Bridgestone was recently announced to have received a 2022 Good Design Award for four of its products and services. These are the Blizzak VRX3, a premium studless winter tire; the Alenza LX100, an SUV tire focused on comfort; the Ecopia NH200, a series of fuel-efficient passenger car tires; and Mobox, a subscription service for passenger car tires and maintenance. The...
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Yokohama Rubber’s BluEarth-GT AE51 Installed on Honda’s New Fit e:HEV RS
Yokohama Rubber has begun deliveries of BluEarth-GT AE51 tires for new vehicle installation (OE) on the new Honda Fit e:HEV RS, which was launched in Japan in October. The tire size is 185/55R16 83V. This product adopts the basic design and material technology of Yokohama Rubber’s global tire brand BluEarth, which is based on the theme of further improvement of...
Sumitomo Rubber Enters e-Sports Market
Tire manufacturer Sumitomo Rubber will enter the e-sports market as a new segment in its sports business. The first of its products, the Dunlop Gaming Muscle Arm Supporter, an arm supporter that improves playing performance specifically for e-sports, will be available at the online store Amazon.co.jp from Oct. 26. E-sports, a competitive game industry, is gaining recognition as a sport...
Sumitomo Rubber Focuses on Enzymes in Push to Improve Natural Rubber Supply Through Selective Breeding
Sumitomo Rubber has been working to unravel the mechanisms behind the biosynthesis of natural rubber. The company’s efforts here come as part of a push to improve the yield of the Para rubber tree, which would in turn facilitate a steady supply of natural rubber and improvements to tire performance. Natural rubber is an essential raw material in tires, where...
Yokohama Rubber to End Supply of Kart Tires
Yokohama Rubber has decided to discontinue the supply of kart tires at the end of December 2022. The company began supplying kart tires in 2001 for both the Japanese and overseas markets. With a wide range of products, from tires for kart races sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) International Karting Commission...
Sumitomo Rubber Develops Japan’s First Voicebot on Golf Advice
Sumitomo Rubber has newly developed Japan’s first voicebot on golf advice, introducing a conversational AI platform provided by Enoki. The system has been released free of charge on Oct. 6 as a new feature of D-Golf, the company’s smartphone application to support golf life. A voicebot is a system that uses conversational AI, voice recognition, natural language processing, and other...
