The Government of Canada announced a $5-million FedDev Ontario (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) investment in the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) to support Project Arrow. The project is set to produce the automotive industry’s first made-in-Canada electric vehicle.
The Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for King-Vaughan made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. “Today’s investment showcases the advanced skills of the Canadian automotive and digital technology sectors, and puts southern Ontario at the forefront of technology development for zero emission and connected and autonomous vehicles,” Schulte said.
The goal of Project Arrow is to build a connected and autonomous zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) concept car and its digital twin, which will be used to test and validate connected and autonomous (CAV) technologies.
The investment in Project Arrow aligns with the government’s goal to become a global leader in ZEVs and decarbonize the country’s transportation sector. According to the government’s press release, the project “will support 80 jobs, leverage $6.6 million in other funding, support at least 40 automotive suppliers and technology firms, and generate $50 million in additional investment.”
Flavio Volpe, President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association said “This lighthouse project is highlighting hundreds of advanced technology companies around the world and will serve as the calling card for the next generation of leadership in Canadian zero emissions mobility.”
APMA plans to use its connections within the automotive manufacturing industry to facilitate Project Arrow, bringing together academic and key industry partners to design, engineer and build the vehicle.
“Organizations like APMA are putting southern Ontario manufacturers at the forefront of the shift in the automotive manufacturing sector and are leading the way to help create a robust electric vehicle supply chain in Canada, increasing our domestic electric vehicle development capacity,” Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament for Vaughan–Woodbridge added.
