Bridgestone is replacing two of its benchmark truck tyre ranges with a new generation product it says is its most advanced drive tyre to date.

The new M729II ECO serves at the successor to both Bridgestone’s wear life champion M729, and the fuel-saving Ecopia M749. It is on sale through Bridgestone’s network of New Zealand truck stores.

Newly developed compound technologies for the M729II ECO  achieve a long-lasting, durable drive tyre with a lower rolling resistance to contribute to fuel savings and CO2 emission reduction.

“We are excited by the launch of the M729II ECO because it highlights how NZ transport operators can have the best of both worlds when it comes to durability, drive traction performance and sustainable benefits,” says Bridgestone’s Director of New Zealand Business, John Staples.

“The M729II ECO is a key product for us because it addresses two of the industry’s core needs through one solution, without compromising on capabilities. It provides operators with the durable, long-lasting tyre they demand, that also supports their targets for fuel-saving and reduced C02 emissions.” 

Bridgestone has invested in new technologies for its truck and bus products to achieve a long-lasting, durable compound with a lower rolling resistance. The M729II ECO achieves a 20% lower rolling resistance than the M729 – making it comparable to Bridgestone’s benchmark Ecopia M749 tyre without compromising on drive traction performance.

By utilising the M729 tread pattern with the new compound technology, the new generation M729II ECO offers up to 10% better wear life than its predecessor. 

“The launch of the M729II ECO is a demonstration of Bridgestone’s commitment to the NZ transport industry. We’ve taken the time to understand what operators need in their drive tyres and enhanced our offering based on real world feedback and testing,” Mr Staples says. 

“By focusing on the strengths of our two industry leading products, the long lasting M729, and the fuel saving Ecopia M749, we’ve developed a tyre that delivers on both value propositions in the M729II ECO. It has allowed us to rationalise our line up and make it simpler and more efficient for fleet operators.” 

The M729II ECO enters the market as an already proven performer following more than 1 million kilometres of evaluation through its development, overseen by Bridgestone’s New Zealand based Technical Field Services team. 

According to Bridgestone New Zealand Technical Field Services Manager, Derek Hall-Jones, NZ operators can be confident in the performance of the M729II ECO following real world tests by a range of customers across highway/regional applications, as well as mild on/off road applications.

“We set ambitious targets for the M729II ECO, and our extensive testing and evaluation program saw all of these exceeded. Working closely with our counterparts in the Bridgestone China Asia Pacific Technical Centre, we were able to deliver a drive tyre that met the needs of the New Zealand market from a performance point of view, with additional benefits of fuel savings and reduced emissions,” Mr Hall-Jones says. 

“Anecdotal feedback of from operators is that the M729II ECO delivers either equal or better performance than its predecessors across wear life, traction, worn appearance, cut/chip resistance, and wet braking performance. 

“Data that we collected from more than 1 million kilometres of testing highlights the success of this development, and we look forward to our customers realising the benefits of the M729II ECO for years to come,” says Hall-Jones.