Can Skoda's bargain EV convert an electric car skeptic?
One could argue that the Skoda Enyaq is one of the most important EVs so far. Surely that statement is only reserved for Tesla I hear you say?
Well, no. Tesla might have started the EV trend but as soon as the big boys and girls started to manufacture EVs it was only a matter of when (not if) that trend shifted to those manufacturers that are so in line with family orientated cars. And those that make it affordable will be right at the top of the queue.
So here it is then, Skoda’s first purpose-built EV and they can’t build ‘em quick enough. Sadly along with that demand (and a semiconductor shortage) comes a waiting time, so I feel pretty lucky TG has managed to bag one so early on. In fact they are so popular there’s even entire website forums dedicated to them.
As one forum reader “Goaty” says on enyaqforums.co.uk when looking for his next company car: “It has the range, size, assisted drive specs and family-oriented comfort which I need. All these other cars I can now choose, fall down in some respect, especially as they are all generally the base models.”
Those other cars he mentions are the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mercedes EQA, Audi Q4 e-tron, Polestar 2, and of course the Tesla Model 3. A strong list. And we we mustn’t forget the Ford Mustang Mach-E, new Tesla Model Y and the VW ID.4 which, like the Audi, shares all its underpinnings with this Skoda.
The Skoda’s USP here is quite simply bang for your buck. As of December 2021 when our car arrived, the cheapest Enyaq squeaks under the government’s £35k upper limit for the plug-in car grant, so you’ll get £2,500 off that model. That’s not to be sniffed at.
You have a choice of three Enyaqs to choose from – 60, 80 and 80x. The Enyaq iV 60 has a 58kWh battery and the pricier 80-badged models have a 77Wh battery. Everything without an x in its name is a single-motor, rear-wheel drive car, while the 80x has a more powerful dual-motor set-up and four-wheel drive.
We’ve opted for the 80 which has 201bhp and a 0-60 of 8.2secs. And for all you data geeks out there a motor output of 150kW. Or just under 200 horsepower.
Skoda claims this model will do a WLTP combined range of 331 miles and has WLTP consumption of 3.7 miles/kWh: both seriously impressive stats. I’m fascinated to see if I can get anywhere near that.
Having recently wafted around in an Audi e-tron GT for a couple of weeks (my first experience of driving an electric car for more than a day) I was flabbergasted that I couldn’t get close to the 250 mile range the dash readout promised. Humph.
Back to the Skoda: We also added a bit of spec and therefore bumped the price up to £46,850. Oops. Options include 21” metallic alloy wheels, a head up display, an assisted drive package and a family-obligatory panoramic sunroof. But that’s still thousands less than the equivalent VW or Audi.
I should be honest: I’m a skeptic. I’m not entirely convinced that electric cars are the future. I’m old and ugly enough to remember when the-then Labour government suggested we buy diesel cars as they were more efficient and therefore better for the environment. We all know how that worked out. VW’s diesel scandal destroyed the TDI’s reputation, and now EVs outsell diesel in the UK. That would’ve been unthinkable a decade ago.
That’s not to say I don’t think EVs have some form of future: more that history shows there tends to always be a middle step before we get to the best way forward. Betamax and Minidiscs anyone? Told you I was old.
I hope that by running an EV it will change my mind. This big-value family bus is the ideal toe in the water for me. The only snag so far is my home charger is on order, so I’ll have to be charging in town… which is a 25-minute walk. Ouch. It’s the future they tell me, honest.
Keyword: Skoda Enyaq iV 80 - long-term review