Bridgestone’s visions for future mobility brought to life at Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Autonomous technology meets solar powered mobility at iconic event
• One Goodwood hillclimb record broken and another unprecedented achievement registered by futuristic automotive designs
• Three-wheel solar creation and AI Driven modified Indy NXT Honda racecar grab headlines on Bridgestone tyres
Bridgestone’s status as a pioneer in advanced mobility solutions has been strengthened by two of the most forward-thinking teams in the automotive industry, whose futuristic visions stole the show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Durham University inflated our presence at the iconic four-day event, navigating their 5kWh three-wheeled asymmetrical catamaran up the 1.16m track, becoming the first fully solar powered car to ever complete the route.
While the students were breaking new ground in the area of sustainable mobility, the Indy Autonomous Challenge’s (IAC) self-driving AV-24 racecar was also pushing the boundaries of autonomous technology, setting the record for the fastest autonomous hillclimb at Goodwood.
Piloted by an AI Driver developed by Team PoliMOVE-MSU (Politecnico di Milano and Michigan State University), the record was broken during their third and final run up the Goodwood Hill where the racecar reached a top speed of 111.2 mph (179 kph) and a finish time of 66.37 secs. The record-setting run can be watched here.
Both teams’ efforts were feats in ingenuity in their own rights, with Bridgestone keeping both cars connected to the track on specially designed solutions.
Our ENLITEN tyres for Durham University’s car were made from sustainable materials, with the proportion of recycled resources and renewable resources in the materials standing at 63%. Within this, the recycled material comprised recycled organic fiber, recovered carbon black, recycled rubber chemical, recycled oil, and reinforcement material using recycled steel.
The IAC and PoliMOVE-MSU teams also worked closely with our engineers to optimise performance ahead of the Hillclimb, including visits to our European Technical Center and European Proving Grounds in Rome. The team also had the unique chance to explore each step of tyre production and test how impactful tyre performance is on track.
Vedika Bedi, Durham University Solar Car Team Principal, said: "Having the privilege to drive our endurance designed solar car up the iconic Goodwood Hill Climb and setting a record, alongside major supercars and some of the world's leading automotive production vehicles, was an incredibly proud moment for the team but also a great step towards future vehicles."
“We hope that our car has given a vision into the future of mobility too, with Bridgestone tyres made from renewable materials also becoming more commonplace on roads in future. Without Bridgestone’s ENLITEN tyres, we would never have achieved the success we have.”
The Indy Autonomous Challenge’s AI racecar then made it a double delight, as they secured another record along the iconic Goodwood track.
Bridgestone’s Consumer Sales Director Brett Emerson said: “The IAC are pushing technology to the limit, learning from it and creating even more incredible results. They are taking future mobility to the next level and showing the world what is possible in terms of autonomous driving, while building relationships and trust. To see the Bridgestone name on the car is another sight we’re extremely proud of.”
Both the Durham University and IAC teams found time to meet and share their Goodwood experiences during the festival, with the minds of solar and autonomous technologies coming together in a highlight of the festival.
Brett added: “It was wonderful to see the teams bouncing ideas off each other and sharing their successes.
“We’re dedicated to creating a more sustainable future, and our commitment to supporting the development of new technologies was brought to life in a way we could barely have envisaged a matter of years ago.”
Both the Durham University team and Indy Autonomous Challenge’s (IAC) showcase the many values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, which outline Bridgestone’s corporate commitment to the realisation of a carbon neutral mobility society and accelerates our transformation to a sustainable solutions company.
Media information: For more information about this press release, or if you have any more questions, please call Ben Smallman at Ben Smallman PR on +44 (0) 7833 463195 or email ben@bensmallmanpr.com. Alternatively, please contact Helen Roe at helen.roe@bridgestone.eu
About Bridgestone in Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Bridgestone in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Bridgestone EMEA) is the regional Strategic Business Unit of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tyres and sustainable mobility solutions.
Headquartered in Zaventem (Belgium), Bridgestone EMEA employs more than 14,000 people and conducts business in 35 countries across the region.
Bridgestone offers a diverse portfolio of premium tyres, tyre technologies and advanced mobility solutions. The company’s vision is to provide social and customer value as a sustainable solutions company. The Bridgestone E8 Commitment is a broad, global corporate commitment that clearly defines the value the company is promising to deliver to society, our customers and future generations in eight focus areas; Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease and Empowerment. These provide a compass to guide strategic priorities, decision making and actions throughout every area of the business.
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