Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) 2018 Innovation Awards

TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2018;The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) announced today the winners of the 2018 Innovation Awards at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto.

The Best Green Innovation is awarded to:
Toyota for the Gas Injection Heat Pump System Design in the 2017/2018 Prius Prime.

Best Safety Innovation is awarded to:
Lexus for Safety System +.

Best Technical Innovation is awarded to Cadillac's
Super Cruise Technology.

"I call this our inaugural year, as we have taken what used to be called the Technology awards and made them broader reaching. We've even added a category, and this is now our opportunity to recognize the very best – and most innovative – examples of new automotive technology available to Canadian drivers," said Mark Richardson, President, Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.

The awards are judged by a panel of 9 automotive journalists who are all technology specialists. As a first step, they independently reviewed briefs on all entries submitted by Canada's automakers of their most innovative technologies. From that initial review, the jurors established a short list of finalists in each category. Then in early December, they convened for a day of presentations and questioning with manufacturers' representatives on each of the short-listed entries. The jurors then voted a second time by secret ballot.

As with the Canadian Car of the Year awards program, these votes were compiled and authenticated by the accounting firm of KPMG.

Finalists in the different categories were:

Best Green Innovation:

Chevrolet: Regen-on-Demand System (Chevrolet Bolt)
Lexus: Multi-stage hybrid system
Toyota: Gas Injection Heat Pump System Design

Best Safety Innovation:

Cadillac: Super Cruise Technology
FCA: eFlite Transmission – Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Volvo: S90 Hybrid Combined Powertrain

Best Technical Innovation:

GM: Vehicle to Vehicle (V2) Communications System
Honda: Cabin Talk and Watch (Honda Odyssey)
Lexus: Safety System +
Nissan: Pro Pilot Assist

ABOUT AJAC

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) is an association of professional journalists, writers, photographers, and corporate members whose focus is the automobile and the Canadian automotive industry. Collectively, our primary objectives are to promote, encourage, support, and facilitate professionalism in Canadian automotive journalism and to ensure factual and ethical reporting about the automobile and automotive issues to Canadian consumers. This is achieved through the work of our members and AJAC's annual vehicle testing and evaluation events, the Canadian Car of the Year Awards (CCOTY), Canadian Green Car of the Year Awards, Innovation Awards, and EcoRun.