The biggest tire company in the world does not just want to take care of the "legs" of the car anymore. Bridgestone has just bought the telematics service provider TomTom and develops other services around the car. Not without controversy is the chip in the tire, which can also betray too much about the driving skills of the user.
Who wants bridge stones as tires? This mocking saying made in the 80er years under the same German motorists, the round, which also denigrated Japanese cars as "rice bowls". Meanwhile, Bridgestone, which was just coming to Europe at the time, is the largest tire manufacturer in the world. Now the Japanese try to catch up in the areas of autonomous driving, networking or car sharing.
For example, Germany's Continental was faster in these future topics, which are already present, today it is one of the world's largest automotive suppliers and has long since stopped making big business with tires. Bridgestone has been responding since 1. April, the Dutch telematics specialist TomTom belongs to the family. He is a leader when it comes to networking entire car fleets whose owners always want to know where their vehicles are currently. Since TomTom is installed in tens of thousands of cars, many navigation systems now use their data for traffic jam-free route planning.
For Emilio Tiberio, technology director of Bridgestone in Europe, the purchase of TomTom is a big step. "Not from our focus on tires, but towards the partner for the mobility of tomorrow". In his laboratory called "Digital Garage" at the European Bridgestone headquarters in Rome, the engineer shows what he means by that. Between two fingers he holds a small wire, in the middle of which a tiny rectangular box is mounted. "It contains a small chip that emits electronic signals," he explains. It is planted in every tire. Comparable is the whole thing about with those chips, provided with the pet owners their four-legged to always know their whereabouts.
The mini-device recognizes, for example, on the tire an impending loss of air, excessive wear of the tread or damage to the flanks. If it works together with the on-board electronics, it can also use other data such as oil and cooling water temperature, speed or transmission information. So the Bridgestone development provides an 360-grade view of the car and reports it to a special app. Tiberio: "Thus, threatening damage can be detected early and expensive consequential damage can be reduced". This is where TomTom comes in. If a company has its truck fleet networked with TomTom and thus all vehicles around the clock in a virtual view, imminent downtime can be detected in good time by tire or engine damage and ideally even avoided.
Another idea: Since a lot of driving data is measured through the constant measurement, conclusions can be drawn about the driving style of the driver. If he does his work behind the steering wheel with particular care when cornering or braking, for example, special insurances could offer cheaper tariffs. Conversely, however, there is a risk of higher costs if the car is approached too hard. In this respect, the chip in the tire is a further step in the direction of a “transparent driver”. The data can also be requested from the authorities, for example when it comes to investigating an accident. Emilio Tiberio reassures: “Of course, the use of this technology is subject to all data protection regulations. In sum, the advantages in terms of security and cost savings outweigh “. The "networked" tire is not yet ready for series production, but should be on the market in a few months.
The Japanese also want to accompany the electromobility that is beginning now. Tiberio gives as an example the development of special tires for e-cars. "In a battery-powered vehicle, tire noise is louder than engine noise. In our Noise Lab, we analyze in detail the levels of each new tire and determine the optimal parameters that can significantly reduce noise in the vehicle and in the field ". For example, such a "B-silent tire" is part of the original equipment for the electric BMW i3. The chief technical officer emphasizes: "tire noise can not be completely avoided. Because it is primarily the vibrations of the whole car in combination with the respective road surface, which are responsible for it ".
A new type of tire called "Enliten" promises a reduction in noise as a side effect, with which lightweight construction will find its way into tire technology. It weighs significantly less than a conventional tire and therefore requires less material and raw materials. Thanks to 20's lower rolling resistance, consumption and CO2 emissions could be reduced compared to a standard summer tire.