Canada Unveils Project Arrow EV Concept With 3D-Printed Chassis

Three years after announcing the ambition to build a brand-new electric vehicle, Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA) has unveiled a fully functional concept vehicle of its Project Arrow EV.

Developed to showcase of the skills and technologies available from Canadian suppliers, the Project Arrow has been unveiled in concept form at CES 2023 – on time, under budget, and with 97 percent homegrown content, according to APMA head Flavio Volpe.

The vehicle you see in the photos was designed by four students from Carleton University's School of Industrial Design and built at Ontario Tech University's vehicle engineering facility using components from nearly 60 suppliers, including from the critical minerals sector.

Financing for the project came from Canada's federal government and several province governments, which contributed a combined $8.2 million, Driving reports.

While there aren't that many available details on the electric crossover, the powertrain consists of an 82.5-kWh lithium-ion battery offering a range of around 310 miles (500 kilometers), thanks in part to assistance from the solar-cell roof panel.

The battery powers two electric motors – one on each axle for all-wheel-drive capability – with a combined output of 550 horsepower. This setup enables the Project Arrow EV to sprint from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. APMA also mentioned the EV features Level 3 autonomy as well as a smart cockpit and cybersecurity tech.

The association has no plans at the moment to build another prototype, and won't put the existing one through crash testing either. Mind you, the crossover was engineered to meet Canada's safety regulations for road legality with commercially ready parts that can be built in quantity on an assembly line.

At this stage, APMA does not have plans to put the Project Arrow into production. The vehicle is first and foremost a showcase for Canadian parts suppliers who want to sell real parts to automakers.

"Anybody who is considering Canada for electric vehicle assembly, number one we have all the components here, and Project Arrow shows it to you without giving you theoretical BS. Number two, it says we have all the technical know-how and people required to do this successfully."

Flavio Volpe, APMA president
Most notably, the Project Arrow features a 3D-printed composite chassis made by Xaba, a Toronto-based software, engineering, and robotics startup. Using specially constructed composites from Dartmouth-based Meta Materials, Xaba's Intelligent Machine 3D-printed the entire chassis (see details in the video below).

Following the world debut at CES 2023, the Project Arrow EV concept will make appearances at the Detroit, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal auto shows this year, in addition to visits to various OEMs to demonstrate its technology.