The Project Arrow electric concept vehicle from Canada rolled down Technology Parkway in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, on Tuesday, partly to demonstrate the reach of its 58 parts innovators and partly to help provoke greater focus on auto electrification in North America.
The sleek midsize SUV $20 million concept made its first tour stop in the US at the smart city and its famous Curiosity Lab partly as a result of friendships between tech innovators in the city and Canada.
While Canada has no native carmakers, it does produce some Japanese and American vehicles in its factories and sees the potential of selling major OEMs and Tier 1 companies on many of the unique tech components in the concept vehicle, said Flavio Volpe, president of APMA (Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association) of Canada, the instigator behind Project Arrow. Stay tuned for future potential manufacturing agreements with carmakers, he said.
One of its unique concepts is an electric battery rated with a range of more than 300 miles range that is designed to withstand frigid Canadian winters. It also boasts a full solar panel roof and a chassis made with a 3D printer as well as a speakerless sound system from BongioviAcousticLabs that incorporates transducers into the car’s interior panels.
A big selling point could be Project Arrow’s wireless induction charging capability, something that some cities and towns in the US, including Peachtree Corners, hope someday to capitalize upon, said Brandon Branham, city CTO.
The value of zero emissions goals is important even if they are not entirely achievable, Volpe told OEM executives and reporters at the unveiling event. He admitted he was not confident that the US can reach a requirement that two-thirds of all vehicles sold in 2032 be electric. The Biden administration is expected to announce the requirement this week.
Even if the EPA requirement cannot be achieved, “we need to embrace that challenge,” Volpe said. Part of the APMA’s tour of Project Arrow in US cities is to further US-Canadian cooperation on producing more EVs to counter a lead by Chinese automakers. Canadian consular officials working in Georgia and other states also were on hand for Tuesday’s unveiling event.
China processes 80% of the world’s rare earth materials, including those used in EV batteries and other components, but Volpe argued Canadian rare earth mining with US-based capital could make North America more competitive in providing vital supplies needed to accelerate EV output.
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