Bridgestone selected as Original Equipment supplier for Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle
Japan: The
Tokyo headquartered Bridgestone Corporation declared their well-known brand
Ecopia to be the OE fitment for the brand new fuel cell vehicle (FCV) model of
Honda Motors.
The Fuel Cell Vehicle known as Honda Clarity
will be fitted with the EP160 tires which is an addition in the Ecopia series
of tires by the company. The Ecopia tires are well equipped to offer safety
along with excellent handling performance.
As claimed by the company, Ecopia will
provide comfortable riding, increased performance and low rolling resistance. Also,
the company has been periodically investing in expanding the Ecopia series
globally as OE fitment in vehicles every now and then.
According to a recent report published by TechSci Research, “Japan Tyre Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020’’, Japan
tire market is estimated to surpass USD26 billion in 2015. Growing demand for
small & mini passenger cars, high vehicle ownership and increasing demand
for better quality tires would influence Japan tire market over the next few
years. Passenger car tire market is the dominant segment in the country’s tire
market followed by light commercial vehicle tire market and heavy commercial
vehicle tire market. Around 9% of Japan’s working population is involved in
auto-industry related work, either directly or indirectly. The country is home
to four major tire companies - Bridgestone Corporation, Sumitomo Rubber
Industries, Toyo Tire & Rubber Company, and Yokohama Rubber Company
projecting a prolific market for original equipment tires.
As
per TechSci Research, the company is one of the largest tire companies globally
and this strategic move is expected to facilitate the increase of market share
of the company in the original equipment segment of Japan significantly, giving
a rise to its overall market share in the global tire market. The company
further plans the launch of a wide range of product range in their successful
Ecopia tire brand giving an added advantage to their customers to choose from
variety of options with superior quality.