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At the IAA (12-24 September), ŠKODA is presenting its first purely electrically driven concept car that can drive autonomously at level 3 – the VISION E.

The design has been developed once more following the world premiere in Shanghai. The study goes one step further into the digital future and it is a connectivity pioneer. The most eye-catching design features are the absence of a B-pillar and the opposed-opening doors. Typical of ŠKODA are the generous amount of space, the modern assistance systems and numerous ‘Simply Clever’ solutions.

The design of the VISION E study displays distinctive characteristics of the new ŠKODA design language for electric vehicles. The opposed-opening doors and four individual swivel seats are striking features. Wing mirrors are a thing of the past – cameras relay what is happening around the car onto screens. The VISION E deliberately forgoes the B-pillar in favour of an even more generous feeling of space. Compared to the vehicle from the world premiere in Shanghai, the front has been developed further and now has even more character.

With the VISION E, ŠKODA is taking a big step into the digital future. The first electrically driven concept vehicle for autonomous driving in the company’s history shows a new level of connectivity. In addition to the dashboard screen and the central touchscreen display, which allows the driver and front passenger to read and operate all ŠKODA Connect functions and services, every occupant has their own display at their disposal. Using touchscreens, numerous convenience details such as vehicle data and entertainment can be operated. A Phonebox that charges smartphones inductively is integrated into each door. At the same time, the box serves as an interface that allows passengers to access their mobile devices’ personal settings, data and information conveniently on the individual touchscreen displays.

Many further features signal that the future is already here. The infotainment systems can be operated using voice and gesture controls, for example. Cameras monitor the driver all the time and check on their fitness and alertness using Eye Tracking. The Driver Alert system warns the driver of tiredness. The VISION E even comes with a digital doctor: the heart rate monitor slows the vehicle down automatically, should the driver experience any health problems. Just like in many ŠKODA production models, the VISION E occupants are of course ‘always online’ thanks to a Wi-Fi hotspot and LTE module.

With a length of 4,668 mm, a width of 1,924 mm and a height of 1,591 mm the VISION E exudes great presence. Due to the long wheelbase of 2,851 mm and the short front and rear overhangs the technicians were able to create – as is standard with a ŠKODA – an extremely generous and comfortable interior. Due to the concept, there is no transmission tunnel which creates a ŠKODA-typical generous amount of space in the front and the rear.

Electric motors with a total power output of 225 kW (306 PS) drive all four wheels of the concept car. The range of up to 500 km and the top speed of 180 km/h are impressive. The VISION E allows for autonomous driving at level 3. On motorways, the autopilot system enables the concept car to autonomously accelerate, steer, brake and even avoid obstacles. The Car Park Autopilot finds free parking spaces and directs the vehicle there automatically. The VISION E is charged inductively.

The ŠKODA VISION E celebrates its European premiere at the IAA in Frankfurt. The ŠKODA press conference takes place at midday on 12 September 2017 in pavilion 3.

Article source: www.skoda-auto.com

A first for ŠKODA: a freely programmable digital instrument panel. ŠKODA KAROQ celebrates trade fair premiere at Frankfurt Motor Show, and continues brand’s SUV campaign.

A customizable technology is celebrating its premiere in the new ŠKODA KAROQ at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Breaking with analogue tradition, this is the first time ŠKODA has installed a digital instrument panel in the cockpit. Four different layouts are available and can be individually programmed. Passengers also have the option of always being online. ŠKODA Connect offers an automatic emergency call function, navigation in real time and remote access to the vehicle. ŠKODA is continuing its SUV campaign with the ŠKODA KAROQ. The compact SUV can now be ordered in two equipment variants with a choice of five engines.

For the first time, a ŠKODA can be customized with a digital instrument panel. In the ŠKODA KAROQ, four different layouts are available that can be modified as desired: “Classic”, “Digital”, “Infoprofile” and “Reduced”. These four layouts provide the framework for the notifications, and the driver can scroll through the interactive display of the Modular Infotainment Matrix (MIB) to set which notifications appear in which area of the panel and their sizes. Information on the audio system, phone, assistance systems (Lane Assist, Front Assist, etc.) and vehicle status can also be set to appear on the right, left, or in the centre.

The following layout variants can be set in the digital instrument panel:

The classic layout presents both the tachometer and the speedometer as round instruments to the right and left of the display. The area between can be configured – for example with a display of the current entertainment programme or navigation map, which also has a zoom function.

The digital layout has a main display covering the entire width of the panel – for example with the current entertainment program or navigation map. Above and below, there is still space for small digital displays, for instance, for the current speed, gear recommendation, traffic sign recognition, distance remaining, distance to the next turn on the programmed route or the distance remaining to the destination.

