Last week at CES, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) unveiled a working prototype of Project Arrow, Canada’s first zero-emission connected vehicle.
“The unveiling of Project Arrow, the first all-Canadian concept vehicle, is a historic milestone that showcases the best of Ontario’s automotive and technology sectors,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Our government is proud to support this innovative project and the continued collaboration between industry partners.”
Developed at the Automotive Centre of Excellence in Oshawa, Project Arrow is “the biggest industrial collaboration project in Canadian automotive history,” with 58 Canadian companies contributing to providing parts and components for the development of the concept vehicle.
Over the last three years, the project also received over C$8 million of funding from several government bodies, including C$5 million from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and C$1.8 million from the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN).
Additionally, the government of Ontario announced the investment of C$56.4 million, through OVIN, over the next four years to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles and mobility technologies.
Some of the companies contributing to the project include Windsor-Essex-based Ettractive, YQG Technologies, Narmco Group, TRQSS, Toronto-based Cybeats and Myant, and Quebec-based LeddarTech.
“The Ontario government challenged us to build this vehicle and they were the first to support us when we launched Project Arrow,” said Flavio Volpe, president of APMA. “This investment is just another part of this government’s incredible and unprecedented commitment to Ontario’s automotive industry.”
Project Arrow was first announced by APMA at CES 2020, after which the association launched a country-wide competition, won the same year by Carleton University students who designed the specifications for the concept vehicle. The vehicle and virtual build of the car were then respectively led by Ontario Tech University and Windsor Essex Economic Development Commission’s virtual reality CAVE.
According to Driving.ca, the final vehicle, expected to debut in 2025, will be around C$60,000, with a run rate of 50,000 units manufactured per year.
Project Arrow claims that its vehicles are intended for Canadian drivers, but its unveiling at a US trade show suggests that the company might eventually reach global consumers, PC Magazine reported.