NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 29, 2026) – Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) and Penske Transportation Solutions (Penske) today announced the findings of the first phase of their shared initiative, the Decarbonization Lab (Lab). The Lab was designed to identify and validate commercially viable, near-term solutions that help reduce CO₂ emissions for commercial fleets under real-world conditions. Penske and Bridgestone plan to continue refining their approach and testing additional solutions in a second phase of the Lab in 2026.
“Our Bridgestone team is proud to have partnered with Penske for more than a decade, from IndyCar racing to deploying millions of retreaded tires across the Penske fleet. The Decarbonization Lab is a testament to how sustainable transformation can be accelerated when we work together,” said Erik Seidel, head of sustainability for Bridgestone in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The Lab tested the performance of three core elements: tires and retreads, renewable diesel, and route optimization. In partnership with advanced data analytics provider Dynamon, the Lab demonstrated compelling results from more than 500,000 fleet miles in the first phase.
- Tire and Retread Performance: Deploying low-rolling-resistance retreads, IntelliTire™ pressure monitoring, and Bridgestone tire casings on Penske trucks demonstrated a 6.35% improvement in miles per gallon (mpg).
- Renewable Diesel Evaluation: With emissions reduction benefits from renewable diesel already established, the teams set out to test the feasibility of deploying this drop-in fuel in Tennessee – a location outside of Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) states like California and Oregon. The test was also designed to study the long-term maintenance and efficiency impacts of running the premium fuel in the Penske fleet.
- Route Optimization and Logistics Efficiency: Penske and Bridgestone logistics and engineering teams are working together to optimize Bridgestone's automotive tire retail distribution network. The collaboration is projected to result in a reduction of approximately 152,000 miles from this transportation network. If scaled across the Penske-Bridgestone dedicated fleet, this would be equivalent to a 4-6% decrease in CO₂ emissions.
“We are honored to collaborate with Bridgestone to bring the Decarbonization Lab to the marketplace. Our companies have enjoyed a successful history of uncovering great solutions that benefit our customers and the industry,” said Bill Combs, Senior Vice President, Partnership & Sustainability Strategy, Penske.
The Decarbonization Lab illustrates how combining well-known technologies with disciplined data collection, fleet-scale pilots, and a deeply collaborative approach can unlock meaningful CO₂ reductions and operational cost savings. The Lab underscores a key message for the industry: decarbonization is a complex challenge that no one company can tackle alone. Collaborations like this are essential to implementing near-term sustainability solutions.
Leaders from both companies will discuss the Lab's first-phase findings during a session at ACT Expo 2026 in Las Vegas on Monday, May 4.
