Skoda’s chief executive officer Klaus Zellmer has told UK media that the brand is investigating a new Octavia for an electric era.
Speaking with Autocar, Zellmer said that the brand was wanting to add an electric version of the sedan and wagon to its line-up by the end of the decade, however he did not say what would happen to the combustion engine Octavia in the meantime.
Autocar also speculated that an electric Octavia would likely ride on an electric-based Volkswagen platform rather than an existing platform.
The Skoda Octavia range could look very different in the coming years
“The Octavia is a fantastic car that we of course will have to keep in the family as long as we can as we have such a huge customer base,” Zellmer said.
Skoda has not commented yet on whether an Octavia plug-in hybrid is a possibility for the Australian arm of the business.
Plug-in hybrid versions of the Octavia have been available in the European market since 2019.
The Skoda Octavia won our 2022 Car of the Year
What could an electric Skoda Octavia be like?
It’s hard to say so early, but the Skoda Octavia EV would likely use a 90kWh battery pack and could use a front-drive dual-motor setup – not a common configuration for today’s electric vehicles.
An RS version could also become available later down the track with a four-motor electric setup, with one motor installed on each wheel.
The Skoda Enyaq RS iV could share its powertrain with an Octavia EV
The Volkswagen MEB (modular electric) platform could be used for the Octavia EV, however by the end of the 2020s, there will likely be even more platforms better suited to a sedan layout.
The Skoda Enyaq EV that rides on the MEB platform can produce up to 225kW in RS spec, so expect something similar for the Octavia EV if and when it happens.
