$6.7M supports next-generation automotive R&D

Sherbrooke, QC – A new project to develop a new hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) version of BRP’s Can-Am Spyder roadster is receiving $6.7 million in funding. The project is supported by the Automotive Partnership Canada (APC) initiative.

The Université de Sherbrooke will receive $6.7 million from the APC program for a $12.5-million R&D project to develop a hybrid version of BRP’s roadster – the only mass-production, on-road vehicle that is entirely designed and manufactured in Canada.

The project, which will be carried out by the Université de Sherbrooke in partnership with BRP, is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

“Canadian academic researchers are well suited to be at the leading edge when developing new technologies that contribute to a sustainable automotive industry,” said Dr Suzanne Fortier, president of NSERC. “In this project, researchers will be developing the next generation of HEV and creating environmentally conscious alternatives that will enhance Canada’s competitiveness.”

APC is a five-year, $145-million initiative to support collaborative R&D to drive the Canadian automotive industry to greater levels of innovation. Industrial partners play a key role in this initiative by providing both financial support and essential in-kind contributions to ensure the success of the research projects. Other recently funded APC research projects focus on addressing the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, developing natural gas and diesel engine technologies, and creating on-board storage and reusing waste thermal energy.