Cardiff is today the starting point for a unique rally which is looking towards the future of motoring.
With Bridgestone so dedicated to shaping a sustainable future of mobility, the company is now fully charged and raring to go in the EV Rally 2023, which they are officially sponsoring for the first time. It has been held twice before but this is the most ambitious so far.
Bridgestone’s pioneering EV ready tyre technologies will help inflate the 1,200 mile, five-day event across the UK and Ireland, taking place from 3 to 7 July.
Beginning in Cardiff, the rally will move down to London, back up to Edinburgh, and then over the Irish Sea by boat before completing visits to Belfast and Dublin. A host of stops will be made at towns and cities in between, many of which will celebrate EV success stories in both technology and infrastructure but also potentially identify gaps.
Both the new Bridgestone Turanza 6 and Duravis Van tyres are ready-made products for this spotlight on electric vehicles, with both being ‘EV Ready’ tyres, making them the perfect choice for the rally.
Bridgestone’s North Region Vice President Andrea Manenti said, “Bridgestone couldn’t think of a more appropriate or relevant event to partner with than the EV Rally, as we make a long-term pledge to the environment and sustainability to earn the trust of future generations.
“It’s also an event which stimulates a number of emotions related to Bridgestone’s rich motorsport heritage, with the added values of sustainability and innovation.
“We’re investing to make electric mobility more efficient and accessible to drivers and fleets and the EV Rally is a brilliant campaign which shares our sustainable philosophy. We will be pioneering our premium, ‘EV ready’ tyre technologies and will demonstrate their value to a huge audience in the UK and Ireland over five exciting days.”
As a leader in mobility solutions, Bridgestone is already tackling some of the issues raised by developing its tyre technology to ensure that EVs can travel further between charges, whilst prolonging battery life.
The Bridgestone Turanza 6 is the first ever Bridgestone replacement tyre featuring innovative and sustainable ENLITEN Technology and TECHSYN. Together they enable the Turanza 6 tyre to provide best-in-class wet performance1 and sustainability improvements thanks to improved mileage2 and reduced rolling resistance3, which contribute to a safe and sustainable driving experience. The Bridgestone Turanza 6 tyre is Bridgestone’s first-ever ‘EV Ready’ replacement tyre, making it perfectly suited to hybrid and electric vehicles, helping to optimise their performance.
Colin Boyton, EV Rally Event Manager said, “We are delighted that Bridgestone has joined us this year as the official tyre partner. It adds a whole new strand to the messaging and narrative that we can communicate while the rally is live.
“So much is made about the range, the innovative technology in the vehicles and charging infrastructure. But what sometimes gets lost is the other key parts and elements that make EVs the right choice, in terms of efficiency, and tyres are a big part of that. Together with Bridgestone, we aim to showcase just that.”
Bridgestone, thanks to its friends at Volkswagen, will be taking part in its own Volkswagen I.D 4, as part of more than 50 cars to take up the challenge. Bridgestone’s colleagues at Webfleet are also taking part with a van fitted with Bridgestone Duravis van tyres, with Webfleet telematics integrated into all the vehicles participating in the rally.
Having Webfleet installed in EV Rally vehicles will enable live, online progress broadcasts and data insights to be provided on energy output, along with driving performance feedback.
The EV Rally will be a ‘demonstration’ of UK and Irish EV charging infrastructure, combined with clean and innovative vehicle technology. The idea of the EV rally is to demonstrate the infrastructure across the UK and Ireland, showcase the advancement of technology for EV’s and to also identify where in both countries there is more development work required.
This event will no doubt showcase the rapid changes in and that no matter the job, there is likely to be an EV available that can perform the task, which improves efficiency, saves money and, overall, helps reach net zero.
Helen Roe, marketing and communications manager, said that Bridgestone wanted to be involved in the rally as part of its shift to becoming a participant in the wider mobility market.
“Our tyres are not just round black things but highly technical, precisely engineered components which can play a vital roll in the modern ev car or van,” she said, adding, “EVs create their own challenges in performance terms which are different to conventional models with petrol or diesel engines.”
She concluded, “We know there are places around the country where charge points are more limited, the power output is more restricted and motorists may be waiting longer to get on a point and we want to know where these holes are.”
