VOLKSWAGEN SOUTH Africa is accelerating automotive skills training in the province through the donation of eight high-tech vehicles worth R1,5-million to educational institutions. The vehicles will be used for the training of vehicle mechanics and engineering students in the Nelson Mandela Metro. Volkswagen communications manager Matt Gennrich says the future of the automobile lies in electronics technology. All the vehicles supplied by VW use new-generation electronics. “We believe that it is important that learners are introduced to cutting edge technology as early as possible in their education so that they can have a better understanding of what will be required in the future," he said. He added that Autotronics, a vehicle electronics course offered at the Port Elizabeth Technikon would be one of the most important beneficiaries of the donation. The cars are worth a combined R1,5m. They will not be registered for use on public roads, but will be used purely for training purposes. Volkswagen is a world leader in diesel and other automobile technology, and has won South Africa's Car of the Year Award for the past two years with diesel vehicles. The biggest and most powerful production diesel engine in the world, the V10 TDI also belongs to Volkswagen.