Electric SUV Completed With 3D-Printing : Project Arrow, Canada’s Big Leap
Project Arrow is a fully functional 3D-printed electric car chassis, unveiled at the 2023 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA).
The car features an 82.5-kWh lithium-ion battery powering two motors, providing all-wheel drive, with an estimated 550 horsepower output, a race to 62 miles per hour projected to take 3.5 seconds, and an estimated range figure of 310 miles.
Project Arrow has no plans for mass production but serves as a showcase for the suppliers who intend to sell real parts to automakers, demonstrating the technical know-how and people required to make electric vehicles in Canada successfully.
Xaba, a Toronto-based software, engineering, and robotics startup, constructed the 3D-printed composite chassis using specially constructed composites from Dartmouth-based Meta Materials.
The technology used is capable of being used for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, deicing, defogging, and other automotive applications.
Flavio Volpe, the head of APMA, stated that he would like to see the crossover updated with new versions as new technologies are ready for the market.
Project Arrow is engineered to meet Canada's safety regulations for road legality with commercially ready parts that can be built in quantity on an assembly line.
The APMA worked with 50 suppliers, but 200 raised their hands. "In the end, we're building one car," Volpe said, "we probably could have built four."
Project Arrow could be the game-changer for Canadian car parts suppliers in the new era of electric cars, as it serves as a demonstration of the technical know-how and people required to make electric vehicles in Canada successfully.
MORE STORIES