Project Arrow, Canada's zero-emissions concept car, gets $5M in federal funding

A project to design Canada's firstzero-emission vehicle is getting $5 million in federal funding.

Project Arrow, spearheaded by theAutomotive Parts Manufacturers' Association(APMA) of Canada, is already underway and set to becomethe country's first, original, full-build zero-emission concept vehicle.

"This is a huge announcement;this is really ground-breaking," MP Irek Kusmierczyk saidWednesday inWindsor, in announcing theFederal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) investment.

"We're seeing the automotivesectorgoing through a huge transition right now," said Kusmierczyk, who represents the riding ofWindsor-Tecumseh.

"This is another piece of the puzzle to make sure that Canada, and southwestern Ontarioand Windsor-Essex are at the centre of electric vehicle supply chain, and production and research globally."

TheAPMAincludes 90 per cent of all auto-parts makers in Canada, and the organization is already working on a physical prototype of the vehicle atOntario Tech University in Oshawa. TheWindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation'svirtual reality CAVEis being utilized toengineer avirtual modelof thefully rendered Arrow vehicle.

A statement from FedevOntario saidthe $5 million will support80 jobs, and as many as 40 auto suppliers and technology firms.

APMA president Flavio Volpesaid the fundingwill be vital forintegrating the technology with one vehicle and building thedigital twin by the end of next year.

"The government's investment today is proof, at least in their eyes, that we are an effective vehicle for economic development for this industry in this region.

"They're betting on our ability to bring the Canadian message around the world with the money that they're investing."

WATCH | FlavioVolpe of the APMA explains how Project Arrow got its start:

How Project Arrow, Canada's zero-emissions vehicle, got its start

3 years ago

Duration 0:52

President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, Flavio Volpe, explains where the idea of this electric vehicle came from and how it ended up receiving funding from the federal government.

Volpe said once the vehicle is finalized, time will be spent overthe next two years ontechnology demonstrations, both with vehiclemakers and auto shows around the world.

In the meantime, Volpe said, the 40 companies working on the vehicle are based in Windsor.

Fedev Ontario said work on the concept vehicle will provide a "blueprint for battery development and integration."

Electric vehicle virtually engineered in Windsor

The digital twin of the concept carallows the project team to manipulate a virtual model of the vehicle in a fully immersive 3D experience throughthe VR CAVE at the Border Logistics and Securitybuilding in Windsor.

Engineers and product designers will be able to test and adjust parts for the vehicle digitally, cutting costs and saving time while a physical concept isbuilt.

The completion of the digital twin, which took 350 hours to build, canbe tested under real-world conditions, simulated inside the VR CAVE.

Earlier this year, General Motors, Stellantis formerly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford all made billion-dollar investments toconvert production in Ontario plants to handleelectric vehicles.

Theyinclude:

• $1 billionby GMto transform its CAMI plant in Ingersoll to make commercial electric vehicles.
• $1.98 billion by Ford that"predominantly" will go toward Ford's assembly plant in OakvilleandWindsor's two Ford engine assembly plants.
• $1.5 billion fromStellantis forelectric vehicleproduction, which wouldcreate2,000 jobsat the company's Windsor Assembly Plant.