New Skoda EV Electric Car Launch.

Skoda has launched the all-new CITIGOe iV electric car at an event in Bratislava, Slovakia. 

This is the Czech car manufacturer’s first ever electric car and is a zero-emissions iteration of the internal combustion engine model. 

Skoda stated that “the era of mobility begins today” as the car silently edged onto the stage. Engineers described the launch of the CITIGOe iV as a ‘very special moment’ and boasted that the EV is the ‘perfect e-car for the city’ - and they may have a point.

Skoda CITIGOe iV The compact electric car is priced ‘well below €20,000’ which suggests a sub-£17,500 in the UK, making it relatively affordable.

One issue people have with electric cars, especially those of this price point, is that they don’t have a very ‘useable’ range.

 However, the new Skoda electric car has 265km (165-miles) of real-world range on the WLTP standards. This will be suitable for the vast majority of motorists and the car will likely take on sister company’s VW’s e-Up and the Renault Zoe, which can't match its distance on a single charge. 

Powering the pocket-sized electric car is a 36.8kWh which can be recharged to 80 per cent capacity in 60 minutes when hooked up to a 40kW fast charger. 

Using a 7.2-kW AC wall box, the battery is charged to 80 per cent in 4 hours 8 minutes, or 12 hours 37 minutes using a 2.3-kW home-charging station. 

 It should also be fairly nippy off the line as it has 210Nm of torque and unlike an ICE it can use that torque immediately giving you instant acceleration.

It has a power output from its electric motor of 61kW which in conjunction with the torque allows the car to sprint from 0-62mph in 12.5 seconds.

 It is also the same size as the Citigo which means that interior space isn’t compromised by the battery pack, which has been fitted into the floor.

 The design of the car is distinguished by the body colour radiator grille giving it a fresher new look and the word Skoda spelt out across the boot, a new signature from the firm. Its wing mirror has also been designed to integrate the indicators into them.

 The car measures just 3,597 mm long and 1,645 mm wide and has a 250-litre boot which can be extended up to 923-litres by folding down the rear seats.

ŠKODA CEO, Bernhard Maier, said, “Today, ŠKODA is entering the era of E-Mobility – a very special moment for the company, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary next year.

“Two models are kicking things off: our first all-electric model, the CITIGOe iV, as the brand’s first step into the E-Mobility era and the SUPERB iV as the brand’s first plug-in hybrid model.

 “In addition, we are presenting the new edition of our flagship model, the SUPERB, with a refined design and new technologies.”