Bridgestone 2012 Annual Report Download - page 11

9Annual Report 2012 Operational Review
Further, the Group is targeting the year 2020 for
commercial sale of certain sustainable materials used in
the manufacturing process.
Regarding the activity of “Reducing CO2 emissions,”
the Group believes that the development of tires with
reduced rolling resistance designs, which enhance fuel
efciency, can make a major contribution to the
reduction of CO2 emissions.
The Group’s ECOPIA line of eco-friendly tires features
reduced rolling resistance without impairing safety, which
is achieved in part through the use of NanoPro-Tech
(Nanostructure-Oriented Properties Control Technology),
a Group-patented technology.
The Group has begun to supply ECOPIA tires as original
equipment passenger tires for the TOYOTA PRIUS PHV,
Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Serena S hybrid, and other cars.
In the replacement market in Japan, the Group has
launched The ECOPIA EP001S, which has obtained the
highest rank—AAA—for rolling resistance performance
and the highest rank “a” for wet grip performance under
the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association,
Inc.’s “Labeling System.” Moreover, the Group has
launched “ECOPIA EV – 01” for electric cars, which is
developed based on the noise sensory assessment in
collaboration with an outside research institute and noise
restraining technology cultivating by “REGNO.” In the
future, the Group will continue to take aggressive steps to
further enhance the ECOPIA lineup, including global
development and expanding original equipment offerings
on new cars.
The Group has positioned runat tires as an important
strategic product line. The Group is actively working to
promote the use of runat tires, which continue to
function at a specied speed for a specied distance after
the loss of air pressure. In addition, since the runat tires
eliminate the need for a spare tire (emergency use tire),
they help to conserve resources and support improved
fuel efciency through reduced vehicle weight.
The Group’s strategic products also include off-the-
road radial tires for construction and mining vehicles. The
use of advanced technologies in these products has
earned an excellent reputation of the Group in the
marketplace. The Groups new off-the-road plant in Aiken
County, South Carolina, USA will begin production in
2014, followed in 2015 by the new construction and
mining radial tire plant in Rayong, Thailand. The Group is
expanding its production and supply capacities by
developing the production technologies overseas.
Moreover, the Group launched a new system of
monitoring tire pressure and thermal management
“B-TAG” which is sending information measured by
a uniquely developed sensor to drivers in real. The Group
will deploy this new solution business globally in the future.
The solutions business using retread tires contributes
to improve total life and fuel efciency by integrating
new tires, retread tires and maintenance. The Group is
developing Bandag Retread Factory outlets that offer
integrated manufacturing, service, and sales of retread
tires at more locations globally. In addition, the Group is
also developing the Eco Value Pack, which contributes to
environmental conservation, cost optimization and safe
operation domestically. As for new technologies for the
future, the Group successfully developed the TRISAVER,
a new truck and bus tire manufacturing technology,
Concept tire of
“100% sustainable materials”
TRISAVER