Electric vehicles, connected and self-driving cars are the next trend to hit Canadian roads. General Motors Canada is looking to embrace this wave and has announced that it will open an “innovation research zone” in the Waterloo Region.
GM Canada will initially focus on “urban mobility, car sharing and mobile app innovation.” While the official date of opening is yet to be announced, the research zone will be located within the Communitech Hub.
GM Canada is also donating $1 million to the University of Waterloo to research advanced materials, and will sponsor projects specifically for engineering students developing software to advance the connected car.
“No company, country or government owns this space, but we see that Canada has distinct advantages in mobile technology, engineering skills, applied research and a strong automotive history,” said Stephen Carlisle, GM Canada President and Managing Director.
“As Canada prepares to invest billions in much-needed urban transportation infrastructure, we need to understand how new automotive technologies and urban mobility approaches can increase infrastructure ROI, accelerate environmental benefits and anchor new, high-skilled Canadian jobs at the forefront of a new automotive innovation supply chain.”
Earlier this year, GM announced plans to bring “Active Phone Cooling” feature — which helps cool down your smartphone so it doesn’t overheat — to several 2016 models, including the Chevrolet Volt, Impala, Malibu, and Cruze.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
