A warm welcome to our newest supporter, Hyundai Ventures of the Hyundai Motor Group

The Stanford Solar Car project would like to express our gratitude to Hyundai Ventures and Hyundai Motor Group for their new commitment to our work improving the efficiency and performance of our next vehicle, due to race in the October 2017 World Solar Challenge.

Hyundai Ventures, the US corporate venturing office for Hyundai Motor Group, focuses on promising startups in the US and parts of Europe. On occasion they also do proof-of-concept and prototyping projects. They’ve maintained a presence in Silicon Valley since 2011, and their location in the hub of innovation provides an environment ideally suited to their interests. Their interests span across any emerging technology and its impact on cars and trucks, personal well-being during travel, environmental sustainability, and manufacturing.

One of their interests is eco-friendly technologies for vehicles and manufacturing, of which Stanford Solar Car is an example taken to the extreme. We share the concerns of the industry at large, without the consumer driven focus, of creating both the safest and most efficient car we can – though admittedly for different purposes. Not only optimizing the performance of our individual solar cells, but also designing the most efficient array, and creating a body of the car that will be both light and strong.

We, too, focus on the importance of connection with the driver, and understanding that a car is not just a machine but a vehicle that must be intended to move someone. Even as the driver becomes less important to the mobility of the car, the purpose of transportation remains and Hyundai Ventures is interested in taking this into the next generation of vehicles with increased automation. While our drivers are rather cramped, we prioritize their safety and their focus as central to the success of our project, and do regular data analysis on their vital statistics to monitor the impacts of driving.

The Stanford Solar Car Project is excited to continue building our relationship with Hyundai Ventures over the next few years. Their ideals of innovation in the industry and their focus on the development of next-generation automotive technology make them an exciting partner. With their support we’ll be able to optimize some of the materials for our car, as well as improve the design and efficiency of certain aspects and test more in depth the functionality of array options.


Comments

One response to “A warm welcome to our newest supporter, Hyundai Ventures of the Hyundai Motor Group”

  1. Liz Hawkins Avatar
    Liz Hawkins

    Love the updates! Stanford Solar Car rocks! AND all the sponsors areSUPER !

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