Newsletter for employees and residents living near the Škoda Auto Kvasiny plant 2/2026

IN BRIEF

EDU Week inspires

This event, supported by Škoda Auto, focuses on lifelong learning and personal development. This year, it will cover modern teaching methods, the risk of loneliness in the digital age and challenging behaviour in children. The programme is intended for teachers and the general public. It will take place from 25 to 27 August 2026 in Mladá Boleslav, Pardubice and Vrchlabí. More information:
www.skoda-eduweek.cz.

Poláček Summer Festival

Škoda Auto is once again supporting the Poláček Summer Festival. This year’s programme in Rychnov nad Kněžnou runs from 20 to 27 June and includes a concert by Čechomor, a concert version of the musical Dracula, an ABBA revival show, a stage adaptation of Postřižiny in the brewery grounds, and the comedy Prachy!!!

Local perspective: Pavel Mizera – Paint Shop Manager

The paint shop in Kvasiny is being gradually modernised, with one of the key steps set to take place during the upcoming plant‑wide shutdown. Paint Shop Manager Pavel Mizera told us more.

What new technologies are being used in the Kvasiny paint shop?
One new feature is heat recovery from the dryer exhaust systems. Temperatures in these drying units normally reach above 200°C, so we’ve installed heat exchangers there. They allow us to capture waste heat and use it again for heating. We’ve also got new application robots for spraying the primer coat. This year, we’ll add more robots for applying the topcoat, and next year we’ll add further robots for applying the colour coat itself.

How do the new technologies differ from the old ones, and what are their benefits?
The main benefit is that they’re more efficient. They allow us to apply protective layers from different distances from the bodywork, and we produce less waste – known as overspray – which has to be captured and then disposed of. This summer, we’ll install new robots for the topcoat and also change the material we use. Instead of a one‑component paint, we’ll use a more advanced and more environmentally friendly two‑component system. The previous one‑component material was the paint itself, which we thinned with a small amount of volatile substances. The new two‑component paint is solvent‑free, but it also contains a hardener. The two components are mixed directly at the robot’s spray head just before application, preparing the paint so that it can cure. This will significantly reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), while still allowing us to maintain a very high level of quality. With the one‑component paint, we’d already taken quality as far as it could go. Now it’ll be easier to maintain our very high quality standards.

Vehicle painting has generally changed a lot recently. Could this have a negative impact on service life or make cars more prone to corrosion?
The focus is on reducing the consumption of all coating materials so that we remain competitive. That doesn’t simply mean applying fewer layers; above all, it means using materials more efficiently and, where possible, recovering or recycling them. The overall thickness of the layers has always been subject to strict checks, and that hasn’t changed. We have to maintain the guaranteed quality of the bodywork and its anti‑corrosion protection. That’s also reflected in our long-standing and generous 12‑year warranty, as well as the positive feedback we receive from customers.

In your view, what makes the anti-corrosion protection on modern Škoda cars so reliable over the long term?
Corrosion protection isn’t just about the surface treatment in the paint shop, although that obviously plays a major role. The excellent long-term results come from close collaboration between many departments across the company – from body development, design and purchasing through to production, including the press shop, body shop, paint shop and assembly. All these processes play a big part. But we mustn’t forget material planning, process planning, quality control and the corrosion team. That team checks results not only on customer vehicles, but also on test cars and in laboratories. The findings are then fed back into all areas as measures to make our vehicles even more durable.

How do you spend your free time?
Most of my free time is spent with my family, and when we go on holiday, we usually like to keep active. We’ve grown to love mountains and rivers. We enjoy trying via ferratas and canyoning, which means making your way down streambeds and waterfalls in steep canyons, and white-water rafting. Some of my best experiences have been on the Colorado River through the whole of the Grand Canyon, the Karnali River in Nepal and the Brahmaputra in India. And when I’m having a quieter day, I like learning about oenology – the study of wine. My favourite wine regions include Bordeaux, Rioja, Tokaj, and wine‑growing areas in Bohemia and Moravia.