BANGKOK

Electronic brake force distribution (EBD), Anti Lock Braking System (ABS), McPherson struts, torque, rpm, bhp, hill descent control, Continuously Variable transmission (CVT), many of these words and abbreviations mean a lot when it comes to a vehicle and the way it moves and stops. Tyres are often not given much attention unless they are mounted on gleaming alloys with snazzy designs. They are always meant to roll, no matter what the situation is on the ground or the air. In rain, in hail, in bright and humid climes, on smooth and rough tarmacs, on tar and cement, tyres seem to have one job cut out for them…Roll Along. It’s underestimated and outshone by every other product connected to a vehicle.

Yet tyres play a critical role in a vehicle. Just to reiterate what good tyres are meant to do, we were taken to Bridgestone's proving grounds in Ayutthaya, Thailand. It’s here we experienced what it means to drive on a good set of tyres. Bridgestone India launched their Ecopia series of tyres in India on October 7, 2015. The Ecopia series has been available in global markets for a while and boast of improved fuel efficiency, wet handling, low rolling resistance and superior grip. The company launched the EP150 and EP850 series in the Indian market and we flew down to Thailand to test the EP150 tyres at Bridgestone's proving grounds in Ayutthaya, Thailand.    

Over the years as tyre technology has evolved, companies have innovated on the lines of providing superior comfort, performance, grip and efficiency. Today these tyres undergo stringent tests to prove their capability to consumers and manufacturers alike. Bridgestone has a mammoth proving ground at Ayutthaya, Thailand which boasts of a Main Circuit, Multi Purpose Test Pad, Skid Pad, Wet and Dry Brake Testing, Straight Track Hydroplaning, Dry Handling Circuit, Wet Handling Circuit, Special Road Surfaces, Cornering Track Hydroplaning and a Slope Test. The facility is spread over 130 acres of land and has been developed keeping in mind real world road conditions.  

We conducted our tests on the EP150 175/65 R15 tyres set on a Honda Amaze. The tyres were tested for rolling resistance, braking, hydroplaning, wet handling, dry handling, slope test, multi-surface handling and noise. The Ecopia series was pit against Bridgestone's S322 and another significant competitor all set on Honda's Amaze sedan. In the rolling resistance test the Ecopia series rolled 76.6 meters farther than the S322 and a 108.6 meters farther than the competitor. The rolling resistance test was conducted to check Ecopia's low rolling resistance as claimed by Bridgestone. The significance of low rolling resistance is that it enables a vehicle to roll further without the need to accelerate the vehicle. The benefit consumers derive is a higher fuel efficiency. The company has claimed an increase in 7 pc fuel efficiency for vehicles using the Ecopia EP150 series which would roughly translate into savings worth Rs 21,120 over a span of four years. Bridgestone has set a benchmark for the industry with the introduction of the Ecopia series. These tyres have been engineered with silica and other light and tough materials which improve roll resistance. The fuel savings offered by Ecopia contributes to Bridgestone's global goal of improving tyre rolling resistance by 25 pc by 2020. 

The Ecopia series also comes with a new tread design which has been engineered to push aside water to facilitate smooth rolling. The tyres have an optimised 3D block shape and RIB-linked blocks for uniform road surface contact. The tread design helps reduce the effects of hydroplaning while braking and driving through wet road conditions. We tested the tyres on controlled wet road conditions and took the vehicles up to maximum of 85kmph. On sharp corners we felt a significant loss of traction while driving the car fitted with the competitor's tyres. It became blatantly evident that the EP 150 tyres displayed superior grip and control on wet tarmac over the competitor's 175/65 R14 tyres.

While testing the cars for wet braking performance the Amaze fitted with EP150 stopped 4.57 meters before the one fitted with  Bridgestone's S322 and 4.3 meters before the one fitted with the competitor’s 175/65 R14 tyres. All three cars were taken up to a max speed of 80kmph and the brake pedal was completely compressed at the same braking start line. Vehicles tend to lose traction while braking on wet surfaces. This however can be avoided with technological aids such as ABS (Anti-lock Braking System). All the Amaze sedans used for the test were fitted with ABS. However the car fitted with the Ecopia EP150 tyres stopped 4.3 meters before the car with the competitors tyres. The tread design of the Ecopia EP150 optimises road surface contact on wet surfaces by pushing aside the water between the road and the tyre thus aiding better traction compared to that of the competitor's tyres.     

When we consider Indian road conditions a lot has to be taken into account, broken roads are just one aspect. The materials used while constructing roads are substandard in most locations and loose gravel is common. One of the reasons why the tyre was invented was to facilitate a smoother and more comfortable ride. We tested the Ecopia EP150 on a Special Road Surface as well. The Special Road Surface at Bridgestone's Ayutthaya proving grounds offers up to 10 different types of road surfaces including bumps, potholes and loose gravel on which the tyres can be checked for comfort, smoothness and noise. We took the car up to 100kmph and found that the tyres did not create as much of a humming noise on concrete and tarmac as others do over such surfaces. While driving over bumps, potholes and through loose gravel we felt there was a slight improvement over conventional tyres, the ride definitely felt smoother and more comfortable.

The last test we conducted on the Ecopia tyres was a slope test, two tricycles were used in this test, one with the Ecopia EP150 and the other with the competitors 175/65 R14 tyres. The tricycles were launched from a set distance on slope of 3 degrees. Just to give the competitors an advantage I sat on the tricycle fitted with Ecopia tyres while another fellow journalist sat on the tricycle fit with the competitor’s tyres. The advantage was that the other journalist weighed almost 20kgs less than me. Despite the difference in weight the tricycle fitted with Ecopia tyres rolled almost 30 paces more than that of competition.

The word Ecopia has been derived from a combination of “Ecology” and “Utopia” and is one of Bridgestone’s flagship brands to represent the company’s eco friendly initiatives. The biggest advantage these tyres offer to the Indian consumer is improved mileage, it also helps in cutting carbon emissions in the country. After a comprehensive test review of the new Ecopia EP150 we found that these tyres also display significant prowess when it comes to traction, control, braking and comfort. While braking on a wet surface Ecopia tyres put up a much better result than its competition. The difference was significant enough to prove these tyres can help avoiding an accident. The tyres also displayed immense control over wet and dry surfaces compared to the competitor's tyres. There was certainly more traction on wet surfaces and the grip on tarmac inspired nothing but confidence. So if you are looking to replace your tyres, this is one of the safest bets you will make, be it mileage, durability, safety or performance.