Government of Canada invests in first made-in-Canada electric vehicle

As Canada moves closer to a zero-emissions future, there is a growing need to manufacture and supply made-in-Canada technology for the automotive sector.

The Government of Canada recently announced a $5-million FedDev Ontario investment in the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) to support Project Arrow, the automotive industry’s first Canadian-made, zero-emission concept vehicle.

With a membership accounting for 90 per cent of all independent automotive parts manufacturers in Canada, APMA will use its longstanding connections in the automotive manufacturing industry to bring together key industry and academic partners in southern Ontario to facilitate Project Arrow. The partners will work together to design, engineer, and build a connected and autonomous zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) concept car and its digital twin, which will be used as a virtual platform for testing and validating connected and autonomous (CAV) technologies before they are integrated into the physical car.

“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,” said Flavio Volpe, president, APMA.

FedDev Ontario’s investment in this project will support 80 jobs, leverage more than $6.6 million in other funding, support at least 40 automotive suppliers and technology firms, and generate $50 million in additional investment.

The FedDev Ontario-funded Virtual Reality CAVE at Invest WindsorEssex will be home to some of the key project activities surrounding the digital concept vehicle. The car will also act as a blueprint for battery development and integration, tech transfer, and intellectual property development.

“Windsor-Essex is capitalizing on this once-in-a-generation shift unfolding in the auto sector and the jobs that come with it, positioning our region as the automobility capital of Canada. With FedDev Ontario support, APMA is leading the charge to accelerate Canada’s transition to a net-zero future,” said Irek Kusmierczyk, member of parliament for Windsor–Tecumseh.