Bridgestone is inflating the spirits of van fleet operators after proving the worth of its Duravis Van tyre through a comprehensive academic study.
As van fleets explore more ways to balance the books against a challenging economic backdrop, Bridgestone has gone the extra mile to underline the value of its flagship LCV product, courtesy of a specially commissioned university piece of research.
Not content with fleets having to take Bridgestone’s word for the tyre, last year, the company commissioned an independent study with Warwick Business School4, where the benefits of operating on Duravis Van were underlined, both economically and sustainably, with lower CO2 emissions also proven to be generated as a result.
The Duravis Van, which boasts an EU label Grade B for rolling resistance, was benchmarked against Grade D alternatives, with all comparison data sourced from UK Government sources5. The study factored in fuel prices and forecasted future fuel price rises, with DfT and DVLA data referenced to calculate the number of vans currently on UK roads.
It concluded that 95.85 litres of petrol could be saved per year when operating on a Duravis Van tyre compared to a ‘D’ rated alternative, equating to savings of 80.79 litres in diesel and 373.12 kWh per year for EV vans. The research showed that because the tyre also offers greater longevity than Grade D alternatives, costs are also reduced through fewer annual replacements. For van fleets of five vehicles, overall savings amounted to around £895 per year and for a fleet of 100 vehicles, the figure extrapolates to £17,9004.
Compared to its predecessor, the Duravis R660, the Bridgestone Duravis Van delivers a 21% improvement in rolling resistance3, securing an EU label Grade B for rolling resistance in most sizes. This means greater fuel/energy efficiency3, which translates to enhanced fuel savings or extended battery range for businesses.
The Bridgestone Duravis Van tyre is one of the company’s most advanced product across its entire consumer and commercial ranges, offering huge savings whilst simultaneously minimising downtime and contributing to a lower cost of ownership.
According to tests carried out by independent TÜV SÜD, the Bridgestone Duravis Van tyre offers best-in-class mileage1 for extended tyre life as well as best-in-class dry and wet braking performances2. It also achieves the highest EU label rating for wet grip, helping to keep drivers safe on the road, even in challenging wet-weather conditions.
Bridgestone’s Consumer Sales Director Brett Emerson said: “The Duravis Van tyre provides so many tangible benefits to van fleets and van drivers, including cost, convenience, and incredible longevity. The Duravis Van tyre is the result of many pioneering technologies including the innovative and sustainable ENLITEN Technology. This set of technologies provide best-in-class tyre performance1,2, while delivering sustainability benefits thanks to the tyre’s best-in-class mileage1 and increased fuel/energy efficiency3.”
The Bridgestone Duravis Van tyre is perfectly suited to both Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and electric vehicles (EV), helping to optimise their performance. Specifically for EV drivers, the Bridgestone Duravis Van’s higher wear tolerance counters the increased weight and higher torque of EVs, while its low rolling resistance saves battery life.
The tyre also comes equipped with a revolutionary Sidewall Protector Rib, which ensures that the product can withstand curbside damage, which represents an occupational hazard for van drivers.
It complements the Duravis All Season tyre, Bridgestone’s first-ever all-season tyre for the light truck segment. Engineered to last with a robust and durable construction, the tyre delivers an excellent wear performance and reduced downtime periods. Plus, with a best-in-class EU label A-grade for wet grip and 3PMSF certification, the Bridgestone DURAVIS All Season provides safety, peace of mind and convenience in all weather conditions year-round.
Certified by the 3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake (3PMSF) and Mud + Snow (M + S) markings, Bridgestone’s DURAVIS All Season is fully winter-ready. The tyre achieves this thanks to a combination of compound design, a V-shaped layout to improve snow mobility and an optimised carcass construction. The DURAVIS All Season’s notable performance in the wet and snow is also down to Bridgestone’s new nano-selective compound mixing technology which allows better silica dispersion in Bridgestone’s Nano Pro-tech™ compound.
Such innovations are all part of Bridgestone’s vision to provide customer and social value as a sustainable solutions company. At the heart of this is the Bridgestone E8 Commitment – the broad, global corporate commitment that clearly defines the value the company is promising to deliver to society, customers, and future generations in eight focus areas. Specifically, the Bridgestone Duravis Van and Duravis All Season embodies the following: Energy, Efficiency, Ecology, Ease and Economy.
For more information about Bridgestone’s provision of van products and mobility solutions, visit www.bridgestone.co.uk
*1 Tests carried out by TÜV SÜD on the request of Bridgestone in July – August 2022 with VW Caravelle 2.0 TDI, on tyre size 205/65 R16C Duravis Van compared to the performances of main competitors in the same segment: Michelin Agilis 3, Continental VanContact Ultra, Goodyear EfficientGrip Cargo2. TÜV SÜD Report No. [713262236]. MILEAGE rating: BRIDGESTONE Duravis Van (100%), MICHELIN Agilis 3 (96.7%), CONTINENTAL VanContact Ultra (93.3%), GOODYEAR EfficientGrip Cargo2 (64.4%)
*2 Tests carried out by TÜV SÜD on the request of Bridgestone in July – September 2022 at the facility of ATP Papenburg (D) for tests with VW Caravelle & Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, on tyre size 205/65 R16C Duravis Van compared to the performances of main competitors in the same segment: Continental VanContact Ultra, Goodyear EfficientGrip Cargo2, Michelin Agilis 3, Pirelli Carrier. TÜV SÜD Report No. [713262224]. WET BRAKING [Stopping distance [m] from 80 to 20 km/h] rating: BRIDGESTONE Duravis Van (100%), GOODYEAR EfficientGrip Cargo2 (99.9%), PIRELLI Carrier (98.5%), CONTINENTAL VanContact Ultra (97%), MICHELIN Agilis 3 (95.3%). DRY BRAKING [Stopping distance [m] from 100 to 0 km/h] rating: BRIDGESTONE Duravis Van (100%), GOODYEAR EfficientGrip Cargo2 (98.7%), CONTINENTAL VanContact Ultra (98.1%), PIRELLI Carrier (97.4%) MICHELIN Agilis 3 (96.3%)
*3 Based on internal benchmark Duravis Van vs Duravis R660 (ref. size 205/65 R16C)
*4 Investigating the Impact of Duravis Van tyres on carbon emissions and cost savings – a Comparative Study by Warwick Business School (August 2023)
*5 Sources from Department for Transport, DVLA and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
