BRP Inc., the Canadian manufacturer of recreational vehicles, has announced the inauguration of its first European Design and Innovation Centre in Sophia Antipolis, France. The new center, which will focus on advanced concept studies related to sustainable urban mobility, represents BRP’s commitment to design and innovation as a growth driver in the company’s global electrification strategy.
With its CSR25 program, BRP has pledged to offer electric models in each of its existing product lines and to have 50% of its units sold to be electric by 2035. The new Design and Innovation Centre in Sophia Antipolis will play a leading role in achieving this goal. This strategy has already been put into motion, as BRP plans to invest $300 million over five years to develop electric products, with the first product set to be released in the next two years, followed by a rapid roll-out across all product lines by the end of 2026.
In fact, in 2022, Can-Am, a subsidiary of BRP, unveiled the first two models of its all-electric motorcycle lineup, the Can-Am Origin and Can-Am Pulse, which showcased the company’s commitment to providing sustainable mobility options for consumers. With the launch of its new Design and Innovation Centre in Europe, BRP is poised to continue pushing the boundaries of design and innovation in the electric vehicle space, while also serving the needs of its customers and communities around the world.
“Design and innovation are at the heart of our strategy and our values. We will never stop pushing boundaries in order to offer consumers products that make their daily travels easier and allow them to explore new playgrounds,” said José Boisjoli, President and CEO of BRP.
The Design and Innovation Centre will enable BRP to attract the best design talent in the world to its creative teams, which already consist of over 130 experts from 19 different nationalities. The new team members, who will be rooted in the European ecosystem, will only stimulate creativity and help the company put all the power of design at the service of its consumers and communities on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We can transform industry paradigms thanks to the creativity generated by sharing ideas and the plurality of perspectives within our team,” said Denys Lapointe, Chief Design Officer at BRP.
The new Centre, located in the heart of a region recognized as a hub for green technology research, was made possible with the support of local institutional partners, including the Sophia Antipolis Agglomeration Community and the Team Côte D’Azur. In addition to its work on advanced concepts related to sustainable mobility, the team at the new Centre will also provide design services to internal BRP partners in Europe and Scandinavia.
The Centre’s team is made up of about 15 experts, including industrial designers, colors, materials, and finish specialists, as well as a clay modeler from various countries. Nicolas Deluy, with his bicontinental expertise, has been leading the team since December 2022.
BRP’s commitment to electric models is an important step in the company’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. With the new Design and Innovation Centre in Sophia Antipolis, BRP is taking another important step towards a sustainable future for urban mobility.
Source: BRP
