Skoda is accelerating and expanding its electric car plans. The Czech VW brand will launch three new purely electric models by 2026 brought forward from 2030. The new models will be a compact car, a compact SUV and a seven-seater SUV.
The Vision 7S show car that has just been unveiled not only provides a concrete preview of the seven-seater electric SUV, it also shows off the company’s new design language. The concept study is based on the modular electric drive system (MEB) from the VW Group.
The Czech Volkswagen subsidiary is not yet disclosing much in the way of technical data – only that the concept is equipped with an 89 kWh battery that should enable a maximum range of more than 600 kilometres according to WLTP. The charging power is to be a maximum of 200 kW. “These parameters underline the technical possibilities of the Modular Electrification Toolkit,” says Skoda.
“The VISION 7S is the forerunner of our new design language that we’ll be rolling out across the entire product portfolio over the coming years. We’ll also be using it to sharpen our customer appeal,” says Skoda Board Member for Sales and Marketing Martin Jahn. “With the new styling, we are taking the brand to the next level and aligning it to our customer’s new needs and expectations, particularly regarding user experience (UX), connectivity and the entire customer journey.”
Along with the accelerated electric venture, Skoda has also unveiled its new brand identity. At its core are a new design language, a new logo and a comprehensive corporate identity update.
“We’re significantly accelerating our e-campaign and will be launching three additional all-electric models by 2026, with more in the pipeline,” says CEO Klaus Zellmer. “This will put us in an even stronger position for the decade of transformation. In addition, we’ll be investing a total of 5.6 billion euros in e-mobility and a further 700 million euros in digitalisation over the next five years, thus securing the future viability of the company and jobs.”
The VW brand has set a goal of increasing the share of purely battery-electric vehicles in the brand’s sales in Europe to more than 70 per cent by 2030. The targeted date for the launch of three new electric models by 2026 is considerably earlier than the previously targeted date of 2030 which the company had announced just over a year ago.
Skoda is apparently also working on an electric Fabia replacement for less than 20,000 euros, as Autocar reports. At the presentation of the Vision 7S study, the Skoda CEO said that Fabia’s price position will be replaced by a battery-electric vehicle, “and we are working on that,” he promises, adding that the biggest challenge at the moment is the cost of battery-electric vehicles, especially when producing a car the size of the Fabia. “We will have to stay a little patient,” says Zellmer.
skodamedia.com, autocar.co.uk
Keyword: Skoda to launch 3 new electric cars by 2026