Bridgestone India has launched V-Steel Mix M721 for the commercial vehicle segment.
Story by Deepti Thore
To address the many business challenges like fuel price rise, manpower shortage, upward spiralling operating costs, higher initial acquisition costs, insurance costs, and toll taxes apart from a hefty road tax, faced by Indian transporters, Bridgestone India has developed a new Commercial Vehicle (CV) tyre, V-Steel Mix M721. Aimed at general cargo applications like long haul and highway applications, the tyre is claimed to offer 15 per cent extra mileage, leading to a reduced cost per km for fleet operators. Looking at increasing its reach in the drive axle tyre application segment, Bridgestone, according to Parag Satpute, Managing Director, Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd., is keen to support the lower operating costs that transporters are today looking at. Well-aware of the challenges faced by them, the company, he added, is committed to help them achieve higher profitability. Targeting the largest CV segment of long-haul and highway usage, the new tyre draws from the knowledge Bridgestone India has gathered from its participation in the CV tyre segments for almost a decade now.
Drawing from the company’s experience in the OE space since 2013, and in the aftermarket space since even earlier, the V-Steel Mix M721 tyre, though priced about seven to 10 per cent higher than the comparable products, promises significant cost savings in terms of fuel. It has been developed with the use of special CTDM software to help achieve Low Rolling Resistance (LRR). Employing suitable compound technology that reduces heat generation, the tyre has higher tread depth of 21.6 mm. Available with extra rubber volume thus, the tyre also features a unique tie-bar design to improve block stiffness and reduce tread shuffling. Offering a weight, safety and long-life advantage, the CV tyre, as part of its development, was subjected to extensive testing and validation. Tested across India with multiple fleets for over two years, the V-Steel M721 tyre is claimed to offer superior cut chip resistance.
Backed by a new digital service started by Bridgestone India called ‘Book my Service’, where customers can go online and reserve their service slots, the new tyre takes into consideration the changing dynamics of the road transport industry where tyres are increasingly being looked as a service rather than a vehicle part. Produced at a plant where health safety of the workers is given priority through a contactless environment, the V-Steel M721 drive axle radial tyre is also backed by company’s ‘pickup and drop’ service offering, which includes doorstep fitment too. Having a data-driven approach through the use of RFID sensor technology among others, the tyre major is also working closely with its customers to ensure that they get the most out of their investment. Averred Satpute, that they are looking at technology playing an increasingly important role in CV tyres in the future. With better retreadability and extra fuel efficiency, the new CV tyre is designed to offer higher traction.
Expressed Malkeet Singh, Managing Director, Brahamputra Cargo Carriers Pvt. Ltd., that the test use of V- Steel Mix M721 tyre over a few months helped them overcome the issue of delay in transporting goods. Mentioned N Narsimha Rao of Sri Venkateswara Swamy Lorry Service, Vijaywada, that the use of V-Steel Mix M721 on their trucks led them to realise better performance and mileage. Ravindra Laxman Bahirat of Shree Balaji Broadlines, Pune, said that the new tyre displayed better cut and chip resistance. Confident of tyre management assuming greater importance in the wake of the fast-rising operating costs, Bridgestone India, remarked Satpute, is providing the right products for the right applications. He drew attention to the company’s pilot project involving tyre management of specific fleets. “The fleet operators pay as per the use (pay per kilometre),” he informed. Starting this project in 2018 and scaling it up in 2020, the company, in-line with the changing market dynamics, is exploring new ways of working in the
CV space.
Engaging with a start-up, Fleeca, which is engaged in tyre management as a solution, Bridgestone India is focussing on products that would ensure higher sustainability for its customers apart from an ability to reduce the carbon footprint. Said Satpute, that the Bridgestone Ecopia tyres improve fuel efficiency by seven to 10 per cent thus making a significant contribution to the environment because lesser fuel is used. The V- Steel Mix M721 tyre, he added, is using LRR compound to help our customers to extract more mileage from their trucks. Every bit of fuel saved amounts to the reduction in carbon footprint, he quipped. Keen to ride the change where CV tyres are being increasingly looked at as a service, the company is helping cut out the waste in the supply chain. It is enabling its transport customers to
take advantage of the developing infrastructure to achieve better profitability.
Of the opinion that the growing road infrastructure in India is supporting increasing use of Truck & Bus Radials (TBR) as they offer better fuel efficiency and longer service life, Satpute explained that the company has also introduced products for the construction segment. Informing that they have a wider dealer network across the country, he averred that the transport industry is recovering. “It is past the dynamic and volatile situation it faced in the last few months,” he quipped. Stating that Bridgestone responded well to the challenges in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, Satpute said that their focus going forward would be to meet the demands of their customers across CV segments. “Doing so would help us to pursue our goals and regain the opportunities we lost in 2020,” he concluded.
