This year’s Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) will focus on the theme of Transformative Times, as the automotive industry experiences disruption and change due in large part to new technology.
The impact of how technology is changing the way consumers and OEMs, and other members of the auto sector are doing things, will be summarized in an installation known as the Future Tech Hub, at the auto show. It will showcase some of the new and innovative ways technology is changing transportation.
“The car is no longer just something to get us from point A to point B,” said Jason Campbell, General Manager of the AutoShow. “They are intelligent computers where we potentially spend a significant portion of our day. We are seeing automation potentially easing some of gridlock with new ways to deliver packages and goods and we are getting more efficient and environmentally aware.”
Here’s what dealers can expect from the Future Tech Hub:
Drone Delivery Canada, which partnered with Air Canada, wants to commercialize and implement a drone delivery system across the globe. The company will showcase three of its delivery units at the show — the Sparrow, the Robin and the Condor.
“People will be surprised to learn how far along this technology and service is,” said Chief Executive Michael Zahra. “People tend to think delivery drones are a futuristic, pie-in-the-sky technology and we may see them in five to 10 years. But what we are doing is real and it is happening now.”
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA) will feature some of the tech it plans to include on its recently launched Project Arrow concept car — which aims to create a zero-emissions, “tech-packed” car exclusively built from Canadian parts and technologies. The APMA will use the 2020 Karma Revero GT as a demonstrator.
Elements from FLO, a North American charging network for electric vehicles, and electric vehicle test drives are also something the hub will touch on.
“The growing line up of electric vehicles available in Canada is well represented at the AutoShow,” said Cara Clairman, President and CEO of Plug’n Drive. “The EV Test Drive program is an excellent tool for consumers to learn more about the environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles while gaining an understanding about the benefits of electrification versus the traditional combustion engine.”
The Future Tech Hub is located in the main showroom on the 800 level in the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Ontario. The CIAS Media Day is February 13, and the show is open to the public from 14-23.
