Autoliv, the Stockholm-headquartered leader in automotive safety systems, is  collaborating with California-based autonomous vehicle maker Nuro to ensure a high safety standard for the latter’s new third-generation, production-grade autonomous delivery vehicle.

As the most advanced zero-occupant vehicle designed by Nuro to date, the new model features an exterior airbag by Autoliv which covers the front of the vehicle when inflated to protect other road users. The third-generation vehicle, simply called Nuro, is expected to scale its safe, eco-friendly, and convenient services to millions of people.

With airbags for autonomous vehicles, Autoliv is taking a position as a global leader in the wider mobility safety arena, beyond the light vehicle safety industry, focusing on vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. These road users account for more than half of the world’s traffic fatalities every year.

“In the coming years, we intend to go from an industry leader to a true industry transformer, not just by leading, but also by setting the trends in our industry,” said Mikael Bratt, president and CEO of Autoliv. “The airbag technology developed for Nuro’s autonomous delivery vehicles illustrate a new generation of traffic safety, designed to protect vulnerable road users.”

Autoliv’s Mobility Safety Solutions (MSS) develops products and services for businesses adjacent to its core of airbags, steering wheels, and seatbelts for light vehicles. Such adjacent products and services include power two-wheelers, connected safety services, and offerings to customers beyond passenger vehicle manufacturers.

Nuro’s fully electric, zero-emission vehicles are designed for a full day of operation from a single charge. The company uses 100% renewable energy for all vehicle charging and facilities from wind farms in Texas.

“Safety is one of the core reasons we founded Nuro and remains our top priority,” said Jiajun Zhu, co-founder and CEO of Nuro. “We are thrilled to collaborate with safety leaders like Autoliv to bring one of the first external airbags of its kind to the USA.”

Nuro became the first company to be granted approval for a self-driving vehicle exemption by the US Department of Transportation, a significant milestone for the industry, and is also the first company to receive a deployment permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, enabling the company to launch the first commercial autonomous vehicle service in the state.

www.autoliv.com