BMW's plan to accelerate into electrification is triggering investment in U.S. technician training centers.
BMW expects to have 25 electrified models on the road by 2023, two years earlier than it previously planned. To meet the new plan in the U.S., the luxury automaker is investing $56 million in support centers.
BMW has announced the opening of two technician training centers, in Spartanburg, S.C., and Atlanta, and the expansion of two others, in Woodcliff Lake, N.J., and Ontario, Calif., to train service techs to work on electrified drivetrains and a constantly evolving suite of technologies emerging in modern vehicles.
The centers will require technicians to tackle the newest iterations of driver assistance technologies, over-the-air communication systems and infotainment hardware, as well as software programming and engine mechanics, BMW's vice president of aftersales, Claus Eberhart, told Automotive News.
The expected demand will represent a new level of automotive skill recruitment in locations that are distant from industry engineering, r&d and manufacturing bases, Eberhart said.