Skoda, the Czech Volkswagen subsidiary, has announced plans to expand its main plant in Mladá Boleslav with a second assembly line for MEB battery systems, increasing production capacity to 1,500 units per day.
The plant is the only European site outside Germany that produces battery systems for MEB vehicles. The first assembly line went into operation in May 2022, and Skoda is now confirming its schedule for the second expansion stage to bring the second line online by the end of 2023, producing over 380,000 battery systems annually.
See also: Skoda Sells 53,700 All-Electric Cars in 2022, up 9.3% from 2021
The smallest battery system version built at the plant has a gross energy content of 55 kWh and eight modules. The medium version, with nine modules, comes to 62 kWh, and the largest battery, with twelve modules, to 82 kWh. The components of an MEB battery system also include a battery housing with an integrated cooling system, a battery management system, and the necessary electrical connections.
Skoda has also announced a revised version of the Enyaq iV BEV model and new generations of the Superb and Kodiaq model series, both available as plug-in hybrids. The brand confirmed the acceleration of its electric plans announced last year and plans to launch three battery-electric models by 2026, including a compact car, a compact SUV, and a seven-seater SUV, with first glimpses scheduled for the second quarter of 2023. Skoda aims to increase the BEV share of deliveries in Europe to over 70% by 2030 and invest €5.6 billion in electric mobility by 2027.
Sister brand VW increased its EV sales targets in Europe and North America, with up to 80% of cars sold in Europe expected to be BEVs by 2030, and a BEV share of 55% planned for North America by then. Skoda is sticking to a 70% electric quota for Europe, optimising its combustion models, emphasising that during the transformation phase, vehicles with internal combustion engines will also play a crucial role for the brand.
See also: Volkswagen announces updates for MEB platform, come with 435 miles of range and 200 kW fast charging
In 2022, Skoda delivered 44,700 Enyaqs due to production issues and volatile supply chains, mainly due to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. This brought the plant in Mlada Boleslav to a standstill for weeks due to a lack of wiring harnesses from Ukraine, and Skoda had to reduce production for a while. Against this backdrop, Skoda deliveries fell by 16.7% across all drive types to 731,300 vehicles (2021: 878,200 units). The Enyaq was the only model to record growth in 2022, with 7.4% of all new Skodas sold last year being purely electric, up from 5% in 2021.
