2021 Automotive News Canada All-Stars

Four students at the Carleton School of Industrial Design in Ottawa aren’t specifically studying automotive design. But their darkhorse win in a contest to shape the look of Canada’s first all-Canadian zero-emission concept vehicle might push them into this career direction.

Kaj Hallgrimsson, Jun-Won Kim, Mina Morcos and Matthew Schuetz carried on their full-time studies while working after hours on the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association’s (APMA) Project Arrow competition. Hampered by COVID-19 restrictions, they traded ideas mostly via remote connections.

The team’s human-centred design approach put people’s needs first, including accessibility, in a vehicle that is meant to be not only a showpiece, but also practical. The team found inspiration in three Canadian values — freedom, stability and simplicity — and drew visual cues from both the polar bear and Canada’s bedrock.