The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) officially revealed the winners of its Automotive Innovation Awards for 2022 this month.
“Our jurors assess the nominated technologies through a comprehensive assessment and analysis process and submit their selections by secret ballot to ensure complete objectivity,” said AJAC President Stephanie Wallcraft.
Nominations for the awards were made by AJAC members and the finalists were selected in each of the three categories. OEM finalists virtually presented their technology to a panel of 10 judges, which included journalists in Canada who regularly cover automotive technologies.
The winners of the awards are as follows:
For Best Safety Innovation: the 2022 Genesis GV70 and its Radar-based Rear Occupant Alert.
AJAC said “speed of detection is key to reducing risk,” which is why the Genesis radar-based rear occupant alert system won in this category.
For Best Green Innovation: the 2022 Toyota Mirai and its Fuel-Cell Powertrain
AJAC said hydrogen fuel presents an alternate solution for reducing carbon emissions, which is why the Toyota Mirai’s fuel-cell powertrain won in this category.
For Best Technical Innovation: the 2022 Genesis GV70 and its In-Vehicle Fingerprint Reader.
The in-vehicle fingerprint reader won for its personalization ability, but also because Valet mode is enabled by the sensor, which allows the driver to lock his or her data away when necessary.
“AJAC jurors recognized this new technology for its usefulness and future potential, such as keyless vehicle start-up and in-car payments for fuel, charging stations or even the fast food drive through,” said the association in a news release.
For these reasons, the Genesis in-vehicle fingerprint reader was selected as AJAC’s Best New Innovation for 2022.
