Skoda Electric Car Launch Next Year: What We Know So Far

Skoda India is finally getting ready to plant its flag in the EV space. It is doing so through limited imports rather than a locally built model. The company is planning to bring select electric cars from its global line-up to India starting early next year. Let's take a deep dive into what's driving this move and where Skoda's hybrid plans currently stand.

Why EV

The Indian automobile sector is going through a transition around ethanol blending, and automakers need time and concrete information ahead of the rollout to plan their vehicle launches accordingly. Additionally, the upcoming CAFE norms are about to hit automakers.

Fuel prices are one of the factors pushing buyers to shift from petrol/diesel cars to electric vehicles. Many automakers, too, are shifting focus to meet this new demand. Maruti, Tata, Mahindra, and MG are already in the race.

Which EVs Could Come to India

As of now, Skoda is expected to bring an EV from its global portfolio, which could be the Skoda Epiq. The Epiq is the smallest electric car in its portfolio. Globally, it comes with a single battery pack of 52 kWh. The car can travel up to 435-440 km on a single charge with this pack. Estimated range is around 427 km.

Another electric car could be the Peaq. Globally, it comes with 2 battery pack options across 3 variants in total. The battery packs are 59 kWh and 86 kWh. The smaller battery pack provides a range of 389-456 km, whereas the bigger battery pack's base variant gives a range of up to 553-642 km. However, there is another model with the bigger pack, which has a range of 526-609 km. This range indicates that this could be a more performance-oriented vehicle.

91's Take

Skoda is playing it safe for the Indian market, investing money with confidence in getting something in return, be it good sales numbers. Skoda will import these EVs in low volumes, build some trust among buyers, and then work out the local manufacturing math before going all in.