OREANDA-NEWS. December 03, 2015. Hyundai Motor America and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Irvine, have developed a new seminar series on advancements in transportation. Master’s and Ph.D. students at the university will hear from innovation leaders at Hyundai and share insights from the school’s forward-thinking transportation research.

“This new relationship allows Hyundai to both share its industry knowledge and help inspire the future leaders of the transportation industry,” said Mircea Gradu, Ph.D., director, Engineering and Quality, Hyundai Motor America. “UC Irvine is right in Hyundai’s backyard and presents a great opportunity for us to connect with students while leading thought-provoking discussions on a range of important transportation topics.”

Hyundai executives will lead talks on a variety of subjects, including alternative energy vehicle infrastructure, advanced diagnostic tools, active vehicle safety systems, dealer stock management, delivery logistics and forecasting technologies. The series is scheduled to begin Thursday, Dec. 3 and will continue with two lectures planned for each quarter.

“We are delighted to partner with Hyundai in this new initiative,” said Professor Stephen Ritchie, Director of UC Irvine’s Institute of Transportation Studies. “Learning more about cutting-edge industry innovations will be invaluable for our graduate students, who represent the next generation of transportation leaders. Exciting new insights and synergies will result, for the benefit of all.”

The first talk will be on fuel cell refueling stations and PHEV/EV charging stations. This is an important area of focus for Hyundai, as its Tucson Fuel Cell is the first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle available for consumers today, and the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid leads its class with 27 miles of all-electric range.