Volvo VNL, VNR to Receive Side-Curtain Air Bags as Standard
Volvo Among First to Introduce Side-Curtain Air Bags for Cars
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Volvo Trucks North America will make integrated side-curtain air bags standard equipment on new VNL and VNR on-highway models, the company said.
VTNA launched redesigns of the flagship Class 8 on-highway VNL tractor and VNR regional-haul semi in January 2024 and March 2025, respectively.
Side-curtain airbags became available as an option for VNL in the fifth week of 2025.
Legacy models such as the VNR Electric, VNX, VHD and VAH will not be equipped with side-curtain air bags, a spokeswoman for VTNA confirmed to Transport Topics.
Side-curtain air bags are typically located along the roof rails and designed to protect the heads of occupants in a rollover or when the door of the vehicle is impacted in a crash. Its intention is different from a side air bag located in the seat or door that aims to protect the ribcage. Rollovers are some of the most severe crashes, accounting for roughly half of all truck occupant fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The top photo shows impact with a side-curtain airbag, and the bottom photo shows it without. (Volvo Trucks North America)
“Safety is part of our DNA at Volvo, and we continue to lead the way in improving road safety,” said Peter Voorhoeve, VTNA president. “Our vision means that no Volvo truck should be involved in an accident. By making side-curtain air bags standard, we are taking another important step toward protecting both drivers and passengers in some of the most dangerous crash scenarios.”
Side-curtain air bags were first introduced by Toyota and Volvo Cars in passenger vehicles in 1998.
At the time, Volvo Cars was still part of Volvo Group, the parent company of VTNA. Volvo Cars was sold to Ford in 1999. Ford then sold it to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2010.
In January 2024, VTNA launched the first major overhaul since 2017 of the VNL. Voorhoeve said at the time that the overhaul was VTNA’s most significant launch since 1996.
The Volvo Group unit began series production of VNL tractors at the 2.3 million-square-foot New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va., in October 2024.
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VTNA unveiled the first large-scale overhaul of the VNR in March at American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council Annual Meeting, proclaiming a 90% redesign of the previous iteration.
The VNR is the same body-in-white as the VNL, but has a different cab position, Director of Product Marketing Johan Agebrand told TT on the sidelines of TMC.
VTNA debuted the VNR in April 2017. It replaced the VNM, which had been around since the 1990s.
The order book for the VNR opened in the second half of September. Serial production at the New River Valley plant in Virginia is expected to begin in February 2026.
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