NAPA Auto Care: XR Training Programs

NAPA Auto Care Programs

Matt Crumpton, director of auto care programs at NAPA Auto Parts, talked about his work with over 18,000 NAPA Auto Care centers in the U.S. during his DriveTime episode. He emphasized the immediate demand for ADAS training for technicians, along with extended reality tools designed for new aftermarket technologies.

ADAS and ROI

Crumpton noted ADAS as a rapidly growing and lucrative technology, surpassing even EVs due to vehicle saturation. He mentioned that many NAPA Auto Care centers have invested in ADAS and have seen a fast return on investment. According to Crumpton, one former council member reported that it now accounts for 20% of their business.

XR and AI Technologies

Crumpton also touched on extended reality training and the NAPA Autotech XcceleratoR program, which is recognized by ASE as a certification pathway. This program uses Skillmaker, an AI-powered extended reality (XR) platform, to address the skilled-labor shortage in the industry.

Crumpton stated that the XcceleratoR program can shorten technician training from years to weeks by using first-person immersive simulations combined with AI feedback.

Addressing Industry Challenges

Crumpton added that even if all technician positions were filled today, it would still take two to three years to fully train them. He believes the Autotech and XR program is a solution to this problem, helping to quickly fill those roles.

To learn more about Crumpton’s auto care and training initiatives, the full episode is available to watch.

Episode Overview

The episode includes discussions on:

Crumpton’s career and path to NAPA (1:10)
Auto Care programs for the 18,000+ NAPA Auto Care centers in the U.S. (2:35)
ADAS training for technicians and aftermarket service opportunities (5:04)
NAPA’s extended reality training (9:10)
Lightning Round (14:00)