Production starts on Skoda’s all-electric SUV

Production has started at Škoda factory of the Enyaq. Photos: Škoda

Škoda's first bespoke electric car, the Enyaq iV, has entered production at the firm's factory in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, ahead of UK deliveries commencing in May after fulfilling Europe orders.

The first model based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric car platform to be built outside of Germany, the EV will be produced at a rate of up to 350 units per day. It'll go down the same production line as the combustion-engined Octavia and Karoq; the first time MEB and MQB platforms will be assembled together. 

Its first development version, the Vision E, was first introduced in 2017, and its second version, called the Vision iV, was introduced in March 2019. The official premiere took place on 1 September, 2020 in Prague.

The Škoda Enyaq has a range of up to 536 kilometres in the WLTP cycle.

The name is derived from the Irish name Enya, meaning 'source of life'. The name combines the 'E' for electric mobility with the characteristic 'Q'

For Michael Oeljeklaus, Škoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics, the Enyaq iV is Škoda’s first series-production model that was designed as an all-electric vehicle from the outset. 

“This means our new SUV also places entirely different demands on manufacturing processes and production sequences than models with combustion engines,” he said.

“This is also reflected in the extensive preparation and conversion measures that we have been implementing at our main plant in Mladá Boleslav since last summer. Today’s start of production of the Škoda Enyaq iV on the only production line in the Group for vehicles based on the MEB and MQB is a very special moment for our entire team.”

Measuring 4648mm long and 1877mm wide, it’s almost as big as the Octavia  and significantly larger than the Kia e-Niro. Skoda says space inside is on a par with that of its seven-seater Kodiaq.

The Škoda Enyaq iV will have the latest infotainment systems.

The Škoda Enyaq iV’s three battery sizes and five performance variants ensure a sustainable yet fun driving experience. In the two most powerful variants, a second electric motor on the front axle works in combination with the rear motor. Depending on the battery size, the range is up to 536 kilometres in the WLTP cycle. 

The Enyaq is also the first Škoda model to feature a Head-Up Display with Augmented Reality, which displays information on the speed and traffic signs in two areas of the driver’s primary field of vision.

Skoda New Zealand would be hoping that the vehicle will be arriving here late-2021.

The Škoda Enyaq iV is about the same size of the Octavia.