Closure is part of broader efficiency drive.

This blue-chip UK truck show brought hundreds of exhibitors, fleet operators, policymakers, members of the public and of course, the T&BB team.

Available in 315/70 R22.5 in the UK, four additional sizes will be added by the end of the year and one further size in 2025. Bridgestone will add the Ecopia Enliten trailer tyre in Q4 2024. These tyres are produced in Stargard, Poland and Bilbao, Spain.

Solutrans 2023 was held between 21-25 November at Eurexpo in Lyon, France. Over 1,000 exhibitors and 50,000 guests gathered for the 17th edition of this historic show, centred around the European heavy and light commercial vehicle industry.

The factory employed 1,070 staff and produced 2,100 TBR tyres a day. Further reasons for closure included the impact on local communities, issues with the rubber supply chain and the overall profitability of the factory.

The new Bridgestone Ecopia Steer Enliten and Ecopia Drive Enliten tyres are available from January 2024 in size 315/70 R22.5. Four additional sizes will be added next year and one further size in 2025. Bridgestone will add the Ecopia Enliten trailer tyre in Q4 2024.

With production expected to be completed by the end of 2026, the USD 550 million investment is expected to create 380 jobs and support the increased production of CV tyres, all equipped with RFID (radio frequency identification) tags that enable more efficient asset management, including retreading.

The anti-vibration and air spring specialist said the new brand name better captures all of its business channels including automotive, heavy-duty commercial and off-highway.

Steve Hoeft, who was previously COO replaces Chris Ripani as President of Bridgestone's CTG division, effective immediately.

Bridgestone Corporation, based in Tokyo, Japan, has launched a joint programme to develop chemical recycling technologies that utilise used tyres to achieve high-yield production of isoprene, a raw material used in synthetic rubber production.

Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing Thailand Co., a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corp., based in Tokyo, Japan, has added solar panels to the roof of its manufacturing facility in Chonburi.

Autonomous vehicle specialist Kodiak Robotics Inc, based in Mountain View, California, has announced a fourth generation of its autonomous truck system.