An unconventional electrical car prototype, with suicide doorways splayed open and an unfamiliar badge emblazoned on the hood, made its world debut at CES in Las Vegas Jan. 5.

Constructed not by an automaker however by a commerce affiliation, Challenge Arrow is the eye-catching end result of three years of collaborative work by practically 60 Canadian elements suppliers. It would function a rolling showpiece for the nation’s automotive know-how, based on the Automotive Components Producers’ Affiliation (APMA), the driving pressure behind the challenge.

“The prime minister dared us to think about Canada’s web zero mobility future and the premier of Ontario challenged us to construct it. Immediately … we reveal Challenge Arrow to the world, with 25 new applied sciences,” APMA President Flavio Volpe stated in a launch.

With a single exception, each part on the driveable, four-seat crossover SUV was in-built Canada.

Suppliers embody Quebec wheel producer Fastco Canada; speakerless audio system supplier Bongiovi Acoustic Labs; and battery provider VoltaXplore, a three way partnership between Martinrea Worldwide Inc. and graphene firm NanoXplore.

A collection of expertise suppliers, akin to software program invoice of supplies firm Cybeats Applied sciences Inc. and cybersecurity corporations Akimbo and Autocrypt are additionally represented.

Challenge Arrow contains 4 radar, two lidar and 5 cameras. The suite of sensors, backed by expertise from Quebec-based Leddartech, allow the car to realize Stage 3 autonomous driving.

The practically 5 dozen suppliers to see their merchandise on the assembled prototype come from a pool of 534 firms that initially expressed curiosity in taking part in Challenge Arrow. Volpe stated the APMA certified 230 of the unique listing as able to delivering, however the commerce affiliation couldn’t embody all of them.

99.9% ALL CANADIAN

The only non-Canadian half on the Arrow is the car’s in-cab touchscreen, which was constructed by China-based Lenovo. An exhaustive search, Volpe stated, concluded that no display producers function in Canada.

Challenge Arrow, which takes its identify from the ill-fated Canadian-made Avro Arrow supersonic jet of the late Nineteen Fifties, is constructed to 2025 mannequin yr motorized vehicle security specs. The APMA stated the collaborative initiative was the “greatest industrial collaboration challenge in Canadian automotive historical past.”

The commerce affiliation has not disclosed the entire value of the challenge, however the federal authorities and two provinces helped carry the challenge to life. Ottawa awarded the APMA $5 million for work on the car by way of FedDev Ontario; the Ontario authorities granted the commerce affiliation $1.8 million in backing; and the federal government of Quebec dedicated $1.4 million to instantly help a number of Quebec-based firms concerned within the challenge.

The revealing at CES follows a delicate launch for suppliers and different key companions in Markham, Ont. Dec. 20.

On the occasion, Volpe informed Automotive Information Canada that Challenge Arrow’s predominant function is to offer the progressive parts and software program firms a platform to spotlight their automotive experience. In the end, he stated he needs to see “each certainly one of these firms to get enterprise instantly from this showcase.”

CES ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’

The Las Vegas commerce present, meantime, is simply the primary cease on the Canadian idea car’s world tour.

“CES is the start,” Volpe stated. “That is going to be on a two-year tour — auto exhibits, tech demonstration centres, but in addition direct visits to OEMs.”

Whereas drumming up enterprise for suppliers has at all times been the primary purpose of Challenge Arrow, Volpe stated all through the three-year design and construct course of that the APMA has fielded calls from unnamed automotive gamers keen on taking the idea into manufacturing. Volpe admits it will require a backer with “deep pockets,” however refuses to rule out constructing a couple of Arrow.

“If somebody makes a guess on it, and that could be a sustainable guess, we’d work with them,” he stated.

This report might be up to date with images from Las Vegas.

Under is a video of a tightly guarded reveal that occurred in December for suppliers and politicians: