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Volvo’s Multi-Adaptive Safety Belt Named One of TIME’s Top Inventions of 2025, Revolutionizing Personalized Safety

Volvo has once again earned a major safety accolade, with its groundbreaking multi-adaptive safety belt being recognized as one of TIME’s Top Inventions of 2025 in the transportation category. Decades after pioneering the modern three-point safety belt, Volvo continues its legacy of innovation in passive safety. This personalized safety belt, set to debut in next year’s EX60, utilizes real-time sensor data to make near-instant adjustments in a crash, offering customized protection tailored to each occupant. This marks the second consecutive year a Volvo safety feature has made TIME’s prestigious list, following the Driving Understanding System in the EX90 and ES90.

New multi-adaptive safety belt – exploded view

A New Era of Personalized Protection

Volvo’s multi-adaptive safety belt is a significant leap forward in passive safety, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.

The Problem: Traditional seat belts offer a uniform level of protection, despite the vast differences in occupant height, weight, body shape, and seating positions. This means the same belt may not protect every individual to the same optimal degree.
The Innovation: Volvo’s new safety belt incorporates an array of exterior and interior sensors that gather real-time data. In the event of a crash, this data allows the belt to make near-instant adjustments to its load settings.
Customized Response:
- For a smaller occupant in a minor crash, the system may apply a lower belt load setting, thereby reducing the risk of injuries such as rib fractures.
- For a larger occupant in a severe crash, a higher belt load setting would be applied to minimize the risk of head injuries.
Continuous Improvement: The system’s customized responses will be continuously refined and improved through over-the-air updates, ensuring its capabilities evolve over time.
TIME Recognition: TIME lauded this world-first invention for its outstanding contribution to safety, placing it among leading innovations in diverse fields.

Debuting in the All-Electric EX60

Interestingly, this cutting-edge safety feature will first be introduced in one of Volvo’s newer, fully electric models.

EX60 Debut: The multi-adaptive safety belt will make its debut in the Volvo EX60, an all-electric SUV slated to arrive early next year. The EX60 will slot below the three-row EX90 and compete against vehicles like the new BMW iX3.
Commitment to Safety: Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre, stated, “We are proud to be recognised by TIME as a leader in automotive safety… we’re leveraging real-time data to adapt to the situation and the person wearing it – providing smarter, personalized protection that can help reduce injury.”

Other Noteworthy Transportation Inventions of 2025

Volvo shares TIME’s recognition in the transportation category with several other innovative companies:

BMW iX3 (Neue Klasse): The first Neue Klasse vehicle from BMW, the iX3, was also recognized. TIME highlighted its impressive charging speeds (175 miles of range in 10 minutes) and its new digital nervous system powered by four computers.
BYD Seagull: China’s EV giant BYD was celebrated for its affordable EV, the Seagull. Starting at approximately $10,300 (about a third of the cheapest new EV in the U.S.), the Seagull offers a 30-kW battery and 190 miles of range, making it ideal for urban environments.
Waymo Robotaxi Service: Waymo’s AI-powered Waymo Driver system earned a spot for its significant safety record. After completing over 10 million trips, Waymo cabs reported five times fewer injury-causing crashes than human drivers and, critically, zero fatalities.

Volvo’s multi-adaptive safety belt represents a significant evolution of a foundational safety component, reinforcing the brand’s long-standing commitment to protecting lives and setting new benchmarks for automotive safety innovation.

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