Autoliv Introduces “Green” Airbag Inflator

(Stockholm, February 28, 2012) – – – Autoliv Inc. – the global leader in
automotive safety systems – has developed a completely new concept for inflating
airbags that is more environmentally friendly and more cost efficient than
traditional inflator technologies. In addition, it reduces the inflator’s weight
by 20% compared to most inflators for the intended application.

The new inflator went into production earlier this year, in a passenger-side
airbag for a European manufacturer of premium-brand vehicles.

The new inflator uses hydrogen and oxygen with inert gas to inflate the airbag,
instead of pyrotechnic substances. As a result, there are no waste particles at
all from the combustion and no effluent gases – not even carbon dioxide. The
only side product is regular vapor which, when cooled off, becomes just a few
drops of 100% pure water – making the inflator extremely environmentally
friendly.

In addition, the mixing of the hydrogen and the oxygen takes place in the
textile cushion of the airbag, instead of in a steel vessel as in traditional
airbag inflators, which allows for a thinner and lighter steel container and
reduces weight and costs.

The weight reduction depends on the original inflator but is approximately 20%
compared to most traditional inflators for airbags on the front passenger side.
If only a quarter of Autoliv’s own needs for such passenger airbag inflators
will be converted to the new hydrogen/oxygen technology, the Company would save
1,000 tons of steel every year. Additionally, the vehicles with the new inflator
would reduce their fuel consumption by more than 8 million liters over the
expected life time of the vehicles.

The new hydrogen/oxygen inflator which is called APG (for Autoliv
Passenger-inflator Gas) will primarily be used in frontal airbags for the
front-passenger side where higher gas quantities are required than for other
airbags in a vehicle. The next step of this technology is to develop a
dual-stage version of the inflator to be able to adjust the gas flow to the
severity of the crash and to other parameters. This will be done using two
independent ignitors and varying the time lapse a few milliseconds between the
ignitions.

Inquiries:

Ted Bertacini, Senior Director Global Inflator Development,
Tel +1-248-475-0439

Niclas Hörnquist, Senior Manager Inflator Development
Tel. +46-322-62 66 75

Autoliv Introduces “Green” Airbag Inflator

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