The Arrow Returns: A Made-in-Canada Car With a Second Chance at Sovereignty
The story of a concept vehicle that carries more than parts and panels — it carries the weight of a nation’s potential.
Two Arrows, One Country
In 1959, Canada destroyed the most advanced jet it had ever built.
The Avro Arrow was a Cold War marvel — faster than its rivals, entirely Canadian-made, and decades ahead of its time. But under political pressure and increasing U.S. defence integration, the program was abruptly cancelled. The prototypes were scrapped. The blueprints burned. Thousands of highly skilled engineers were scattered across the globe. And Canada quietly stepped back from building for itself.
More than sixty years later, a new Arrow has emerged — not a jet, but a vehicle. Not for war, but for survival.
This time, the Arrow is an electric car.
Built with 97% Canadian components and designed to conquer brutal winters, it’s not just a showcase of innovation. It’s a declaration of industrial sovereignty in a world shaken by geopolitical shocks, supply chain collapse, and climate crisis.
What does this car mean? Why does it matter if it’s never sold? And how does it connect to the country we could’ve become — and still might?
Let’s take a closer look at what it means to build something again.
This Arrow is Different
The Arrow EV, built by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA) under the leadership of Flavio Volpe, is a concept vehicle made almost entirely from Canadian components. It isn't for sale, and it may never enter full production. But like its namesake, it isn’t just a machine. It’s a message.
As Volpe puts it, “We have all the components here, and Project Arrow shows it to you without any theoretical BS.” The project is proof that Canada still has the people, the skills, and the grit to build something complex, beautiful, and bold — from scratch.
This Arrow isn't designed to compete with Tesla or Hyundai. It's a rolling demonstration of what Canadian innovation looks like when it collaborates, coordinates, and commits. From drivetrain to cybersecurity stack, nearly every part comes from a Canadian company, academic lab, or engineering firm. Only 3% comes from elsewhere.
It’s a declaration: we can still build here. We still have the capacity to lead.
And by naming it Arrow, its creators are reminding us exactly what we lost — and what we might get right this time.
A Do-Over Moment
The original Arrow was cancelled despite being operational.
This new Arrow has been built in a different world — one defined by global competition for battery supply chains, the breakdown of just-in-time manufacturing, and an international race to dominate the EV future.
Canada is finally getting serious. Battery plants are breaking ground. Rare earth strategies are in motion. But we still risk falling into old habits: waiting for others to lead, then settling for branch plant status.
The first $20 million invested in the Arrow EV has already yielded over $500 million in contracts for a collective of 60 Canadian companies. That’s not just ROI — it’s proof of concept.
This time, we have a chance to assert full-spectrum capacity: not just extracting raw materials, but designing, testing, building, and branding technology that survives here — and thrives elsewhere.
Built for Here, Ready for Anywhere
Canada is one of the toughest EV markets on earth.
Vast geography. Long distances. Icy winters. Rural charging deserts. Most EVs are optimized for city driving, mild weather, and dense infrastructure. Not ours.
If the Arrow 2.0 can survive and perform in real-world Canadian conditions, it won’t just prove domestic viability — it will prove global potential in niche markets where ruggedness, reliability, and durability matter most.
It’s the same principle that drove early motorsports innovation: prototype cars tested to their limits on dangerous mountain passes in Italy and Germany. The ones that survived shaped global production standards.
The Arrow EV can do the same — but only if we treat it not as a one-off science fair project, but as a strategic asset.
What We Gain If We Follow Through
If Canada acts decisively — beyond the prototype — the Arrow could:
Strengthen our domestic EV supply chain from mine to motor
Develop a next-gen cleantech brand rooted in actual performance
Build global export capacity in mid-sized manufacturing
Reduce dependency on foreign systems
Reinforce national pride through real capability, not slogans
We’ve done it before. The Arrow EV proves we still can.
But it will take more than optimism. It takes procurement strategy, political courage, and public imagination.
As Volpe cautions, “Through Project Arrow we will prove that we can land on the moon. But it is not for APMA to colonize it.” Their mission was to prove feasibility — now it’s up to others to carry it forward.
In Volpe’s words: “We have five years of design and engineering work for anyone who wants to take a shot at it.” Right now, the team is using that foundation to build a small test fleet — a collection of real-world vehicles designed for the uniquely Canadian challenge of terrain, distance, and cold. If they succeed, the world will be watching.
And as former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said during the EU–Canada clean energy partnership:
“We can’t afford to remain merely resource suppliers or branch plants in the clean economy. Canada must lead — and that means building.”
Lessons Remembered, Not Repeated
The first Arrow was dismantled to preserve geopolitical alignment. Canada chose to align with American defence priorities rather than assert its own path.
The result? We became a purchaser, not a producer.
The Arrow EV doesn’t need to become a mass-market car. But it must be more than a museum piece. Its value lies in what it reveals: that we can still build for ourselves — if we choose to.
We don’t have to build everything. But we do have to build something.
Let this Arrow fly.
For readers interested in the long essay on the Arrow 2.0 it is available on the main Between the Lines website: Project Arrow: Canada’s Automotive Moonshot and a Test of True Grit
If you ever want to show support, you can Buy me a Coffee! No pressure — your presence is already appreciated.
💬 If this gave you something to think about, tap the 💚 or drop a comment below.
This car, should it come to market with all it promises for rural people (range, cold tolerance) goes a good way to addressing my concerns about EVs in that they simply aren’t reasonable for my life today.