Bridgestone 2008 Annual Report Download - page 23

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Motorcycle Radials
In 2008, Bridgestone tires marked their second successive win in the MotoGP class of the
FIM Road Racing World Championship, which represents the pinnacle of two-wheel road
racing. We have utilized the technologies and brand strength garnered through MotoGP in
product development activities, and by developing and marketing products incorporating
the latest technologies, we have maintained a strong competitive edge in both the original
equipment and replacement markets. Due to the global economic slowdown, there is a
possibility that we may reduce production for OEM sales, but nonetheless we anticipate
rm demand over the medium to long term.
The BATTLAX BT-016 HYPERSPORT, which was launched in January 2008, was
developed for large sport motorcycles, a sector that has seen growing demand in recent
years. This new tire incorporates technology cultivated through the development of tires for
MotoGP. In the future, Bridgestone will consider to respond to increase of market demand
and will work to increase sales of its broad lineup, including the BATTLAX series.
ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Eco-FriendlyTires
Social awareness of the environment is increasing, and the Bridgestone Group considers
environmental issues to be an extremely important aspect of its CSR initiatives. ECOPIA is
Bridgestone’s agship brand of eco-friendly tires. These tires, which are lighter and offer
lower rolling resistance without sacricing wet-weather performance, help to reduce fuel
consumption and contribute to lower CO2 emissions. MTP2008 includes initiatives to
expand the lineup of these products and to introduce them around the world. The rst
ECOPIA tire for passenger cars, the ECOPIA EP100, was released in April 2008 in Japan.
Beginning in April 2009, an extensive range of Turanza ER300 ECOPIA tires will be gradually
introduced to the European market. Bridgestone has chosen the name ECOPIA to denote
those tires in its product lineup that are highly fuel efcient. The ofcial launch of ECOPIA
EP100 was made at the Chicago Auto Show as the rst aftermarket product in the ECOPIA
tire lineup for the North American market. The tire will be available in March in the rst phase
of a two-phase rollout in 2009.
The Bridgestone Group plans to further expand its range of ECOPIA tires and extend
their use in the original equipment market. In 2008, Bridgestone began supplying ECOPIA
EP25 tires as standard equipment for Toyota Motor Corporation’s iQ super-compact car.
We have set a target of incorporating the technology used in ECOPIA in about 40% of our
core summer tire product lines by 2013 in the Japanese domestic market.
In line with its commitment to being a global company that supports the natural
environment, Bridgestone will continue to actively implement environmental management
activities, such as the development of tires that contribute to reduced fuel consumption
and reduced CO2 emissions.
ECOPIA EP100
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