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Industry Experts Look Ahead 5-10 Years
and See “Many Choices, Difficult Decisions” 

4th Annual Future Cars - Future Technology Symposium Tuesday, January 24, 2012

*Will humans be driving the cars of the future?

*Which energy source will power those vehicles?

*Will buyers respond to technological innovation-- and pay the price for them?

Those and other subjects concerning the cars we will be driving in less than a decade will be topics for seminars, presentations and free-ranging discussions when the Western Automotive Journalists’ Future Cars - Future Technology Automotive Summit is presented at the Club Auto Sport, 521 Charcot Avenue, San Jose, California, on January 24, 2012.

The event--limited to accredited automotive journalists, educators, technology experts and others in the fields of design and marketing--will present a day-long schedule of viewing and driving cutting-edge cars, panel discussions hosted by recognized experts in the field, special presentations and candid conversations on the future of the automobile.

The plan for the day:
12 Noon - 3:15 PM Viewing and driving (for accredited journalists only) manufacturers’ vehicles and dialogues with those presenting their cars and technologies. Ride and drive vehicles include:

*Mitsubishi’s new “i” electric car with the highest-rated MPG in America.
*Honda Civic Natural Gas-powered GX, the 2012 Green Car of the Year.
*Honda Civic Hybrid, the hybrid with the highest re-sale value.
*Kia Optima Hybrid, an IIHS safety pick and the lowest-cost mid-size hybrid.
*VW Passat TDI
*Additional ride and drive vehicles to be announced.

3:30-4:30 PM “Man vs. Machine.” Will we surrender this special privilege to automation and technology? The discussion will feature:

*Dr. Sven Beiker, Executive Director, Center for Automotive Research, Stanford University, one of the leaders in autonomous driving.
*Aaron Robinson, Technology Editor of Car & Driver Magazine, who drives and writes about cars for a living.

5:00-6:00 PM “Future Cars-Future Technology.” A panel discussion, moderated by Dennis Simanaitis, Engineering Editor, Road & Track Magazine. Participants in the panel include:

*David Patterson, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Emissions/Fuel Economy Compliance and EV Visionary, Mitsubishi.
*Bill Reinert, Toyota’s Advanced Technology guru and one of the leaders
behind Toyota’s hybrid program and its effort to sell fuel cell vehicles starting in 2015.
*Additional speakers to be announced as they are confirmed.

6:30-8:30 PM A buffet dinner will be offered with a keynote speaker discussing where the automobile is headed in the decades to come, and what new technologies, propulsion systems and fuels to expect.

8:30-9:00 PM WAJ Board Member Michael Coates will moderate a question and answer discussion with the keynote speaker and those attending.

Reservations may be made at the Western Automotive Journalists’ website www.waj.org by January l9. Registration and dinner fees are:

Western Automotive Journalists: $30 advance reservation, $40 at the door.
Invited guests: $35 advance reservation, $45 at the door.

Future Cars-Future Technology is presented by the Western Automotive Journalists’ (WAJ) association, representing professional automotive writers, editors, photographers, authors and artists in the western United States. WAJ is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal is to provide a forum for automotive journalists, industry leaders and WAJ members to share knowledge about significant trends affecting the industry. For reservations: www.waj.org. Press information: Ron Wren 415-433-1040 or 415-706-8717 cell. Ronwren@sbcglobal.net

 

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