70 year stories

Did you know that.....One way to ensure quality – while simultaneously reducing costs – has been to standardize the manufacturing processes?

This is why in 2013, Autoliv introduced what is called modularization process. A shining example of this is the propellant factory in Jiangsu, China, which is exactly the same as the one in Promontory, Utah.

Image: Propellant factory in Utah, 2019

Did you know that.....Autoliv carried out one of its key acquisitions for the future during the 2008–2009 financial crisis?

This was the radar sensor division within the American electronics corporation Tyco Electronics.

Image: A hood lift is used during the impact of a car crash. To raise the bonnet edge decreases impact with the structures inside the hood and thus reduces head injuries. Pictured is a hood lifter 2, from 2008. When the bonnet edge rises, the impact on the structure inside the hood decreases and thus the head injuries.
 

Did you know that.....Autoliv got its first female board member in 2011?

This was Dr. Xiaozhi Liu, who was born in China but has advanced technical degrees from Germany and a long career in the global automotive industry behind her, primarily at General Motors.

Image: Dr. Xiaozhi Liu, 2022.

Did you know that.....one way to ensure quality – while simultaneously reducing costs – has been to standardize the manufacturing processes?

This is why in 2013, Autoliv introduced a modularization process. A shining example of this is the propellant factory in Jiangsu, China, which is exactly the same as the one in Promontory, Utah.

Image: Propellant factory in Utah, 2019

Did you know that.....Mexico has the most Autoliv employees of any country in the world?

In the 2000s, a number of factories were built in the country. 

In 2022, Autoliv had over 15,000 employees in Mexico. 

Romania came in at second with about 10,000 employees and China in third place with just under 9,000.

Image: The Autoliv facility in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, 2021.

Did you know that.....after the turn of the millennium, Japan became an increasingly important market for Autoliv?

And becoming “Big in Japan” happened surprisingly quickly for the company, which soon had 20 percent of the market there and a good portion of the vehicles that the Japanese sold worldwide. 

Japanese manufacturers accounted for 35 percent of global production.

Image: Testing facilities are vital for production development. This is a testing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, 2022.

Did you know that.....during Lars Westerberg’s time as CEO, Autoliv became what was probably Sweden’s most globalized company ever?

The company had 53 percent of sales in Europe, 24 in North America and the remaining 23 percent in the rest of the world. 

More than half of production was now located in countries such as Mexico, China and Romania.

Image: The Autoliv facility in Hungary, 2021.

Did you know that.....Autoliv was already a global leader in the new area of active safety by the 1990s?

The company presented a range of products, such as electronic systems that oriented the car on the map or detected far-off hazards using radar. 

The first ‘self-driving’ car was already being tested by Autoliv by the late 1990s.

Image: The PSS1 is an example of an electrical safety solution. In case of a car crash, it can be triggered by the airbag control device or BMS to protect passengers and/or rescuers. These have been used since 2004. There are now more modern models as well. Photo from 2017.

Did you know that.....Autoliv was hit hard by the 2008–2009 financial crisis?

The company was forced to lay off about 25 percent of its personnel. But the company was able to recover relatively quickly.

Image: The new CEO had the difficult task of drastically cutting staff in order to create a sustainable long-term future.

Did you know that.....Autoliv began manufacturing in China as early as the mid-1980s?

But it wasn’t until the early 2000s that this really took off. The webbing factory in Shanghai was the largest in the world at that time.

Image: The Autoliv staff just outside the facility in Nanjing, Shanghai, 1990.