NAIMA concludes hybrid vehicle training in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: A technical training programme on mechanics, safety and maintenance of hybrid vehicles, organised in Kathmandu in coordination with the Nepal Automobile Importers and Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), has concluded.

The programme was held at NAIMA’s central office with technical support from United Traders Syndicate (UTS), the official distributor of Toyota vehicles in Nepal, and was attended by more than 25 participants, including fifth-semester diploma students from the Balaju School of Engineering and Technology (BSET) under the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and traffic drivers.

Participants gained significant knowledge and practical skills regarding the mechanics, safety and maintenance of hybrid vehicles. Instruction on hybrid vehicles was provided by technical experts from Toyota, while a three-day training on electric vehicle (EV) systems was conducted by technical experts from Laxmi Hyundai, giving participants fundamental and practical knowledge and skills in both technologies.

Last month, in Chaitra, participants also took part in a three-day training on EV systems held at Laxmi Hyundai and attended the NAIMA Mobility Sambaad programme focused on hybrid vehicle systems to gain further information on policy and technical matters. NAIMA said efforts have been made to enhance the overall technical capacity of participants by connecting knowledge from electric to hybrid technology in a phased manner.

During the programme, NAIMA Executive Director Raj Kumar Dulal expressed confidence that training programmes would be useful in enhancing technical education and the skills and capacity of students, and said such programmes would continue in the future based on demand and available resources.

Speaking at the opening session, Khushi Ram Adhikari, Deputy Director of CTEVT, stated that priority would be given to including hybrid vehicle subjects in the curriculum and that the necessary processes would be taken forward. Adhikari also noted that the relevance of such vehicles is increasing given Nepal’s diverse geographical conditions.

BSET Vice-Principal Pradip Neupane expressed appreciation for NAIMA’s efforts and said cooperation between the auto industry and technical education should be further strengthened to produce skilled manpower. Neupane added that the recently completed three-day training on EVs was very useful for students in understanding the practical aspects of their learning.

Speaking at the closing session, Suryansh Vaidya, Director of Vaidya’s Organization of Industry and Trading Houses (VOITH), said he was confident that such practical and useful training would support the professional development of participants and encourage innovation. Mentioning hybrid vehicles as advanced technology, Vaidya stated that the development of technical knowledge and skills relating to them is all the more essential.

NAIMA has been pursuing such initiatives for the development of the automotive and mobility sector by prioritising capacity building and technical dialogue through its technical committees and secretariat.