We’ve never mentioned the Czech Automaker, Skoda, before on this site, but there is a first time for everything. Skoda is a fully owned subsidiary of Volkswagen. They currently manufactures the Skoda Octavia Green-tec model, which achieves 35 MPG from its 4 cylinder intercooled, turbocharged engine. The Czech company is in the process of enhancing its status as a fuel efficient automaker by testing the Skoda Octavia Green E Line electric concept car in the Czech Republic government. The electric vehicle technology will be available in mass production as the Skoda Octavia Combi in 2014. Below is a video of a test run with the concept:
Skoda is currently testing an electric fleet of vehicles based on the Skoda Octavia Combi because its modular design allows for easy installation of the lithium ion 26.5 kWh, 180 cell battery pack, electronic control unit, and the electric engine with its constant power of 60 kW and max power of 85 kW. The electric vehicle provides immediate, maximum torque of 270 Nm, which gives the car enough power for sharp acceleration and a good amount of agility and responsiveness, which the driver will appreciate mainly in busy city traffic. The Octavia Green E Line accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in twelve seconds, and the car’s maximum speed is limited to 135 km/h.
Recently, the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade have begun deployment of the Skoda Octavia Green E Line test fleet. This is the second Czech ministry to do so, after the Ministry of the Environment adopted a fleet of the electric vehicles. The ministries use the Green E Lines for official trips of up to 150 km.
Skoda explains its recent strategy in a statement from their website:
ŠKODA’s activities in the field of electric mobility are an important element of its broad-based drive and fuel strategy. This includes is continuous refinement of its highly efficient TDI and TSI engines, for which ŠKODA AUTO is currently building a new power plant testing centre in Mladá Boleslav, which will also serve for testing drives using different fuel varieties.