Ontario’s automated vehicle (AV) pilot project will be led by experts from the research, manufacturing and technology sectors, including The University of Waterloo, the Erwin Hymer Group and BlackBerry QNX. The first province in Canada to test AVs on its roads, Ontario aims to use the pilot to position itself as a global AV market leader.
Brad Duguid
Driverless or self-driving AVs have the potential to improve road safety and fuel efficiency and reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. The pilot project will test various levels of automation on three models:
- The WATCar Project at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Automotive Research will monitor and test drive a Lincoln MKZ.
- The Erwin Hymer Group, a manufacturer active in the Kitchener-Waterloo tech and innovation corridor, will test and monitor a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van.
- BlackBerry QNX will test a 2017 Lincoln with automated features.
“Ontario’s innovation ecosystem, with leading clusters in automotive, information technology, and cleantech, makes the province the ideal location to develop the disruptive technologies — like this AV pilot — that will shape the future of the industry,” says Brad Duguid, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Growth.
