#ExploreŠkoda Podcast

Mladá Boleslav, 4 June 2024 – Motorsport has been part of Škoda’s DNA for more than 120 years. This heritage is traditionally reflected in the Škoda RS range. And the new Škoda Octavia RS is no exception, as Oliver Solberg confirms. The young rally driver from Sweden took the sportiest Octavia model for an extensive test drive.

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Mladá Boleslav, 28 June 2024 – The bright yellow, all-electric Škoda Enyaq, which covered more than 33,000 kilometres on a challenging expedition across Africa, has become part of the Škoda Museum’s collection. By embarking on their adventurous journey, Dutch explorers Renske Cox and Maarten van Pel hoped to inspire a shift towards more sustainable travel. After withstanding thousands of kilometres in harsh conditions, the modified vehicle successfully returned to the Netherlands. The daring travellers offered the car to Škoda Auto and received a new Škoda Enyaq 85x Laurin & Klement at the Customer Centre.

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What are the key pillars for digital transformation at Škoda Auto? What role does AI play in car manufacturing? Or what trends are emerging in electric vehicle production? We also discussed sustainable manufacturing and future outlooks. We talked about all this with Mr. Andreas Dick, Member of the Board for Production and Logistics at Škoda Auto.

Mladá Boleslav, 27 June 2024 – Škoda Auto marks its 21st consecutive year as the official main partner of the Tour de France. The 111th iteration of the world’s most famous cycling race begins on 29 June with the Grand Départ in Florence, Italy. For the first time, the event will not finish in Paris this year, due to the Olympic Games starting in the French capital just a few days later. On most stages, the all-electric Škoda Enyaq will be serving Tour director Christian Prudhomme as the ‘Red Car’, leading the peloton throughout the race. The route will take the 176 riders and 205 Škoda support vehicles across 21 stages and nearly 3,500 kilometres to reach Nice on 21 July. Through the carmaker’s social media channels and the WeLoveCycling website, fans can access exclusive background information and compete for exciting prizes. In February this year, Škoda Auto underlined its commitment to cycling, extending its partnership with the cycling event’s organiser, A.S.O., until 2028. The Czech carmaker is also supporting the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for the third consecutive year.

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Mladá Boleslav, 26 June 2024 – The functionality of Škoda’s voice assistant Laura has been significantly expanded thanks to the integration of Chat Pro from technology partner Cerence Inc.. Alongside previously available sources of information, the Chat Pro function is now directly connected to the advanced AI tool ChatGPT to answer questions beyond the scope of Laura’s original knowledge. The feature is now available in Škoda Enyaq family models with the new 4.0 software version released for the 2024 model year, the new-generation Škoda Superb and Kodiaq as well as the updated Škoda Octavia. User and car data are secure at all times.

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How long does it take to develop lights for one model? What is the most technologically challenging aspect of the whole process? How are Scala and Kamiq different from other models? What does the headlight testing process look like? Or what are the trends? All of this is answered by Front Lighting Development Engineer at Škoda Auto Vilém Holeček.

Mladá Boleslav, 11 June 2024 – Effective from 3 June 2024, Chan Park has assumed the role of Head of Interior Design at Škoda Auto. The alumnus of the Royal College of Art joins the Czech carmaker with a wealth of experience from several major automotive brands. In the future, the interior of Škoda’s production and concept vehicles will bear his signature. In addition to a minimalist design approach, Park will focus on enhancing the synergy between driver and vehicle. His predecessor, Peter Olah, is taking on a new role at Škoda Design and will be responsible for the Art Direction - One Design Identity in the future.

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Mladá Boleslav, 3 June 2024 – Škoda Auto has taken part in European Diversity Month for the fourth consecutive year. This initiative, promoted by the European Commission each May, underscores the importance of diversity and inclusion in both the workplace and society generally, especially in light of evolving work environments and the need to protect employee rights. Under the motto ‘Škoda Auto – A Place for Everyone’, the Czech carmaker has rolled out various initiatives focusing on fostering respect across generations and genders, and through international collaboration. In its most recent  Diversity Report 2023, Škoda Auto shares the most important milestones achieved last year, such as successfully increasing the proportion of women in management to 18.3% (up from 14.6% in 2021) and raising the share of international staff in leadership roles to 31%.

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Mladá Boleslav, 30 May 2024 – Škoda Auto has inaugurated new facilities for the Emissions Centre and a brand-new Simulation Centre in Mladá Boleslav. Following investments of almost €22 million, the laboratory will bolster the car manufacturer’s in-house development capabilities within the Technical Development department. The state-of-the-art technologies allow for the precise and accurate simulation of a wide range of climatic conditions, enabling comprehensive tests that mimic real-world operations. The new Simulation Centre houses a laboratory unique in the Czech Republic and the Volkswagen Group and is among the most modern facilities of its kind in Europe.

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Mladá Boleslav, 27 May 2024 – The Czech Republic has won the home IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, which took place from 10 to 26 May. In a closely contested final, the Czechs won 2:0 against Switzerland in the capital of Prague yesterday and became only the fifth nation ever to win the tournament on their home ice. The final was attended by 17,413 fans at the sold-out arena. Škoda Auto Board Member for Sales and Marketing, Martin Jahn presented the MVP trophy to the tournament’s best player, the Swiss forward Kevin Fiala. The Škoda Design team has been creating these trophies since 2018. For the 31st time, the Czech carmaker was the official main sponsor of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

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