Skoda will launch five electrified vehicles by the end of 2020, CEO Bernhard Maier has confirmed.
Previously, Skoda has confirmed 10 electrified models – made up of six electric cars and four plug-in hybrids – would arrive by 2025, but Maier has now said half of these will come in the next two years.
Already confirmed is a Skoda Superb plug-in hybrid arriving next year, while Skoda's first zero-emissions car will be the Citigo-e, a sister car to the Volkswagen Volkswagen e-up and Seat e-Mii.
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A production version of the Vision E electric SUV, which sits between the Skoda Karoq and Skoda Kodiaq in size, is also due by 2020. It will be built on the VW Group’s electric MEB platform.
There remains two unconfirmed electrified models to arrive in the next two years, both of which are likely to be plug-in hybrids of models based on the same MQB platform as the Superb. Maier has previously hinted that the Kodiaq is the next candidate. A plug-in hybrid Skoda Octavia would also be a natural step.
The other models will come early in the next decade.
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Skoda has yet to decide on a naming strategy for its stand-alone electric models. While some brands such as VW and Mercedes-Benz are giving specific names to their electric model line-ups (ID and EQ respectively), other makers are not separating electric models from traditionally fuelled models in their naming approach. Sales and marketing boss Alain Favey said: “it’s a very good question. We haven’t yet come to a decision on the naming strategy for electric-only models. We are discussing it.”
On the broader topic of electrified powertrains, Maier added that the compressed natural gas hybrid electric powertrain shown in the recent Vision X compact SUV concept was certainly “possible for production”. He said he was “fighting for it” but it was important to “gain synergies” with other VW Group brands, suggesting at least one of its siblings would need to commit to the idea to make it commercially viable.
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