#ExploreŠkoda Podcast

Mladá Boleslav, 13 December 2024 – Škoda Auto has officially launched series production of its new Škoda Kylaq at the Pune manufacturing plant. The SUV celebrated its world premiere in early November in Mumbai, with the first deliveries to local customers scheduled for January 2025. The new Kylaq, which is the third vehicle from Škoda to be both developed and produced locally, targets the highly popular sub-4-metre SUV market. It is also the first model in India with elements of Škoda’s new Modern Solid design language. The car is equipped with an efficient yet powerful 1.0 TSI engine and more than 25 standard active and passive safety features. Supporting the new model’s production launch, Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (ŠAVWIPL) has increased the Pune plant’s capacity by 30% to reach an annual output of 255,000 vehicles.

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Mladá Boleslav, 10 December 2024 – Engines have been developed and manufactured in Mladá Boleslav for 125 years, making Škoda one of the world’s longest-standing powertrain producers. The company is celebrating this significant milestone with the five-millionth engine in the EA 211 series. Since 1899, more than 15 million engines have been produced, including technically outstanding units like the first inline eight-cylinder engine in Central Europe (1907), pressure-cast aluminium block engines in the one-litre class (1964), and modern MPI and TSI powertrains. Škoda’s expertise in engine production is further underscored by the Volkswagen Group’s decision to entrust the brand with the development of petrol engines up to 1.6 litres for the entire Group.

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This month - the days are getting shorter, the nights are closing in, and the thermometer is falling…Driving is always tougher in winter, and you’d think that counts double for driving an electric - or does it?

In a few minutes we’ll be talking to Domhnall Dodds, an Enyaq driver - and EV Lounge member - from the snow-crested glens of Bonnie Scotland - well he’s actually just outside Edinburgh - to hear all about his winter charging regime.

But before we do that - let’s talk a bit more in depth about the science of winter charging.

In the summer it’s a no-brainer: you plug in the cable without a thought for the battery temperature. In winter, however, just how cold it is outside starts to play an important role in how long you need to spend charging your car.

So we wanted to explain very briefly exactly what’s going on inside the battery in winter, and also give you some tips on how to get the most out of it - and of course answer some of the questions from EV Lounge members. And for all of that I sat down with Oliver Manicke, Head of Energy Systems at Škoda Auto.

Mladá Boleslav, 4 December 2024 – Škoda Auto produced its one-millionth battery system at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav. The carmaker has been manufacturing high-voltage traction batteries since 2019, when it launched battery production for the Superb iV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Currently, the company is focused exclusively on producing larger batteries for fully electric vehicles based on the MEB platform; two assembly lines achieve a combined daily output of 1,500 units. These batteries, with capacities ranging from 55 to 91 kWh (net capacity 52 to 86 kWh), are installed in the Škoda Enyaq and Škoda Elroq as well as other Volkswagen Group brands, such as Volkswagen, SEAT/CUPRA and Audi.

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Mladá Boleslav, 18 November 2024 – 125 years ago, on 18 November 1899, the Laurin & Klement Slavia motorcycles types A and B were showcased in a riding presentation in Prague. Just under four years since its founding, the Mladá Boleslav-based bicycle manufacturer introduced these modern, technically refined motorcycles, which greatly diversified its product range. Positioning the engine within the frame rather than above the front wheel lowered the centre of gravity, which both improved the handling and protected the engine components. Other features included innovative electric ignition and a carburettor designed in-house. Commercial and sporting successes with motorcycles paved the way for the Mladá Boleslav brand’s first automobile, the L&K Voiturette A, in 1905.

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Mladá Boleslav, 8 November 2024 – The Škoda Octavia Combi RS has been awarded the coveted 2024 Golden Steering Wheel in the mid-sized car category. In a first step, readers of German “Auto Bild” and the country’s largest-selling national Sunday newspaper “Bild am Sonntag” voted Škoda’s bestselling model series’ sporty range-topper into the top three out of 16 cars in this category. A jury of experts then subjected these three finalists to a challenging test drive on the German Lausitzring race track. This victory marks the Czech car manufacturer’s ninth Golden Steering Wheel win. Škoda Auto CEO Klaus Zellmer accepted the accolade at yesterday’s awards ceremony in Berlin. 

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Mladá Boleslav, 6 November 2024 – Škoda Auto India unveils the all-new Škoda Kylaq, the Czech brand’s first model in the popular sub-4-metre segment, which accounts for nearly 50% of sales in the Indian car market. The Kylaq SUV is the first model in India to adopt elements of Škoda’s new Modern Solid design language. It is powered by an efficient 1.0 TSI engine and features more than 25 active and passive safety features as standard. The latest addition to Škoda’s line-up, developed and produced locally for the Indian market, will hit the roads in early 2025 with a very competitive price tag of INR 789,000 (around EUR 8,700).

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Welcome to a brand new season of Explore Škoda, a podcast looking at the latest innovations in the world of Škoda.

This week, for our first edition, we’ll be getting the lowdown on the brand new Elroq from the people who designed it and brought it to market. 

This is the first production car with Skoda’s new design language - Modern Solid. 

So what's new about it? Definitely the lights which is something we're going to discuss with the designer who created them, Petr Nevřela. And we’ll also invite you into the interior, to talk about the Elroq’s infotainment system with Radek Špic. 

Thanks for tuning in!

Mladá Boleslav, 31 October 2024 – Škoda Auto maintains its positive momentum: deliveries to customers in the first nine months of 2024 increased to 671,300 vehicles (+4.5% YoY). This growth was supported by a strong third quarter, with 222,700 vehicles delivered (+6%). The automaker is performing particularly well in Europe, outpacing the overall European market. The company’s financial figures underscore its position of strength: revenue increased to €20.4 billion (+3.8%), operating profit rose by 34.8% to €1.7 billion, and the return on sales (RoS) reached 8.3% (6.4%). The most successful markets in terms of absolute growth in the first three quarters are Germany, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Poland, and France. The all-electric Enyaq remains one of the best-selling BEVs overall in key markets like Germany, where it also ranked first among electric cars in September. This result makes the Enyaq the second best-selling electric car in Germany in the first nine months of 2024. Škoda has solidified its position as the fourth best-selling brand in Europe. It aims to build on this success: the recently launched all-electric compact SUV, Elroq, stands out as the most affordable EV in its class, taking into account its extensive standard equipment and battery size. In a first for the brand, sales began immediately after its premiere. 

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Mladá Boleslav, 22 October 2024 – The Škoda Felicia was introduced in October 1994 as a modern five-door hatchback successor to the Favorit. Six months later, the practical estate variant followed. It was the first car developed in collaboration with the Volkswagen Group after joining forces with Škoda in 1991. Between 1994 and 2001, more than 1.4 million Felicia models were produced, with the car also achieving success in motorsport.

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