APMA Elects Project Arrow Design for Canada’s Zero-Emissions Vehicle
As people around the world continue to push for more eco-friendly solutions to tackle the Earth’s ongoing climate crisis, Canada’s automotive market is shifting gears and driving into the core of the autonomous and electric movement to help redefine clean transportation.
Led by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), Project Arrow pursues the goal of building an entirely zero-emissions concept vehicle that will highlight Canada’s finest innovation in the automotive supply sector.
Through a fully Canadian-made project process, the Project Arrow zero-emissions vehicle is to be designed, engineered, and manufactured through the combined efforts of Canada’s leading automotive businesses and top-class teams at Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Project Arrow Supports Canada’s Climate Action Plan
As most people are now aware, the next 10 years are of critical importance regarding the Earth’s rising temperatures. Since scientists have long determined that the planet will experience detrimental effects if left to current matters, countries around the globe, including Canada, have chosen to accelerate innovation efforts in confronting the climate crisis.
To support Canada in meeting its climate action goal of generating a sustainable, zero-emissions future by 2050, APMA’s Project Arrow is an environmental mission bringing together Canada’s leading electric-drive, alternative-fuel, connected and autonomous, and light-weight technology companies to produce a world-class vehicle that will quite literally, if successful, reinvent the wheel and aid in reducing the globe’s rising temperatures.
“We challenged design schools across the country to conceptualize the [Project Arrow] vehicle design and the response was excellent. To see young minds step up and work through the COVID-19 pandemic is inspiring; their design ideas would make any global OEM design studio proud.”
– Colin Dhillon, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association’s chief technical officer.
Chosen Zero-Emissions Vehicle Design: On-Route to Roads
APMA’s chosen design concept was awarded to a team from Carleton University’s School of Industrial Design. The Project Arrow award-winning design is called Traction, and was selected due to its light-weight, zero-emissions concept illustrating cultural relevance to the icy and cool Canadian climate, ultimately summoning a true visual of what APMA one day hopes will be Canada’s Vehicle of The Future.
The Project Arrow winning design, Traction. Source: APMA Project Arrow
“We feel privileged to be making our mark on the growing Canadian auto industry while playing our part in pushing towards a zero-emissions future. We designed this vehicle to represent what Canada is all about and can’t wait to see it on our roads someday.”
– Kaj Hallgrimsson, a member of the Traction team at Carleton University.
The collaborative project, led by APMA, is now on-route to the engineering phase where the zero-emissions vehicle will be further researched and developed to meet all goals, with the car’s construction and release scheduled for some time in 2022.
Government Funding for Environmental Innovation
To support the federal government’s ongoing and evolving climate action plan, there are numerous automotive or alternative sector-focused government funding programs such as the AVIN Program, the Emissions Reduction Fund, and the Green Municipal Fund that are offering grants and loans towards environmental innovation projects.
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