Mexican Media Brands
Takata to Seek Aid, May Partner with Rival on Airbag Inflators
Takata Corp. is preparing to launch a sweeping new strategy to survive ever-expanding recalls of its faulty airbag inflators, Reuters reports.
#regulations
Share
Takata Corp. is preparing to launch a sweeping new strategy to survive ever-expanding recalls of its faulty airbag inflators, Reuters reports.
The news service says Takata plans to replace its senior management, seek financial aid from its Japanese carmaker customers and partner with rival Daicel Corp. to produce safer replacement devices.
Takata’s inflators, which use ammonium nitrate as a propellant, have been linked to 10 fatalities and more than 100 injuries. The material is sensitive to moisture and apparently can deteriorate under prolonged exposure to hot and humid conditions. The propellant may then explode when triggered in a crash, spewing shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
A dozen carmakers are recalling roughly 40 million vehicles worldwide to replace Takata’s ammonium nitrate-based inflators with units that use a more stable propellant. The U.S. and Japan have banned the future use of ammonium nitrate propellants. Last week the U.S. expanded its recall of installed Takata inflators by 5 million vehicles.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Self-Driving Chevy Bolt Ticketed for Driving Too Close to Pedestrian
Police in San Francisco ticketed the backup driver in a self-driving Chevrolet Bolt for allowing the car to drive too close to a pedestrian in a crosswalk in San Francisco.
-
BMW Granted License to Test Self-Driving Cars in Shanghai
BMW AG has become the first foreign carmaker to win permission to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in China, according to the Shanghai Daily.
-
CARB Predicts 10x Hike in Fuel Cell Vehicles by 2024
California expects the number of fuel cell-powered vehicles registered in the state will surge to 23,600 units in 2021 from 4,800 through May of this year and reach 47,200 by 2024.