The info profile layout has a large display in the centre, which can display the navigation map, among other things. Additional information can be placed to the left, right, and above the map. The driver may choose to display the current speed, a navigation display with pictograms, gear selection, traffic sign detection (e.g. speed limits, overtaking ban) or total driving time.

The reduced layout shows two large displays – such as the current speed and the distance remaining. Additional basic information can be displayed at the top and bottom of the display. If the route guidance is activated, the navigation arrow will be displayed in the centre.

The ŠKODA KAROQ continues the brand’s SUV campaign, and is now available to order. Two equipment variants are available with Ambition and Style. Customers can also choose between two petrol and three diesel engines. In addition, passengers in the ŠKODA KAROQ have the option of always being online. ŠKODA Connect automatically calls for assistance in the event of an emergency, allows remote access to the vehicle and, if necessary, provides alternative route recommendations.

The ŠKODA KAROQ is celebrating its trade fair premiere at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The ŠKODA press conference takes place on 12 September 2017 at 12:00 in hall 3.

Article source: www.skoda-auto.com

With the current sustainability report, ŠKODA AUTO has presented a record of its adherence to sustainability in 2015 and 2016.

As in previous years, the car manufacturer was able to significantly improve its environmental footprint as part of the GreenFuture strategy. This applies to the brand’s model range as well as vehicle production, logistics and dealership sites. Besides minimising CO2 emissions, ŠKODA AUTO’s groundbreaking successes also included a reduction in energy and water consumption as well as an exemplary degree of recycling. Furthermore, the car manufacturer is involved in a large number of other projects, thereby actively embracing its social responsibility.

The foundation for this success in environmental protection is ŠKODA’s 2025 Strategy, with which the brand has set a course for long-term sustainable growth. It is based on four pillars. Besides electromobility, these also include the digitalisation of the company, its products and production itself as well as new mobility services. Added to this are substantial investments in the development of innovative technologies and solutions, which not only benefit customers and employees of the car manufacturer, but also the environment. With this future strategy, ŠKODA AUTO recognises its responsibility to society as a whole throughout the entire value chain. This also includes numerous social projects in the areas of training, sport and social affairs, which the company actively supports.

In 2015 and 2016, ŠKODA AUTO achieved successes with its GreenFuture strategy in particular. This concentrates all of the company’s environmental activities under one umbrella, thus ensuring smooth management and efficient monitoring of all measures and processes relevant to the environment – from the development of environmentally friendly drive systems to vehicle production and logistics, right through to the dealerships.

Comprehensive measures for reducing energy consumption and emissions launched
In concrete terms, ŠKODA AUTO was able to reduce the environmental burden due to production activities by 45.8% between 2010 and 2016; the company wants to halve the impact of production-related factors by 2018. To that end, ŠKODA AUTO has invested around 49 million euros in the last two years. For example, a variety of individual measures reduced the energy consumption per vehicle produced by 8.7% between 2014 and 2016 alone; the corresponding water consumption was reduced by more than 7%.

In the Logistics department, ŠKODA AUTO launched a campaign to utilise CNG and electric drives, and is now using emission-free, battery-powered transporters for the first time at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav. In addition, natural gas-powered lorries were tested, which emit up to 30% less CO2 than their diesel counterparts. The company also looked into increasing the use of ‘Gigaliners’, which could save up to 200 tonnes of CO2 each year.

ŠKODA was able to reduce the CO2 emissions of its model range by around 12% between 2014 and 2016. By 2020, the brand wants to bring down the carbon dioxide emissions of its products by a further 18%. ŠKODA’s efficient and environmentally friendly CNG vehicles play an important role in this. In addition to this, ŠKODA is pressing ahead with the electrification of its model range. The ŠKODA SUPERB with plug-in hybrid drive has been announced for 2019. The brand’s first production vehicle with purely electric drive will follow in 2020, with five models equipped with electric drive expected to be available as soon as 2025.

In the reporting period, there was a particular focus on implementing the new corporate design in the network of dealers, which consists of 3,000 sites around the world. Where this involved renovation work and the construction of new buildings, energy-saving materials were used, the foundations were laid for the use of solar technology and heat pump systems, and particular emphasis was placed on using the best possible insulation. By the end of 2016, as many as 80% of all dealerships had been remodelled accordingly.

An attractive employer and ‘a good neighbour’
For many years the company has been regarded as one of the best employers in the Czech Republic. That is why in 2016 it was awarded the prize of ‘Czech 100 Best’ for the 16th consecutive time – more times than any other company. A wealth of initiatives in training and development, continual improvements in the workplace, and the offering of preventative healthcare available for all employees provide ample justification for these positive ratings.

In addition, ŠKODA AUTO goes to great lengths to be ‘a good neighbour’ as attested by its commitment to social and cultural endeavours. Employees are supported and encouraged to engage in social projects. The CSR strategy’s motto is ‘Simply Clever, Simply Human’. It covers four areas: road safety, technical training, helping children and supporting people with limited mobility. On top of its strong local involvement, ŠKODA AUTO also strives to improve the infrastructure in the areas surrounding its production facilities.

ŠKODA AUTO has also continued its existing involvement within the sphere of arts and culture in 2015 and 2016: besides supporting prominent cultural institutions such as the Czech Philharmonic, the Prague National Theatre, the National Museum and the National Technical Museum, ŠKODA AUTO was also heavily involved in various activities and initiatives such as the Arnošt Lustig Award or the 20th anniversary of the Forum 2000 Foundation in Prague.

More than 640,000 trees planted
ŠKODA AUTO is a long-term supporter of the ‘ŠKODA Trees’ project. For every vehicle the brand sells in the Czech Republic, it donates a tree. Between 2007 and 2015, the car manufacturer planted over 640,000 trees in over 50 locations. The number of trees that have been given a new home is now in excess of 640,000. A large number of ŠKODA AUTO employees volunteer as planters each year and in doing so contribute to the long-term conservation of biodiversity and to climate protection – 2015 and 2016 were no exception.

Setting the course for continued growth
With ŠKODA’s 2025 Strategy, in the last year the brand has set a course for long-term, sustainable growth in the future too. The future strategy’s key topics include electromobility, the digitalisation of the company, products and production itself, as well as new mobility services and connectivity solutions. With this, ŠKODA AUTO aims to grow in two dimensions: on the one hand, vehicle sales are to be increased further and on the other hand, new business areas, such as digital mobility services, are to create a broader base for growth. With the formation of the DigiLab in Prague, ŠKODA AUTO has already taken an important step: the DigiLab provides creative teams with the opportunity and freedom to devise new, future-proof business models.

Since 2005, the company has informed stakeholders about its activities for ensuring that the business is on a sustainable footing every two years. The sixth sustainability report consistently follows the internationally recognised G4 guidelines from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and is in accordance with the ‘Core’ option. The report summarises ŠKODA AUTO’s successes in environmental protection, conserving resources and social engagement across more than 100 pages.

Article source: www.skoda-auto.com

ŠKODA AUTO has assessed and evaluated a potential strategic collaboration with Tata Motors Ltd over recent weeks and months.

In doing so, both companies have concluded that at present, neither the technical nor the economic synergies are achievable to the extent desired by both parties. As a result, a planned strategic alliance will no longer be pursued for the time being. Both companies would like to emphasise that following the intensive and constructive discussions of the last few months, they are not ruling out possible future collaborations.

Article source: www.skoda-auto.com

ŠKODA has continued to grow in the first half of the year. The long-established Czech brand recorded 585,000 deliveries to customers worldwide in the first six months – thus surpassing last year’s record result by 2.8 per cent (January to June 2016: 569,400 vehicles). 105,200 deliveries in June are also an all-time peak in sales (June 2016: 98,800 vehicles). Positive development in the core market, Europe, and a two-digit rise in deliveries in Russia contribute to the record result, as do the significant increases in deliveries for the ŠKODA FABIA and SUPERB model ranges. With 27,100 deliveries since February, the new ŠKODA KODIAQ SUV is having a successful start in markets worldwide.

Mladá Boleslav, 19 July 2017: "Having delivered well over half a million cars, we have achieved the strongest half-year in ŠKODA's history," says ŠKODA CEO Bernhard Maier, adding: "Our SUV campaign is proving effective. The high demand for the ŠKODA KODIAQ has exceeded our expectations and confirms that we are on the right path. We will continue to strengthen our position in this crucial segment with the new ŠKODA KAROQ compact SUV."

With 45,900 deliveries to customers in June, ŠKODA recorded an increase of 2.1 per cent in Western Europe (June 2016: 45,000 vehicles). In the first half of the year, the brand improved deliveries by 4.1 per cent to 252,300 vehicles (January to June 2016: 242,500 vehicles). In Germany, ŠKODA’s strongest individual European market, deliveries increased in June by 0.7 per cent to 17,300 vehicles (June 2016: 17,200 vehicles). In the first six months, deliveries in Germany rose by 1.8 per cent to 88,000 units (2016: 86,500 vehicles). ŠKODA achieved double-digit growth from January to June in Italy (13,600 vehicles; +18.4%) and Austria (12,900 vehicles; +13.7%). Deliveries also increased in the United Kingdom (43,500 vehicles; +3.1%), Spain (13,500 vehicles; +2.5%), France (13,400 vehicles; +8.9%), Belgium (11,400 vehicles; +6.7%), Sweden (8,900 vehicles; +8.4%), and the Netherlands (7,700 vehicles; +1.7%).

