Skoda traces its own electric car course in the Czech Republic with a VW MEB chassis

March 23, 2019 by Steve Hanley

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Volkswagen is converting its plant in Zwickau, Germany, into an electric car manufacturing plant. This is where the range of vehicles it plans to build with its new SEM platform will be built. But Skoda, part of the Volkswagen group, plans to build its own cars based on this chbadis in the Czech Republic, where they will receive a good dose of Czech seasonings.

It says it will offer three 100% battery-powered electric cars based on the MEB chbadis in the next 4 years and that one of them will be an affordable 5-door sedan that will be smaller than Golf ubiquitous on the outside but with equivalent capacity for pbadengers on board. l & # 39; inside. What exactly is the word "affordable" has not yet been defined, but the parent company said it was looking to offer at least one electric car based on the SEM at a price of about $ 22,500 in the next years.

This car will be built in the company's Kvasiny plant and will be part of the new "MEB entry family". The model is still in the planning stage, said Bernhard, CEO of Skoda, News from the automobile this week. "We are looking for a less demanding car and once we have a positive business case, we will come up with a clear solution. Electromobility is developing in the heart of Skoda in the Czech Republic. This ensures the future of jobs here, "said Maier. This car is expected to go on sale in 2023.

Skoda's flagship electric car, the MEB, will be based on the Vision IV coupe crossover concept revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. He will be joined by a second car based on the same concept, said Maier. The second vehicle is expected to be a more conventional SUV and will be built at Skoda's Mlada Boleslav plant, alongside the flagship model, which will enter production in the second half of 2020, before its launch on the market in early 2021.

Both vehicles will be built on the same line as the Skoda Octavia compact car. "It gives us a lot of flexibility. We can evolve and adapt to a certain extent if customer demand changes, "said Maier.

Uncertain electric car claim

Maier told the press this week that his company still did not know what would be the demand for electric cars. The company is targeting 25% EV sales by 2025. "Individual mobility will be more expensive, there is no doubt. I do not know how customers will think about our offer. If we talk about customers who have driven our electric cars in focus groups, we can easily reach 25%, but it is obvious that the demand will be different if you talk to customers from urban to rural areas. "Rural customers are concerned about the load and the reach," he said.

Those of us who are fans of electric cars may think that a sales penetration of 25% by 2025 is quite too cautious. in the future with both feet. Skoda is unknown in North America but is a well respected brand in Europe with a loyal customer base. He expects his electric cars to be world-clbad cars that reflect the company and its heritage.

Keywords: MEB chbadis, Skoda, Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen Vision IV