The European alternative drive market is at a turning point, and the Czech automaker Skoda categorically refuses to be led astray by the current fashion in China for electric cars with gasoline generators, known as EREV. Although Asian brands are betting massively on this concept, Mladá Boleslav chooses its own, pragmatic path to full electrification.
The success of the brand in recent years is impressive, to say the least. In just four years, the Czechs made a lion's leap in the market hierarchy of the Old Continent, climbing from tenth to the prestigious second position in popularity among buyers. The brand's electric offensive is also bearing rich fruits, with the Elroq and Enyaq crossovers breathing down the neck of the leader Tesla Model Y and securing Skoda a place in the top three in sales of battery vehicles in Europe, alongside Tesla and Volkswagen.
That is why CEO Klaus Zellmer is adamant that the company does not need to blindly copy foreign solutions, but will be guided solely by the real needs of consumers. According to him, the implementation of an additional internal combustion engine, which would serve only to recharge the battery on the go, is a completely unnecessary complication of the design. Technologies are advancing so quickly that when a pure electric vehicle already offers solid mileage and lightning-fast battery charging, the introduction of a complex gasoline unit simply loses its economic and engineering sense.
Instead of wasting resources on outdated concepts, the Czech brand is boldly looking ahead to affordable mobility and high-tech architectures. The long-awaited compact crossover Epiq, which will be assembled at the Spanish plant in Navarra, comes to the fore. The city vehicle will share a common platform with the future Volkswagen ID. Polo and CUPRA Raval, and its starting price will be below the psychological threshold of 25 thousand euros. Immediately after it, the range will be crowned by an impressive seven-seater SUV called Peaq, which will be produced in the Czech Republic, and fans of practical forms can also expect a serial electric station wagon inspired by the beautiful Vision O concept.
However, the real technological leap for the company will come along the lines of super-modern 800-volt electrical architectures. While such ultra-fast charging systems are currently a priority for the premium segment and some Korean models from Hyundai and KIA, Skoda plans to make them mainstream.
A huge role in this strategy will be played by the all-new and flexible SSP platform of the Volkswagen Group, whose debut is scheduled for the period after 2028. The architecture in question will support both basic 400-volt systems and advanced 800-volt modifications, becoming a perfect basis for the next generation of affordable and efficient Czech electric vehicles.