UC Irvine Hosts Transportation Forum on Business and Mobility

The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine will host a Future of Transportation forum on November 4. The event, part of the Merage School’s Future Series, brings together Dean Ian O. Williamson, faculty members, and executives from Karma Automotive, Hyundai Motor Group, John Wayne Airport, and Caltrans. The gathering aims to connect business leaders, government officials, and students to discuss how mobility trends are altering corporate strategy in Southern California.

Electrification is changing the local business environment. Data from Experian Automotive, cited in the Orange County Auto Outlook, shows battery-electric vehicles made up 21.2% of new retail light-vehicle registrations in Orange County during the first nine months of 2026. This figure is lower than the 27.5% recorded a year earlier. Infrastructure is expanding to support the shift. A May 2026 analysis by Crosstown, using California Energy Commission data, identified 7,075 public EV charging ports in Orange County. More than 80% of county residents live within a 10-minute drive of a public DC fast charger. Fleet operators and property managers are now adapting their services to fit these new customer needs.

Automation and artificial intelligence are introducing new service models. Waymo currently provides fully autonomous rides in Los Angeles, marking the transition of robotaxi technology from demonstration to commercial reality. This shift raises questions for insurers, manufacturers, and IT companies about how to manage safety, software support, and customer trust. Businesses are evaluating whether transportation can become a component of production or service delivery rather than just a link between locations.

Network coordination is becoming a priority as the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games approach. LA28, the organization responsible for the Games, is working with Metro and Caltrans to manage an estimated 1 million extra regional trips per day. Metro is developing bus-priority corridors and pedestrian improvements, while Caltrans is building a Games Route Network. These efforts require alignment between public agencies and private businesses to ensure that employees, deliveries, and guests can move efficiently. The goal is to create resilient systems where a disruption in one part of the network does not halt the entire journey.

Sustainability and access are central to the planning. LA28 aims to be the cleanest Games in transportation history in the United States. Metro’s “Removing Barriers and Creating Legacy” program focuses on transportation equity, seeking to ensure that visitors with disabilities and lower-income workers can navigate the system. The forum will examine how these temporary improvements can become permanent fixtures in daily transportation.

The November 4 session will explore how these four shifts influence where companies invest, how they serve customers, and which partnerships they form. The conversation will extend beyond vehicles to include energy, property, and customer service ecosystems. Participants will discuss the business capabilities required to manage the evolving responsibilities of a connected and automated transportation network.