Skip to main content

Automated vehicles coming to Ontario roads

Ontario, Canada, is supporting innovation in the transportation sector by launching the first automated vehicle (AV) pilot program in Canada, led by the University of Waterloo, the Erwin Hymer Group and BlackBerry QNX. The pilot brings together a range of expertise from the research, manufacturing and technology sectors to advance innovation and capability in Ontario's AV sector. The WATCar Project at the University of Waterloo's Centre for Automotive Research will monitor a Lincoln MKZ for performan
November 29, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Ontario, Canada, is supporting innovation in the transportation sector by launching the first automated vehicle (AV) pilot program in Canada, led by the University of Waterloo, the Erwin Hymer Group and BlackBerry QNX.

The pilot brings together a range of expertise from the research, manufacturing and technology sectors to advance innovation and capability in Ontario's AV sector.

The WATCar Project at the University of Waterloo's Centre for Automotive Research will monitor a Lincoln MKZ for performance and test it on-road at different levels of automation.

Auto manufacturer The Erwin Hymer Group will test and monitor a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van at different levels of automation.

Canadian software development specialist BlackBerry QNX will test a 2017 Lincoln with automated features.

In January 2016, Ontario became the first province in Canada to create a pilot regulatory framework to test automated vehicles on its roads. The pilot aims to help attract and enable research and development in Ontario in this emerging industry, positioning the province as a global leader in the AV market.

Related Content

  • Increased automation is already improving road safety
    April 20, 2017
    Richard Cuerden considers how many of the technologies developed as part of a move toward autonomous vehicles are already being deployed as ADAS improve road safety. The drive to create autonomous vehicles has caused a re-evaluation of what is needed to safely navigate today’s roads and the development of systems that can replace the driver in many scenarios. However, many manufacturers are not waiting for ‘tomorrow’ and are already incorporating these systems in their new cars as Advanced Driver Assistanc
  • Software is at heart of safe vehicle connectivity, says Qt Group
    September 15, 2023
    Connected vehicle safety isn’t just under threat from malicious actors exploiting code – it’s also about avoiding software faults that could result in harm to people, says Patrick Shelly of Qt Group
  • Capri dusts off virtual C/AV findings
    November 3, 2020
    Web-based museum includes unreleased autonomous vehicle trial footage and simulations
  • Heathrow’s Ultra Pod technology joins GATEway driverless car pilot
    January 29, 2016
    British companies Westfield Sportscars, Heathrow Enterprises and Oxbotica have joined the GATEway (Greenwich Automated Transport Environment) project in Greenwich and are currently developing driverless shuttles for operation in Greenwich in summer 2016. Using entirely British engineering and software capabilities, the new consortium members will be developing the existing UltraPods currently in service at Heathrow Airport into fully autonomous and electric passenger shuttles. Operating at Terminal 5 for ne