With the future of the auto industry being in electric and autonomous vehicles, the founders of the new auto mobility firm Ettractive have chosen to locate in the Windsor area where they feel an important part of that future will be crafted.
The company is the creation of a merger between Troy EV Consulting Inc. and Dorle Controls.
“Retrofitting (gas-powered vehicles to electric) and the development of new software for commercial vehicles will be the target of everything we do,” said Ettractive co-founder and chief technical officer Pat Troy.
Windsor is amazing right now
“We’re going to have a commercial focus because that provides the best return of investment, but also makes the biggest impact on reducing emissions.
“Internally we’re going to be developing algorithms and software to support driver assistance features such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping.”
Troy and co-founder Viren Singh (Dorle Controls), who is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, have about two decades apiece worth of experience in the automotive sector.
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“Our customers are the (Detroit) Big Three, the last-mile or end users with fleets and the off-highway sector of forestry, agriculture and mining,” said Troy, who has worked for FCA USA and Roush Performance in Michigan before launching Troy Consulting in early 2020.
“I believe, being surrounded by a river and two lakes, there’s also a marine opportunity
“We have clients as far away as southeast Asia.”
Troy said the firm chose the Windsor area to plant its roots because of the blossoming auto mobility ecosystem, ease of conducting business and accessing partners and the strong small business supports provided through organizations like Invest WindsorEssex.
“Windsor is amazing right now,” Troy said. “We’re situated close to the border and the Detroit OEMs.
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“We’re surrounded by talent and quality companies that can make anything we need. St. Clair College and the University of Windsor really want to work with industry and they’re also a talent pipeline.
“The immigration situation in Canada was also important to us. We can draw the best talent from around the world here.”
The company opened its doors in March with three employees, but will get going in earnest with a project beginning next month that will require a doubling of staff.
The project involves the integration of autonomous vehicle features involving the electric systems and dashboard controls for passenger vehicles.
By the end of its first year, Troy expects to have about 20 employees at the 7,700-square foot Oldcastle facility.
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Troy, who is a Carleton mechanical engineering graduate, said he’s worked exclusively in the electric vehicle space for the past eight years.
He’s overseen projects for Roush converting UPS vans from gas to electric along with Class 6 and 8 buses and trucks.
“What makes us a different than a lot of start-ups in the electric and autonomous vehicle space is we bring both the nuts and bolts of engine and powertrain development for the Detroit OEMs, knowledge of the quality pathway those OEMs require along with Dorle’s controls background to make it all work,” said Troy, who has called the area home while working stateside.
“A lot of the start ups came from an electronics and software background and didn’t have that core automotive experience necessary.”
While starting Ettractive during the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t the ideal scenario, Troy said the momentum in the auto industry toward electrification made the decision easy.
“Any industry building anything using a gas-engine is considering electrification,” Troy said. “That shift has taken place in the last 12 to 18 months.
“The longer we waited, the companies that would be our customers would’ve gone to our competitors.”
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