After a decade of research, Bridgestone is starting to make tires with a new, more sustainable source: a desert shrub called guayule.
Native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, guayule is a source of heat-resistant natural rubber that can be used to manufacture tire, according to Bridgestone. Natural rubber can be extracted from the branches, bark and roots of the guayule, and it can be grown using existing growing equipment, according to the company.
Harvest guayule plants to use in Bridgestone tires
Growing guayule helps diversify the world supply of natural rubber and allows Bridgestone to produce more of the material locally for the US market. The company hopes to commercialize guayule rubber in tires by 2030, but has already taken some proof-of-concept steps.
In 2012, Bridgestone broke ground on a guayule research and processing center in Mesa, Arizona. The facility currently sends rubber from crops grown at a farm operated by Bridgestone in Elroy, Arizona, to a facility in Akron, Ohio, where it is made into tires. Those are racing tires.
Firestone Firehawk IndyCar racing tires made of guayule rubber
Firestone Firehawk tires from the Bridgestone-owned Firestone brand containing guayule rubber debuted at the Indianapolis 500 in May and were first used in racing conditions at IndyCar Music City Grand Prix in Nashville in early August. Guayule rubber was used in the sidewall of the replacement tire for that race. This is a more grippy, but faster-wearing tire that can be used optionally on the street and on the road with the main tire and the rain tyre.
Bridgestone is looking at other possible uses for guayule rubber in both racing and passenger car tires by 2023 as the company looks to commercialize the material. Bridgestone spokesman Davis Adams told Advocacy agency The company isn’t quite ready to announce which tires it will choose for that first commercial application, noting that Bridgestone’s portfolio extends beyond automotive tyres. The company makes tires for everything from large mining trucks to airplanes.
