Autoliv Aims to Buy Autonomous Vehicle Technology

Swedish airbag and seatbelt giant Autoliv Inc. says it may acquire or partner with one or more companies to expand its autonomous vehicle technology capabilities.

CEO Jan Carlson tells Bloomberg News the company is in “ongoing” talks with several companies. Included on the list are a few developers of advanced lidar sensors, some of which Carlson characterizes as “more interesting than others.”

Noting Autoliv’s history of acquisitions, Carlson says the company prefers this method of expansion over developing new technologies internally.

Autoliv already supplies some driver-assist systems and enabling sensors, including software, cameras and collision-warning systems. And last September the company formed a joint venture with Japan’s Nissin Kogyo Co. to develop electronic braking systems for self-driving vehicles.

But Autoliv lacks expertise in lidar (light detection and ranging) systems. The technology, which is considered a key to implementing fully autonomous vehicles, uses laser pulses to measure the shape and distance of objects.

Several other traditional automotive suppliers recently have announced acquisitions or partnerships with lidar firms. Delphi Automotive is working with California’s Quanergy Systems, and Continental bought the 3-D laser-imaging sensor arm of Advanced Scientific Concepts earlier this year.

Autoliv also is partnering with other companies to develop and test autonomous vehicle technologies. In Sweden, it’s working with Volvo Car Group on a program that involves a fleet of 100 self-driving vehicles in Gothenburg. By the end of the decade, Autoliv expects to derive one-fourth of its sales from electronic systems.