Audi Trains Dealers to Handle Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Audi is making efforts to train its worldwide personnel on how to deal with hybrid and electric vehicles, with the automaker’s trainers at the Service Training Centers in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany) currently offering know how to German dealerships and importers for the international markets to handle cars that use high-voltage electric systems.

The German automotive producer is looking to offer service facilities from all over the world the technical savoir faire before the electric and hybrid vehicles arrive in the company’s dealerships.

“When it comes to new technologies like hybrid and electric vehicles, it is important that we address the customers’ fear of the new in a timely and sensitive manner,” explains Bernd Hoffmann, Head of After Sales and Genuine Parts at Audi. "We are currently preparing roughly 250 international technical trainers and product support specialists for electric mobility. The goal of the Audi service training program is to ensure comprehensive service expertise in all markets.”

Audi uses the “train the trainer” principle, qualifying its mechanics and mechatronics specialists in order for them to cover any new servicing need that customers might have.

The German automaker uses a special facility for the job. Here’s how the company describes this: “The Audi Service Training Center has been located at a satellite site in Heilbronn-Biberach since 2009. Participants receive both theoretical and practical instruction at the 5,400 square meter (58,000 sq ft) facility. Audi offers a total of 80 training modules in 14 qualification programs at its training sites.”