What the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) and its members — with monetary backing from the federal, Ontario and Quebec governments — achieved was nothing wanting a miracle.
Think about what this group overcame.
APMA President Flavio Volpe introduced the venture simply weeks earlier than COVID-19 landed on our shores. The business shut down. Face-to-face conferences have been all however banned, in practically each business. Still, Project Arrow remained on course.
I can’t let you know the variety of occasions I requested Volpe: “Are you still on time? On budget?” The reply was at all times an unequivocal “yes.”
When the checklist of suppliers was made public, there have been two notable omissions: Magna International Inc. and Linamar Corp., the 2 greatest elements makers in Canada. Both have been on sibling publication Automotive News’ checklist of the highest 100 world suppliers. Two firms that might doubtless construct their very own electrical automobile.
Despite their bodily absence, they performed a task.
“Magna’s world-class EV platform launch, and Linamar’s pioneering powertrain and fuel-cell initiatives inspired us to pursue Project Arrow as a platform for suppliers who had advanced technologies but no vehicle to demonstrate them on,” Volpe instructed me. “Magna and Linamar lent extensive advice and guidance on this ambitious mission and they helped make it a working reality.”
Of course there are comparisons to the ill-fated Canadian-made Avro Arrow supersonic jet of the late Nineteen Fifties, which, fittingly, was additionally constructed by APMA members.
Volpe addressed that in a LinkedIn Post on Jan. 9.
“The spirit of what these superb Canadians did within the Nineteen Fifties conjures up us nonetheless. I’m not afraid of the way it ended, I do know its historical past. If it have been simple, there’d be nothing to speak about.
“I’m very proud that Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association members helped to build both.”
As he — and all of us — needs to be.
Source: canada.autonews.com