In Central Europe, ŠKODA delivered 19,200 vehicles in June, an increase of 11.4 per cent (June 2016: 17,200 vehicles). In the first half of the year ŠKODA recorded double-digit growth of 14.0 per cent to 109,800 vehicles (2016: 96,300 vehicles). In its home market of the Czech Republic, the manufacturer increased deliveries in June by 8.3 per cent to 8,900 vehicles (June 2016: 8,200 vehicles) and in the first six months of the year by 10.9 per cent to 51,200 vehicles (2016: 46,200 vehicles). From January to June, deliveries also grew in Poland (34,600 vehicles; +17.2%), Hungary (6,200 vehicles; +10.0%), Slovenia (3,900 vehicles; +16.2%), Croatia (3,200 vehicles; +59.9%) and Slovakia (10,700 vehicles; +11.1%).

With 3,800 vehicles in Eastern Europe, excluding Russia, ŠKODA surpasses last year’s level by 14.9 per cent (June 2016: 3,300 vehicles). In the entire first half of the year, growth is similarly strong with 13.0 per cent. ŠKODA delivered 19,300 vehicles in this period (2016: 17,000 vehicles). Contributing to this positive result were the developments in Romania (5,200 vehicles; +8.0%), Serbia (3,200 vehicles; +6.3%), Ukraine (2,600 vehicles; +65.9%) and the Baltics (3,900 vehicles; +23.0%).

In Russia, ŠKODA recorded a two-digit increase of 17.9 per cent (5,700 vehicles) compared to the same month last year (June 2016: 4,800 vehicles). In the first half of the year the manufacturer achieved growth of 6.7 per cent to 28,700 vehicles (2016: 26,900 vehicles).

In China, the biggest individual market worldwide, the long-established Czech brand was able to improve deliveries in June by 5.3 per cent to 23,500 vehicles (June 2016: 22,400 vehicles). This rise meets the manufacturer’s expectations. Tax increases at the beginning of the year for various vehicle segments that ŠKODA is represented in had led to a decrease in deliveries. In the first half of the year, ŠKODA delivered 134,000 vehicles (January to June 2016: 145,800 vehicles; -8.1%).

ŠKODA was able to record a positive result in India, where the manufacturer increased deliveries in June by 42.7 per cent to 1,400 vehicles (June 2016: 1,000 vehicles). In the first half of the year ŠKODA saw double-digit growth of 21.7 per cent to 7,900 vehicles (2016: 6,500 vehicles).

In Israel, ŠKODA made significant gains. 2,200 delivered vehicles stand for an increase of 41.8 per cent compared to the same month last year (June 2016: 1,500 vehicles). In the first half of the year, the manufacturer recorded a growth of 11.6 per cent to 14,000 vehicles (January to June 2016: 12,500 vehicles). In Australia, the traditional Czech brand performed well in June with growth of 23.8 per cent to 600 vehicles (June 2016: 500 vehicles). The deliveries increased from January to June by 5.8 per cent to 9,700 units (January to June 2016: 9,200 vehicles). With 400 deliveries to customers in June, ŠKODA recorded a growth of 4.0 per cent in Taiwan (June 2016: 400 vehicles). In the first half of the year, the brand improved its turnover by 8.2 per cent to 2,400 vehicles (January to June 2016: 2,300 vehicles)

Deliveries of the ŠKODA brand to customers in the first half of 2017 (in units, rounded, by model; +/- in per cent compared to last year):

ŠKODA OCTAVIA (205,300; -6.5%)

ŠKODA RAPID (103,000; +0.4%)

ŠKODA FABIA (111,100; +6.1%)

ŠKODA SUPERB (75,900; +8.3%)

ŠKODA YETI (43,000; -18.0%)

ŠKODA CITIGO (only sold in Europe: 19,700; -1.6%)

ŠKODA KODIAQ (27,100; –)

Deliveries of the ŠKODA brand to customers in June 2017 (in units, rounded, by model; +/- in per cent compared to same month last year):

ŠKODA OCTAVIA (35,000; -2.6%)

ŠKODA RAPID (17,600; -0.8%)

ŠKODA FABIA (19,700; 0.7%)

ŠKODA SUPERB (13,000; +3.7%)

ŠKODA YETI (6,700; -24.9%)

ŠKODA CITIGO (only sold in Europe: 3,200; -20.4%)

ŠKODA KODIAQ (9,900; –)

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

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