Skoda teaser believed to be EV concept

A TEASER showing what is believed to be Skoda’s first-ever electric vehicle has appeared ahead of next month’s Shanghai Motor Show.

The single image shows the profile of what appears to be a four-door coupe – inspired by crystal art glass, according to Skoda – that looks like it may be the Czech brand’s spin on sister brand Volkswagen’s Arteon, a replacement for the VW Passat-based CC.

An accompanying press release talks about design language, craftsmanship and powerful contours leaving us none the wiser as to what the car could be.

But a recent interview with Skoda chief executive Bernhard Maier supports the theory it is a concept car showcasing plans to enter the EV market with an all-new vehicle.

Maier recently told Auto Express that the company had an ‘electric shock’ in store for the Chinese show in late April.

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In the exclusive interview with the British motoring publication, he said: “In Shanghai we will show a surprise. It will give an outlook of what electrical mobility at Skoda will look like.

“We will first come up with a plug-in hybrid Superb in 2019 and the first purpose-built pure-electric vehicle will come right afterwards, currently planned to be on the market in 2020.”

The car in the teaser image has similar front and rear lamps to the Superb so the coupe shape could simply be to make the concept a more sleek modern appearance or the outline of an all-new purpose-built model.

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As part of the Volkswagen Group it was only a matter of time before Skoda joined the EV club, though Maier said a Skoda electric vehicle would have to fill a specific brief.

“By this time [2020] the infrastructure will be better prepared for electric mobility. Skoda does not have to be the leader of every new technology that comes on the market.

“We analyse what is helpful for our customers, what is suitable, what they are asking for, and of course whether it is accessible for them.”

Skoda’s parent company has flagged plans to introduce as many as 30 battery-powered models built off a bespoke platform over the next decade. It has also announced plans to introduce a new “MEB Modular Toolkit” that will allow it to fit either standardised electric or plug-in hybrid powertrains to its vehicles.