Bridgestone/Firestone is keeping MTSU’s wheel-hub motor project rolling with a recent donation of four new tires valued at $360. Shown with one of the tires installed on the car used in the project are Brian Sears, left, Bridgestone human-resources manager; Shelly Morton, Bridgestone community-relations coordinator; and Paul Martin, coordinator of the wheel-hub project. Once the plug-in hybrid retrofit kit becomes mass-produced, it potentially could save 120 million gallons of gas per day. “New tires will allow us to travel to Nashville and other places to demonstrate the wheel-hub hybrid technology,” said Dr. Charles Perry, holder of the Russell Chair of Manufacturing Excellence at MTSU and author of the patent, which is pending. Not pictured are Perry and Bruce Johnson, Bridgestone plant manager. (MTSU photo by Randy Weiler)

In the photo above, Bridgestone’s Sears listens as Martin, right, explains the hybrid technology that potentially could save millions of gallons of gas. Bridgestone contributed a $360 set of four tires for the wheel-hub project. (Photo by Shelly Morton/Bridgestone)