programmes while reducing waste.

Currently, the rapid tyre deflation tests often rely on a vehicle being driven over special roadway cleats at defined speeds. This method sees tyres destructively punctured and destroyed by the cleats, and internal inflation pressure is quickly reduced to atmospheric pressure. At times, these tests aim to ensure that the tyres are safely seated on the wheels post rapid deflation, wile at times it is to evaluate vehicle stability in terms of tyre failure.

The company stated that this tests however require destroying multiple tyres, not only leading to waste but may also corrupt certain vehicle dynamics tests that call for a single, targeted tyre failure.

On the other hand, with Te.Sense Bloom, the industry can use non-destructive controlled, rapid deflation for the selected tyres. Using a controllable central air ejector valve with a volume and a flow capacity that simulates a sudden tyre press loss. While the method sounds simple and frugal, the innovation lies in relation with the turn-key nature of Te.Sense Bloom. Automotive testers and engineers get a repeatable set up method, easy in-car operation and simple connectivity with data acquisition systems. As part of its comprehensive supply to Te.Sense Bloom customers, KTL even offers a wheel setup service to simplify test preparations.

The other advantage of Te.Sense Bloom is that the tyre deflation event can be triggered from inside the vehicle or remotely that further expands test scenario possibilities. It can be used for testing tyre inflation pressures up to 100 PSI and speeds up to 140 kmph (87 mph). The real-time tyre inflation data at 100 Hz has a claimed data accuracy of +/-0.1 PSI.  

Kenneth Martin, Head of Tyre Testing at the Transportation Research Center, said, “We have significant experience with rapid tyre deflation tests, using all types of methods, and we’re looking forward to evaluating KTL’s Te.Sense Bloom, since it represents a turn-key, non-destructive solution. There’s definitely some baseline justification for test equipment like this because it fundamentally means consuming fewer tyres. But Te.Sense Bloom’s inherent connectivity opens some other doors also, since triggered and monitored rapid tyre deflations are becoming an area of interest for vehicle stability testing, especially in EV space.” 

The first U.S.-specification kit has been delivered to the Transportation Research Center in Ohio for initial evaluations.

Being compliant with EV stability testing standards the Te.Sense Bloom is already being used by OEMs globally such as Huawei AITO, SAIC Motor Corp and GAC Motor to conduct regulatory tests such as GB/T 38796-2020 (Performance Requirements and Test Methods of Automobile Blow-out Emergency Safety Device).

Mike Lee, Founder and President, KTL, added, “Koala Technologies is excited to introduce Te.Sense Bloom into new markets, beginning in 2025. Bloom has been widely adopted for vehicle development testing in China over the last several years, becoming a must-have tool for many OEMs and key suppliers. It’s one example, among many, of an excellent, trusted, useful automotive testing device that no one knows about outside China. A part of our mission at KTL is to shine a light on some of these exciting technologies that are currently available, but not widely known. Another part of our mission is to help customers achieve their goals more efficiently and at a lower cost. We look forward to the upcoming testing at the Transportation Research Center in Ohio, and we hope that Te.Sense Bloom proves to be a good fit for automotive development programmes in the U.S and beyond.”

Bridgestone Corporation has developed a new Tyre and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) vehicle collection method aimed at understanding the environmental impact of TRWP. The solution was also displayed at the Tire Technology Expo 2025, held in Hannover, Germany, from 4 to 6 March.

TRWP is made up of a blend of road pavement components and tread (tyre surface). In order to comprehend the particle size distribution, dispersion behaviour, and environmental impact – as well as to create effective collecting techniques – Bridgestone is actively engaged in a number of TRWP research projects. The company is dedicated to comprehending TRWP and lowering its generation through these initiatives.

Utilising the B-Mobility testing facility at the Bridgestone Innovation Park in Kodaira, Tokyo, the company has created a state-of-the-art technique that makes it possible to gather TRWP effectively. Bridgestone has used laser light scattering in conjunction with a high-speed camera to visualise the dispersion of particles like TRWP. Based on this, the company has developed a device that effectively catches TRWP and covers the whole tyre. Additionally, the technique made it possible to collect TRWP effectively in a state that removes the effects of exhaust pollutants and broken dust by employing autonomous driving and an electric car with regenerative braking.

Through the Tire Industry Project (TIP), which is part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Bridgestone has been researching the physical and chemical properties of TRWP and their implications on the environment. In addition to the continuous co-creation and internal R&D cooperation, Bridgestone is speeding up its efforts to evaluate TRWP's environmental consequences by collecting it effectively and with a high recovery rate using its recently developed collection technology.