The luxury manufacturer highlights the crucial contribution of EV technicians in Malaysia’s rapid adoption of electric cars in their most recent sustainability film, which reveals the inspiring tales of the individuals behind the BMW Group’s most stringent certification. The BMW High Voltage Expert (HVE) Certification course highlights the highly qualified professionals of BMW Group Malaysia who specialise in electric mobility. The globally acclaimed project to advance the local electric vehicle (EV) workforce in Malaysia is run by the BMW Group Regional Training Centre and is a first-of-its-kind initiative for the premium manufacturer outside of Munich, Germany.
Hans de Visser, Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia said, “At the BMW Group, we recognise that service and repair are important points of consideration for many customers of our EV portfolio, many of which have shared concerns with the lack of technical know-how in Malaysia that dampens their interest to make the switch to EVs. To ensure that our customers have greater peace of mind when it comes to the ownership of their electric vehicles, we took it upon ourselves to develop an extensive network of charging infrastructure nationwide and introduced the HVE certification here to also complement the uptake of electromobility in the past few years.”
He added, “Above all, it is the determination and passion shown by our High Voltage Experts that take this programme to greater heights – despite the level of difficulty and intensive training sessions that they must undergo to receive the certification. We hope these videos capture that spirit and goes on to inspire other local technicians to also upskill to meet the rising tide of electromobility in Malaysia.”
The latest video by BMW Group Malaysia aims to pivot traditionally held stereotypes of automotive technicians as blue-collared workers to one that recognises the high level of knowledge and technical skills required in the field of IT and electrical systems to excel in this profession. Careers in the automotive field, especially for technicians equipped with EV capabilities, is the future – and this is exemplified through the stories of three newly certified High Voltage Experts from the BMW dealership network, along with the highly-skilled trainers from the BMW Group Regional Training Centre.
The BMW High Voltage Expert is a specialised talent who works at the highest level on BMW electric vehicles. Conducted at the BMW Group Regional Training Centre in Malaysia, the programme that certifies a BMW High Voltage Expert allows for the servicing and repair of the most advanced BMW i vehicles worldwide.
In the same vein of developing the EV ecosystem in Malaysia, the premium automaker has also made over 1,000 charging facilities available in its network thus far. Access to over 400 of these facilities provided are through partnerships with ChargEV and Yinson Greentech, while the partnership with JomCharge enables access to over 100 charging facilities, Gentari with over 150 facilities as well as approximately 160 facilities from new partners such as Shell Recharge with ParkEasy, ChargeN’Go, ChargeSini, Go To-U and FlexiParking. Over 100 BMW i and MINI charging facilities are also available at most authorised dealerships, as well as partnering venues across the country, with more to come as part of the strategic infrastructure expansion plan set for the year ahead.
Part 1 of the video showcases what it takes to become a High Voltage Expert in Malaysia while Part 2 of the series demonstrates how BMW Group Malaysia is upskilling the local EV workforce and changing perceptions towards automotive technicians with the BMW High Voltage Expert certification programme.