Read the full press release here.  All images courtesy Maurice Liang.

Journalists & Digital Creators from around Northern California have traveled to Santa Cruz to evaluate and vote on the Best of the Bay. Feel free to follow along on social media by searching the following hash tags - #WAJBestoftheBay #WAJBestoftheBay2024 #BestoftheBay

Autotech Science Fair - October 17th in Silicon Valley

On October 17th, global carmakers and automotive vendors sit side-by-side with tech companies, mobility investors, and startups to discover new technology at the Science Fair through exhibits, parking lot demos, and highly-selective MatchMaker introductions in Silicon Valley.

Technologies demos include AV and AI to SDV, UX, and mechatronics, plus 100s more – get your Expo Pass today:

https://autotech.cventevents.com/scifair24 - (free pass with code “WAJ”)

The board of directors of WAJ is pleased to invite our WAJ members and Industry partners to join us for the 2024 Best of the Bay media evaluation and drive.  This year's Bay Area’s premier auto writer’s event will take place in beautiful Santa Cruz, CA, a 30-minute drive south of the San Jose International Airport, October 14-16, 2024. 

We’ll be based at the coastal Dream Inn steps from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  In addition to road time, there will be great meals as well as photo and video opportunities.  Attendance and manufacturer participation will be limited.  We’ll be seeking a one-to-one driver to car ratio, so there will be seat time all day, every day. 

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

One of the premier automotive events of the year is the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.  Expect to see WAJ members taking in the cars and Pacific Ocean views.

On May 10 th , fellow automotive journalist and former WAJ president Tom Lankard succumbed to a lung illness. He is survived by his loving wife Ann Job, who also served on the WAJ board. Western Automotive Journalists played a supporting role in connecting two automotive journalists I fondly recall when the two announced their relationship and upcoming marriage during one of our events - they were as enraptured as teenagers. Tom’s writing included magazines and newspapers and Ann’s career as the Associated Press automotive reviewer. And both were elected to serve on the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury.

-- Brian Douglas, President Emeritus

(Read More)

1. Hyundai hydrogen powered trucks refueling at the world’s first hydrogen truck stop. Using hydrogen fuel for cargo work at the Port of Oakland is expected to pay huge dividends in pollution reduction in what is now a diesel dominated location.

2. WAJ members get a “behind the scenes” tour of the world’s first hydrogen truck stop, serving the port of Oakland. “Hydrogen is on the cusp of commercialization with heavy duty trucks,” CTE's Jamie Levin told WAJ members.

3. Matt Miyasato, First Element's Chief Public Policy & Programs Officer tells WAJ members that this hydrogen truck stop is “the first of many.”

4. In addition to the cab-over Hyundai fuel cell trucks that will be the first users of the station, fuel cell trucks from Nikola and Peterbilt (with a Cummins fuel cell) were at the launch event.  30 Hyundai trucks will use the True Zero refueling station and operate at the Port of Oakland. “We believe in hydrogen,” a Hyundai spokesperson told WAJ. “This is a down payment on the future.” 

Photos by Alex Stack / @smackerama

WAJ members were treated to a private tour of Electrify America's flagship charging station in San Francisco in February 2024. The tour featured Michael Rosenblatt, EA's new vice president of technology, walking WAJ attendees through the 20-charger indoor charging station on Harrison Street in San Francisco. Rosenblatt explained that the station was the company's first-of-its-kind indoor charging station, equipped with 20 DC fast chargers, two customer lounge areas, a conference room, vending machines and 24/7 security. When we were there on an early afternoon at the end of February, the chargers appeared to be in almost constant use.

Rosenblatt said San Francisco was chosen for this flagship station because of its high adoption rate of EVs and relative lack of charging facilities in many multi-unit residences. The electricity delivered to the station is 100% renewable, based on EA's Solar Glow 1 solar facility. EA has more than 250 stations with more than 1,090 chargers in California and more than 900 stations and 4,000 chargers in North America. Former SF colleague Octoavio Navarro, who now is in charge of technology, product and multicultural communications for EA, arranged the meeting.

Photos 1 & 2 - Cars charging at the new, flagship charging station

Photo 3 - Heather Durham interviewing Michael Rosenblatt, EA VP of Technology

Photo 4 - John and Sam Rosner interviewing a EA customer

WAJ Members attended the the preview of Nvidia’s latest chips. Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Hoang says they’ll enhance machine learning, and will help spread AI over multiple disciplines, including, of course, transportation.

Nvidia VP of Automotive Enterprise Worldwide Field Ops was one of the execs available to WAJ members. Vehicles to be displayed at GTC24, and presumably, which will benefit from the new chips, included the new Volvo EX90, Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class, Polestar 3, WeRide Robobus and Nuro R3 autonomous delivery vehicle.

As the floor space devoted to them at GTC24 suggests, vehicles, and autonomous driving in particular, are a huge market for Nvidia.

Photos by Heather Durham / @svtags

1. The GT4 in Race Livery, on display for WAJ Members at the Z-Garage in San Jose.

2. Nissan’s Dean Case and Z-Garage proprietor and California’s top Z-enthusiast Rob Fuller hosted WAJ for the GT4 preview.

3. Nissan Racing’s Greg Nelson shows off Nissan’s Nismo GT4, Nissan’s “Race car that’s for sale to the public.” Speeding ticket payments not included.

All images courtesy of Doug Berman