To enable retail partners and Volvo Cars employees to access industry-leading training, the OEM opened new Volvo Car University and Volvo Car South Carolina Technical Center buildings at the company’s Ridgeville, South Carolina campus.
The opening comes on the heels of the announcement earlier this month that Volvo Cars will invest $ 118 million to produce the fully electric Polestar-3 at its South Carolina plant under contract for Polestar Cars. The Polestar-3 is the third vehicle scheduled to be built at the plant, joining the Volvo S60 luxury sedan and the next generation of electrified Volvo cars.
The Volvo Car University team has also created a leadership training programme with the Yale School of Management. The University will play an instrumental role in preparing Volvo Cars retail partners for the switch to full product electrification, which ramped up last year with the fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge launch.
With the Volvo Car South Carolina Technical Center, the company adds new research and development capabilities for its Americas Region workforce to educate retailer technicians on the latest vehicle technologies, including electrified powertrains. The centre includes a 23,000 square foot facility encompassing a Training Academy, Methods Workshop and Technical Material Analysis.
The University campus will become a Volvo Cars Center of Excellence for sustainability in the Americas and with a recent LEED (Gold) certification for the Campus, the company’s Ridgeville footprint moves closer to being a climate neutral operation by 2025.