Hyundai Mobis Unveils Innovative Airbags for Purpose-Built Vehicles

Hyundai Mobis has made a groundbreaking advancement in vehicle safety by unveiling the world's first airbags designed specifically for Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs). These versatile and spacious vehicles present unique safety challenges, and with the growing use of PBVs in fleet services, the need for advanced passenger safety technologies is more critical than ever.

Revolutionary Airbag Technologies

On July 18th, Hyundai Mobis announced two innovative airbag technologies: the door-mounted curtain airbag and the self-supporting passenger airbag. These airbags are designed to prevent passenger ejection and significantly reduce injuries during collisions or rollovers, meeting stringent safety standards in advanced markets like North America.

Door-Mounted Curtain Airbag

This airbag redefines conventional curtain airbags, which typically deploy from top to bottom. The new curtain airbag inflates vertically from the bottom to the top in just 0.03 seconds during an accident. Hyundai Mobis is the first to use a wire mechanism in curtain airbags. The cushion unfolds along wires installed on both sides of the airbag, effectively preventing passengers from being ejected through windows. This design complies with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) ejection mitigation standard (FMVSS 226), ensuring enhanced safety.

PBVs often have sliding doors for rear passenger access, limiting space for airbag installation on the ceiling. In such cases, the door-mounted airbag offers an effective solution, ensuring passengers remain safe even in vehicles with unconventional door designs.

Lee Kyu-Sang, Head of the Safety System R&D Group at Hyundai Mobis, highlighted the importance of this development: "We developed the new concept curtain airbag with the urban transportation-focused PBV market in mind. Given that RoboRide PBVs emphasize openness with larger side windows, we anticipate a growing need for advanced passenger safety devices."

Self-Supporting Passenger Airbag

The self-supporting airbag is tailored for PBVs with spacious interiors and a considerable distance to the windshield. Unlike traditional sedans or SUVs that use a windshield angled at about 30 degrees to support the inflated cushion, PBVs may have nearly vertical windshields, presenting structural challenges. This airbag technology protects front-seat passengers by absorbing impact using only support from its lower part.

Hyundai Mobis has incorporated technology to secure the airbag cushion close to the front crash pad, ensuring stable passenger protection even without windshield contact. This design meets the high safety standards set by the North American New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Future Prospects

Hyundai Mobis aims to scale its airbag technologies for various PBVs, developing and introducing a range of airbags tailored to different interior designs. This initiative will cater to customer needs with flexible seating arrangements and passenger orientations, ensuring enhanced safety across diverse PBV models.
With these innovations, Hyundai Mobis is setting new standards in vehicle safety, prioritizing passenger’s well-being, and advancing Purpose-Built Vehicle’s capabilities.