Speaking at the launch of the new Kodiak SUV, Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier said that the brand will undertake an electrification program in the future, with the 2019 Superb setting the course for the Czech carmaker’s ambitious plan to launch its own electric vehicle (EV) based on technology shared within the VW Group.
It is understood that the beginning of Skoda’s electrification will come in the form of a Superb plug-in hybrid, itself based on the Volkswagen Passat GTE. Addressing the assumed latency in introducing electrified models, Maier said “we see 2019 as being a point where demand for such cars will actually start to build to a level that is strong enough to bring down costs.”
Following the Superb PHEV, the rest of the Skoda family should undergo a similar treatment using the same technology. As for the Czech electric car, that exists within the Volkswagen Group’s greater electrification strategy, highlighted by the Volkswagen ID concept seen at the Paris Motor Show. It will most likely be built on the firm’s MED platform, and Maier was quick to stress that the design of the EV will be very much Skoda.
“I cannot tell you much, but I promise this all-new car will be awesome. The advantages of lots of space in a smaller footprint play to Skoda’s strengths to offering good value,” Maier concluded.
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