BRIDGESTONE TO SUPPLY SOLAR CAR TYRES WITH ENLITEN® TECHNOLOGY TO UITM’S ECO PHOTON SOLAR RACING TEAM IN THE 2023

BRIDGESTONE WORLD SOLAR CHALLENGE

 

- Bridgestone Tyre Sales Malaysia is supplying ENLITEN® technology-equipped tyres, which incorporate 63% recycled and renewable materials, to the Eco Photon Solar Racing Team from Universiti Teknologi Mara for their participation in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge*1 representing Malaysia.

- These custom-designed ENLITEN® technology tyres, marking their first use in motorsport competitions, are tailored for the unique demands of the 3,000-kilometer Australian event.

- The BWSC showcases the “Energy” and “Emotion” values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment.

 

MALAYSIA (10 October, 2023) — Bridgestone Tyre Sales Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (BSTM) announced its support to the Eco Photon Solar Racing Team from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC), by supplying tyres with ENLITEN® technology to the team. These tyres use 63% recycled and renewable materials and the team is the sole Malaysian participant which will be representing the nation in BWSC.

The ENLITEN® technology-equipped tyres are custom-designed to meet the unique challenges of the 3,000-kilometer event across Australia. This initiative marks the first use of the company’s new ENLITEN® technology in a motorsport competition.

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and BSTM for the tyre sponsorship was held at UiTM on 5 September 2023 in conjunction with UiTM’s Innovation and Invention Challenge in Engineering and Technology (IICET2023) program.

“Bridgestone strives to realize our vision of being a sustainable solutions company by 2050, placing sustainability at the core of our management and business practices. The BWSC plays a unique role in this journey, serving as a convergence point between motorsports and sustainable solutions for the future. I would say that this partnership is not just a sponsorship but also a testament to our commitment to sustainability and innovation, along with our dedication to advancing the cause of eco-friendly mobility,” said Michael Chung, Managing Director of BSTM, during the signing of MoA.

Commenting on “Keris”, the official name chosen for Eco Photon Solar Racing Team’s latest solar car, the Head of Mechanical Engineering Studies UiTM, Professor Dr Mohamad Hariri Abdullah said that the making of the solar car was the result of the hard work of 30 students from the Eco Photon Student Association of College of Engineering.

"KerisGen5 was created with the latest aerodynamic shape changes to increase speed of the car, we are looking forward to record a better time in this year’s BWSC.”

On 1st October 2023, a total of 24 students from Eco Photon Solar Racing Team left the country for Darwin to compete in the Challenger class, one of the three classes in the BWSC.

This year, Bridgestone celebrates the 60th anniversary of its motorsport activities and endeavours to continue supporting sustainable global motorsport. The ENLITEN® equipped tyres supplied to the BWSC were designed to help teams meet the extreme demands during the 3,000-kilometer event, including low rolling resistance, wear and weight. 

The BWSC showcases the “Energy” and “Emotion” values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment*2, which outline Bridgestone’s corporate commitment to the realization of a carbon-neutral mobility society (Energy) and to inspiring excitement and spreading joy to the world of mobility (Emotion).

 

Overview of the 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge
1. Date: October 22-29, 2023
2. Host Country: Australia (Start: Darwin; Goal: Adelaide)
3. Host: South Australian Motorsport Board (SAMSB)
4. Event Classes
(1) Challenger Class
A challenge to be first in vehicles designed for speed; vehicles require three or four wheels and one driver.
Bridgestone support: 25 teams (Total 32 teams)
(2) Cruiser Class
A challenge testing vehicles' energy efficiency and practicality; vehicles must have four wheels and be able to be ridden by one driver and more than one passenger.
Bridgestone support: 10 teams (Total 11 teams)
(3) Adventure Class
A challenge open to vehicles that do not meet the requirements to compete in the Challenger Class or Cruiser Class, such as vehicles based on the regulations of prior competitions; vehicles must have more than three wheels.