Autoliv Invests in New Crash Test Technology in Japan

STOCKHOLM, Sweden--Regulatory News:

Autoliv Inc. (STO:ALIV), the worldwide leader in automotive safety, has recently installed a state-of-the-art test facility in Tskuba, North of Tokyo, in order to support the continued business growth in the important Japanese market.

The investment includes a new advanced crash sled which is better suited to replicate the crash dynamics of future vehicle designs. Autoliv is the only automotive safety supplier with this new so called “pitching technology”. Vehicle bodies can be tested at speeds up to 80 kph (50 mph) in both frontal and side impact crash conditions. The cost for this 4,200 square meter expansion amount to $13 million.

Autoliv now has approximately 3,200 employees in Japan of whom 400 engineers – more than 10% – are serving Japanese customers from three engineering centers and two field offices.

More tracks than competitors combined As the global leader in automotive safety, Autoliv crash tests more vehicles and has more crash tracks than all competitors combined. Including the most recent additions, the Company will have eight full-scale tracks for complete vehicles and 13 sled tracks for vehicle bodies. In addition, the Company has extensive analytical crash simulation expertise to optimize safety system development.

Most of the tests are assignments from vehicle manufacturers and other external customers. Autoliv’s budget for Research, Development and Engineering (RD&E) corresponds to more than 8% of sales. Of this amount, close to 2% is related to customer-paid jobs, mainly for crash testing new vehicle models.

Autoliv has more than 4,100 of its 42,000 associates dedicated to research, development and application engineering. They are located at the Company’s tech centers and laboratories in the United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Australia. Autoliv has also started to set up engineering centers in China, Romania and Turkey.

Illustrations: For high resolution photos of the new Japanese crash track, please contact kyaw.myint@autoliv.com at Tel. +44-7879-600946

Autoliv Inc., the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, develops and manufactures automotive safety systems for all major automotive manufacturers in the world. Together with its joint ventures, Autoliv has 80 facilities with approximately 42,000 employees in 28 vehicle-producing countries. In addition, the Company has technical centers in twelve countries around the world, including 21 test tracks, more than any other automotive safety supplier. Sales in 2006 amounted to US $6.2 billion. The Company’s shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and its Swedish Depository Receipts on the OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm (ALIV).