emobility – experiences

NO FEAR OF VOLTAGE

ANSWERS TO THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT E-VEHICLES THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR ŠKODA AUTO EXPERTS

O

eople are talking about eMobility more and more. However, these discussions are not always based in fact, so a number of inaccuracies and myths are taking hold. Below, you can find the answers to the most frequently asked questions in this area.

Are electric cars more environmentally friendly than cars with internal combustion engines?

“First and foremost, electric cars do not produce any local CO2 emissions; thus, they contribute to cleaner air in city centres. Moreover, operating electric cars is as ecological as the production of electricity in a given country is ecological. Although the differences in this respect are tremendous, the pressure to increase the use of renewable resources is growing everywhere, and in many countries, green energy already has a larger share than that of fossil fuels”, says Petr Konopka from G32 – Model Line MEB.

Does the battery capacity not decrease significantly during an e-car’s lifecycle?

“Sure, there is certainly a decrease. In the case of the CITIGO0e iV and ENYAQ iV vehicles, however, we can guarantee our customers that a minimum of 70 percent battery capacity will remain available for eight years or up to 160,000 km”, explains Jan Špatný from the VAD/3 – eMobilty.

Is maintaining and servicing an e-car not expensive and difficult? 

“On the contrary, drivers will save money on several traditional servicing expenses. Regular exchanges of fuel filters and distribution lines will no longer be required. Even the brakes have a longer service life, as most of the braking torque is provided by the engine thanks to the recovery system. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the e-car user can avoid regular service inspections. The intervals are similar to those of conventional drive cars, but the work will be faster and cheaper”, adds eMobility specialist Špatný.

Do you want to ask something else?

Send your questions to us, then we will publish the answers from the ŠKODA AUTO experts in ŠKODA Mobil or via other internal communication channels. Send your questions to: skoda.mobil@skoda-auto.cz

Aren’t there too few charging points?

“The charging station network is constantly evolving and now safely covers the main routes. Thanks to the MyŠKODA Powerpass card, drivers can comfortably travel all over Europe and have more than 150,000 charging stations at their disposal. For the time being, everyone has to watch and be more careful when planning a route to more remote locations. The MyŠKODA Powerpass application will help drivers to find suitable charging stations. As far as everyday driving is concerned, it’s enough to charge one’s electric car at home when electricity is cheaper (at night) and in the battery-saving mode”, says Klára Schönfeld from VC – Customer Experience Management.

How big is the risk of a battery fire?

“Tests carried out by the German ADAC car club revealed that the risk is definitely not higher than for classical combustion engine cars. The electric car has a system that disconnects the battery in the event of an accident. If a fire still occurs, other extinguishing procedures are needed. Rescue services have already developed reliable procedures. If the vehicle catches fire, it is extinguished and cooled with a mixture of water and wetting agent. Furthermore, a special extinguishing wetting agent for traction batteries is being developed so that the hazardous substances that form do not have a chemical reaction”, adds Zbyšek Orzech from SO/1 – Fire Service. ED

GREEN FLEET

At ŠKODA AUTO, alternative drive cars have become an integral part of the company’s fleet. “Currently, 176 of them are driving under the usual conditions, two-thirds of which are SUPERB plug-in hybrids. The rest are CITIGOe iV models, whose practical usability was tested by some of our colleagues when they visited Budapest and Bratislava on their journeys. They didn’t encounter any difficulties with the vehicle nor with the charging infrastructure”, explains Michal Bílek from the VTK/3 – Management of Company Cars department. “For my Prague–Bratislava trip, I reasonably planned my charging stops so as not to make them disproportionately long while giving the car a safe balance of energy for travel,” adds one of the drivers, Tomáš Lukáč from FIE – System Integration Product Creation. After the launch, employees will also receive other models from the IV family. A new generation of the OCTAVIA with a hybrid drive will arrive first, and the ENYAQ iV will follow. 

THE ENYAQ iV IS JOINING THE ELECTRIC CARS AND HYBRIDS THAT ARE ALREADY IN USE.

Wide charging network

Charging infrastructure is developing rapidly, and ŠKODA AUTO is playing a major role in this regard. “We are fully prepared for the start of electromobility. Currently, about 600 charging stations are in service already, 261 of which can be used for company vehicles and 62 for our employees’ private cars. We will further develop this infrastructure in the years to come”, says Bílek. What if you need to recharge your electric car or hybrid car somewhere else? “Recharging hybrids and electric vehicles outside the plant and in the adjacent car parks is covered in cooperation with PRE”, explains Bílek. Rani Tolimat