Ontario training center to prepare technicians for Nissan's Leaf
Nissan North America plans to launch its first all-electric vehicle by the end of the year, and a facility in Ontario will be responsible for showing technicians how the electric newcomer works.
In the weeks before the Nissan Leaf hits public roads in December, the automaker's technicians will gather in a new Ontario training center to learn about the vehicle's all-new, sophisticated systems, said Paul Mathias, technical training manager.
"The West Coast is the primary launching point of the new Leaf in December," he said. "Technicians will receive in-depth training of the overall features of the vehicle and how to service the lithium battery."
Technicians will come to the Ontario Training Center, which opened last month, for a four-day course on the electric car, he said.
It is one of two new technical centers that Nissan has opened in the western U.S. , he said.
The Leaf is expected to be launched in specialized markets which include Southern California, Tennessee and the cities of Portland and Seattle, Mathias said.
The $2 million facility includes multiple classrooms, a component repair area, a vehicle demonstration area featuring wheel service and alignment stations, 25 service bays, and 14 vehicle lifts, Mathias said.
A total of nine other centers support Nissan and Infiniti's total of more than 1,300 retail locations and 9,000 technicians nationwide, Mathias said.
"The training center is there to ensure a quality ownership experience for our customers," Mathias said. "Having personnel well-trained is a way of achieving that goal."
Nissan opted to relocate its training facility from Costa Mesa to Ontario because of Ontario's proximity to travel resources, Mathias said.
"It's centrally located to support our dealership in this western region," he said, referring to markets such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Nevada and Arizona.
"This is a central location, there is a local airport, freeway access and also supported by good restaurants and lodging," he said.
In addition, the training center will offer core curriculum courses, covering topics such as heating and cooling systems, on-board diagnostics and emissions, he said.
While the facility only has five full-time employees, nearly 100 Nissan technicians will receive training every month, Mathias said.
That means a boost to the local economy, said Charla Lenarth, director of operations for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Lenarth said she has already referred officials at the training facility to several local restaurants and hotels for the technicians during their training.
"Their relocation is incredibly important for this economy," she said. "We're really happy and we welcome them with open arms."
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| Liset Márquez has covered the city of Ontario for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin since 2008. She started the OntarioNow blog in August 2008. To contact Liset, leave a comment on this blog or send an e-mail to Liset Marquez |
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