70 year stories

Did you know that.....a strong driving force in Autoliv’s turnover is that the safety content per vehicle (CPV) is increasing?

And it is increasing in all regions of the world. In 2012, the value of the safety content in Indian vehicles totaled about 60 US dollars. Ten years later, it was 100 US dollars. North America topped the list in 2022 with an average CPV value of 400 US dollars.

Image: Autoliv India opened new facilities in 2016 – and celebrated with a Ground Breaking Ceremony. 

Did you know that.....the steering wheel production took off in Tunisia in the early 2000s when customer demand for leather-covered steering wheels increased?

Customers in Asia wanted steering wheels with thick stitching to accentuate the aesthetics of the leather, while Germans instead wanted completely smooth steering wheels.

Image: Design preferences differ between countries. In Asia, they want stitches in the leather, as shown in this 2022 picture. 

Did you know that.....in the mid-1990s, Autoliv developed a new propellant that did not contain the environmentally hazardous substance sodium azide?

The same basic mixture that was developed then is still used today.

Image: Inflator concept from early 2000s

Did you know that.....in 2012, a doomsday atmosphere once again prevailed in the European automotive industry – just four years after the big financial crisis?

Almost all automakers scaled back production or closed down European plants. Autoliv also cut down on production but was still able to increase sales thanks to its global presence.

Image: A visual representation of Autolivs’ global presence and market advantage, from the 1990s or early 2000s.

Did you know that.....The first side airbags began to be supplied in Volvo 850s in 1994?

This made Volvo the first in the world to offer this innovation. The side airbags also proved to be a huge sales success. By 2012, Autoliv had supplied half a billion airbags of this type.

Image: Ad photo for side air bags, from 1994.

Did you know that.....Autoliv Americas suffered quality issues after the 2008–2009 recession?

This prompted then CEO Jan Carlsson to initiate the Q5 quality concept. It was about looking at quality in five key dimensions, symbolized by a five-pointed star. These points represented the organization’s own behavior, growth, customers, products and suppliers. An extensive training and information drive was launched to implement the program.

Image: The quality concept Q5, visualized as a five-pointed star.

Did you know that.....Autoliv needed more capital from its owners to save the business during the 2008–2009 recession?

In the long run, this meant that more Autoliv shares came to be owned by Swedish companies, and fewer by American companies.

Image: During the 2008–2009 recession Autoliv developed a new concept of cooperation.

Did you know that.....as electronics became increasingly important in the early 2000s, a number of acquisitions were made in this area?

The first came in 2002 with the acquisition of Visteon Restraint Electronic – a spin-off from Ford.

Image: The PSS1, or ”Battery Disconnection Switch”, is triggered by the ECU and is used to separate the "starter generator cable" from the electronic system.

Did you know that.....The automotive industry made a major comeback in 2011 after the 2008–2009 recession?

72 million units were manufactured that year, which was a record. It was also Autoliv’s best year to date.

Image: During the 2010s, Autoliv invested heavily in product development. Here, two employees in Utah are testing a seat belt’s durability/resistance.

Did you know that.....when Autoliv built a new propellant factory in China in 2013, it was exactly the same as the one in Promontory?

Autoliv used the same suppliers, the same drawings, and the exact same layout as that factory. One key success factor was the transfer of technology and knowledge between employees in Promontory and China. This was also Autoliv’s biggest investment up to that point.

Image: A pleased group at the 2013 inauguration of the Jiangsu propellant factory.