Like the rest of the automotive world, Volkswagen is preparing itself for an onslaught of electric vehicles and that means getting dealerships ready for curious customers. The automaker today announced the first major results of its nationwide Network Readiness Co-Op Program.
The $20 million investment will support its more than 600 dealerships around the United States and help transform them into “regional hubs of EV experience.” As ID.4 orders climb, the program will look to enhance customers’ access to better infrastructure, like upgraded service centers and high-capacity chargers.
The program is set to run until June 2022 but has already seen dealers install 23,490 kWh of charging capacity, train more than 1,260 EV service technicians, and train dedicated EV Specialists to help customers.
Volkswagen has also launched a dedicated EV Technician Retention Program in order to offer incentives to existing technicians who gain new skills. The program allows dealerships to reward technicians who gain individual certifications to enhance their EV skillsets with a retention bonus of up to $2,000 per year.
The automaker says that the ID.4 is one of its fastest-selling vehicles, with 15,000 already sold and more than 40,000 reservations since its market introduction in March 2021. Owners have already charged their ID.4s for more than 22 million miles at Electrify America stations, and that number only looks set to grow, as the automaker prepares to build EVs at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.
“Our dealership partners who bring their communities into electric vehicles, providing unmatched service and expertise,” said Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “We’re dedicated to fully support them in this journey. With nine out of ten Volkswagen ID.4 buyers identifying as first-time EV buyers, I’ve never been more confident that the electric future is driven by Volkswagen.”
