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Project Arrow, the all-Canadian electric vehicle, unveiled in Las Vegas

The car is designed to show that Canada’s part suppliers can be part of the EV revolution and have the cutting-edge technology suppliers will want

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OSHAWA, Ont. —  A “moonshot” meant to demonstrate Canada has everything the world needs to build the electric and autonomous vehicles of the future will be unveiled Thursday at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas.

Project Arrow has gone from concept to reality behind big metal doors at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa over the past year. The car is designed to show that Canada’s part suppliers can be part of the EV revolution and have the cutting-edge technology suppliers will want.

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Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), said after a successful program that added specific auto parts to several Lexus SUVs as a demonstration project they decided to go one step further.

“Let’s take a moonshot. Let’s make our own car.”

Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association with the APMA’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow, in Oshawa, Ont.
Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association with the APMA’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow, in Oshawa, Ont. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post

After running a design competition that saw students from Carleton University come up with a winning proposal, the APMA reached out to parts manufacturers to see what new technology they were prepared to include in the new vehicle.

“There’s 58 companies’ technology that’s in this vehicle, and that’s everything from seats and wheels to advanced cybersecurity and connected drive suppliers,” he said. “The car is the platform for them to sell their wares.”

The moonshot received a significant amount of government funding: $5 million from the federal government and $1.8 million from Ontario’s government, with the Quebec government helping some of the suppliers in its province taking part.

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow.
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post

Volpe said they actually got more than 200 suppliers offering up their products to be part of the project.

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“In the end, we’re building one car, we probably could have built four.”

The vehicle is similar to many crossover style vehicles on the market today, which is the most popular current segment in the industry. It hasn’t yet been subjected to the sort of testing a production vehicle would endure, but it’s estimated to have a range of 500 kilometres and generate 550 horsepower.

Without an engine or a gas tank, there is room for bigger passenger compartments and because range is the biggest concern for electric vehicles, the car has been designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, replacing side-view mirrors with sensors and cameras. But it also would meet safety standards and the designers believe it could be approved for travel in Canada.

It also has a solar-paneled roof that can power some of the car’s smaller systems, taking pressure off the battery.

When APMA reached out to parts suppliers they were looking for cutting-edge designs, but they were also looking for something that could actually go into production.

The Arrow itself is highly unlikely to ever be in a showroom near you, but the suppliers provided parts that they could produce in mass quantities so that if, after seeing the vehicle, Ford or Volkswagen or Ferrari decided they like the look of the vehicles’ headlights, seats or sensors there is potential for a big order.

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“The objective of the project is to feature specific technology for Canadian companies that could be sold, that’s commercially ready,” Volpe said. “What we’ve done here is given 58 suppliers an opportunity to demonstrate their technology in a way that they’d never be able to do, if they were a supplier to a Lexus, to a Ford.”

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow.
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post

The Arrow took shape at Ontario Tech, a university that already has deep connections to the auto industry. The university has an automotive engineering program, but also has a research facility with a wind tunnel that can simulate weather conditions.

Volpe said they chose Ontario Tech in part because it was a “neutral site.” Many of the companies that took part in the project are competitors and while they provided their products most didn’t get to see the Arrow being assembled and there are big notices on the door to the assembly bay indicating “no tours,” to keep eyes off some of the secretive new products.

Volpe said there were other universities who offered to partner with APMA on the project, but Ontario Tech is already working closely with industry, so it just made sense.

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“We chose this university out of those four because of the work that they do with [manufacturers] on a daily basis.”

Les Jacobs, Ontario Tech’s vice-president of research, said the project was a good fit for the school.

“Project Arrow is an all-Canadian initiative, and we are very happy that APMA partnered with Ontario Tech for its capabilities, both in terms of the university’s innovative ACE Core Research Facility, and the passion and experience of our faculty and students,” he said. “It’s a special feeling to know that we are making a vital contribution to support innovative lab-to-market projects in our country in the critical fight against climate change.”

When APMA was formed it represented aviation companies as well, including many firms who worked on the ultimately scrapped Avro Arrow project. Volpe says they named the new car the Arrow as part of that legacy, but he has much higher hopes for this modern day Arrow.

• Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com | Twitter:

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow.
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow.
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association’s electric vehicle prototype, known as Project Arrow. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post

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