MONTREAL—Canadian companies could be serious contenders in the global self-driving vehicle race, experts have suggested after Magna International Inc. fielded the country’s latest entry with the debut of the auto part giant’s own autonomous technology.
Toronto-area auto parts supplier Magna launched its Max4 Autonomous Driving Platform last week into a market that is gaining interest from most major automakers, as well as technology firms such as Google, Apple, and Intel. Magna’s addition to the race focuses on making the technology components that drive autonomous vehicles nearly invisible.
While most of the innovations in this emerging sector are coming out of Europe, the United States, and Japan, Canada’s contributions put the country’s entrants—including former tech darling Blackberry Ltd.—in a strong position to win a slice of the global market, said Paul Godsmark, chief technology officer for the Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence.
