Skoda Octavia electric variant may arrive sooner than expected; will more likely be based on the scalable MEB architecture
In a special event, Skoda has announced its ‘Next Level Strategy 2030’ as it concentrates on being more digital along with embracing electric powertrain technology and going more global. The Czech Republican automaker aims to be among the top five best-selling carmakers in Europe and to do so, it has devised plans to consolidate its entry-level portfolio to increase volumes.
Besides planning over new entry-level models, Skoda will invest more in electric technologies and zero-emission mobility solutions. Skoda already sells the Enyaq iV and three more electric vehicles will be added to the lineup by 2030. While Skoda did not go into specifics over what they are, we can expect the brand to take advantage of the existing popular nameplates.
The Octavia is the best-seller for Skoda across the globe and the fourth generation was introduced only last year. The new Octavia debuted in India only a couple of weeks ago and its electrified sibling could be based on the global Combi variant and is more likely to sit on the scalable MEB architecture of VW Group.
Skoda has said that the upcoming EVs will be slotted below the Enyaq iV in both price and size and they will play a significant role in the brand’s aim of achieving 50 to 70 per cent share with the electric vehicles in the European continent, depending on the development of the market. The second pillar is focussing on developing markets such as India, Russia and north Africa by 2030.
The company will launch the Kushaq mid-size SUV based on the MQB A0 IN platform in the coming weeks in India and is the first model under the India 2.0 strategy, which saw an investment of more than one billion euro over the last three years. Skoda will also unveil a new mid-size sedan by the end of this year and it will be positioned more premium than the Rapid.
The third pillar under ‘Next Level Strategy 2030’ concentrates on customer engagement as Skoda seeks to improve sustainability, diversity digital customer experience and training. It is aiming to increase online sales of its products and wants one in five vehicles sold to come from online engagement as early as 2025.
The main objective of the three pillars is to increase the global sales up to 1.5 million units per year while reducing fleet emissions by more than 50 per cent compared to last year.