Autoliv has developed an external airbag for Nuro’s third generation, production grade autonomous delivery vehicle.
This is the most advanced zero occupant vehicle designed by Nuro to date and has an exterior airbag which covers the front of the vehicle when inflated to protect other road users.
The new vehicle, called Nuro, is expected to “scale its safe, eco-friendly, and convenient services to millions of people”, according to a statement.
With airbags for autonomous vehicles, Autoliv is expanding 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. We are proud to be a part of this groundbreaking new vehicle from Nuro. The airbag technology developed for the autonomous delivery vehicles illustrate a new generation of traffic safety, designed to protect vulnerable road users”, said Mikael Bratt, president and CEO of Autoliv.
Nuro’s electric 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. It was 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 also became 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.