Skoda electric city car concept to be unveiled this year – Report

With Skoda having revealed its second electric car on the MEB platform, the Skoda Enyaq Coupe, the attention for the brand shifts to the lower segments, especially in the EUR 20,000 (GBP 17,000) range.

Skoda boss Thomas Schäfer has told Autocar.co.uk that the company will be “shortly” coming out with an announcement with this regard, and that a “beautiful concept” will show how the Skoda electric city car is differentiated from its sister brands. Last year at the IAA Munich auto show, VW and Cupra showcased the ID.Life and Urban Rebel concepts which respectively preview the design direction each car maker within the group is taking for the electric city car market. It could be Skoda’s turn this year, perhaps at the Paris Motor Show (Mondial de l’Auto 2022) in October.

Skoda electric city car platform

For these small electric cars, the VW Group is developing the MEB eco (also known as the MEB short) platform with an entry into service planned for 2025. Presumably, compared to the MEB platform supporting the Enyaq, the MEB eco would have fewer hardware components, or those supporting lesser performance, be it in charging capabilities, or in terms of how powerful the electric motors can be. The MEB eco will sport a standard front wheel drive architecture, as compared to the MEB which is rear drive biased.

Skoda electric city car specifications

The Skoda electric city car and its siblings could take the route of using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries which are more cost-effective as against the lithium nickel manganese cobalt (Li-NCM) units despite being heavier and not allowing the highest possible range.

The VW ID.Life concept had an estimated 400 km (249 mile) range, and the production vehicles from the brands on the MEB Eco are expected to hit that target (WLTP). The concept ID.Life featured a 57 kWh battery pack with a sporty 172 kW (234 PS) electric motor. VW Board Member for Sales Klaus Zellmer indicated the brand would have a high performance GTX trim line, which Skoda too could replicate with a vRS trim line. With the 234 PS electric motor, VW said the ID.Life could hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. Expect the normal variants to come with a circa-45 kWh battery, and a 100-150 PS motor.

Schäfer has indirectly confirmed that there would be no direct successor to the Citigo iV, and the future EV range would start at a higher segment.

Skoda electric city car production

Since the VW Group plans to participate in Spain’s PERTE (Projects for Economic Recovery and Transformation), the Seat Martorell plant could be the motherplant for all MEB eco products. The production ID.Life is likely to be called the VW ID.2, and keeping in-line with its tradition, the Skoda version would have a name ending with ‘Y’, and maybe one starting with ‘E’ to highlight the electric mobility aspect. The media has thrown around the name ‘Skoda Elroq’ but this is unlikely to the final name.

Skoda is aiming for 50-70 per cent of its sales in Europe to be pure-electric cars by 2030, and the next three products – the electric city car, a derivative of the VW ID.3 and the Skoda Octavia Electric equivalent – would be key to achieving this goal.

Skoda electric city car FAQs

Featured Image – Skoda