MUNICH, Germany — BMW A.G. has specified a 20-inch version of the Bridgestone Ecopia EP500 — a tire built with Bridgestone Corp.'s "ologic" technology — as the sole OE fitment on the recently released i3s sport version of the i3 electric-powered model range.
The Ecopia EP500, in sizes 175/55R20 (front) and 195/50/R20 (rear), is designed to respond to some specific changes BMW made to the i3s, Bridgestone said.
The i3s has a sportier appearance with broader rear track and more expansive rear wheel wells. The new tires are 20 millimeters wider than those on the BMW i3, exemplifying the wider, sportier look of the new vehicle, Bridgestone said, while ensuring adequate traction to maximize increased power and torque.
The new i3s features a sport suspension that includes a 10-millimeter drop in height, a 40-mm wider track, a high-output 184-horse-power electric motor and a sport suspension with specially developed springs, dampers and anti-roll bars
Bridgestone's ologic fuel-efficient tire technology helps design products that offer superior fuel efficiency with the two distinct features — large tire diameter and high inflation pressure to mitigate deformation of a tire in contact with the road surface and thus reduce rolling resistance; and narrow tire width to reduce aero-dynamic resistance.
Tires made with ologic technology also incorporate optimized rubber compounds.
"Ologic technology helps these vehicles optimize performance," Christophe de Valroger, vice president of original equipment, Bridgestone EMEA, said. "It does this without any trade-off in terms of safety. We use a narrow Ecopia EP500 tread pattern that ensures excellent grip, even in wet weather conditions.
The new version of the Ecopia EP500 has been awarded the European Union's B-grade label in rolling resistance and wet grip.
BMW selected Bridgestone in 2014 as the exclusive tire development partner for its i3 electric vehicle,