The future is MODERN SOLID

Carmaker ŠKODA AUTO has big plans for the future. Part of these plans is NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030, which puts environmental protection and meaningful and practical innovation front and centre. One of the tools for implementing this strategy will be the new design language MODERN SOLID, whose development was announced by ŠKODA Chairman Thomas Schäfer at the recent Annual Press Conference.

According to Schäfer, the Czech carmaker has developed a new philosophy to better respond to the demands and changing lifestyle of its customers. “I can assure you: There will be a real wow moment – both for customers and our competition, too,” Schäfer said. MODERN SOLID is going to be the near future of ŠKODA, and the public will find out more later this year.

According to Martin Jahn, ŠKODA board member for sales and marketing, MODERN SOLID is not just about the look of the cars. “Our new NEXT LEVEL strategy and the overall transformation demands a comprehensive design overhaul, not only with regard to products but also the whole brand,” Jahn said. “This shift represents the most dramatic change for ŠKODA since it became a part of Volkswagen Group. We will newly define our purpose, positioning and customer groups, which will shape our new brand design and design language as well as our communication,” Jahn added. Having said that, Jahn stressed that ŠKODA cars would remain people-centric, family-oriented, and SIMPLY CLEVER.

Electric cars are the future

As far as ŠKODA’s products are concerned, it is clear that electric vehicles are the future. “Electrification is also starting to play a role in some developing markets, such as India. Electromobility is a clear path for ŠKODA, not because of pressure from the EU, but because we truly believe in it,” said CEO Thomas Schäfer. He pointed out that ŠKODA is planning at least three new electric vehicles for the coming years, which will be positioned below the current ENYAQ iV in the model hierarchy. But ŠKODA also continues to believe in models with internal combustion engines. The new FABIA, for example, leaves no doubt about how efficient and environmentally friendly such cars can be, according to Schäfer.

ŠKODA ENYAQ COUPÉ iV

ŠKODA’s CEO also stressed that the brand will not further develop its plug-in hybrid range. “Plug-in hybrids are a very expensive way of bringing down CO₂ and consumption, because you technically have two systems in the car,” he explained. Plug-in hybrids are also not as effective in reducing fleet average CO2 emissions, he said. Current plug-in hybrids remain on offer, but electric vehicles are the future. In the future, full electrification will therefore also apply to the OCTAVIA, the brand’s best-selling model, according to Schäfer and Jahn. 

Thomas Schäfer
ŠKODA AUTO Chairman of the Board

But it is still too early to expect any definitive announcements in this regard. “The ŠKODA OCTAVIA, specifically the combi, is part of the core of our brand and rest assured that bringing this brand to the next level and into the next decade will require electrification of all our models,” said Schäfer. “We are not thinking about electrifying the current OCTAVIA and putting batteries into it as it is. We are trying to develop cars that will just fit the new era of electric and digital mobility,” Jahn added. 

ŠKODA wallboxes make home charging easy.

ŠKODA is not looking at alternatives such as hydrogen propulsion, nor is it planning a major initiative in the field of synthetic fuels. These require a lot of energy that can otherwise be consumed directly by electric vehicles. And hydrogen technology is too expensive. “There’s nothing more reasonable than batteries,” Schäfer said, adding that the MEB platform has enabled the brand to achieve great economies of scale and reduce the cost of producing EVs.