Škoda Auto Has Produced 500,000+ Batteries For Volkswagen Group EVs
When you think of Škoda, you don’t think of it being a battery giant. You think of it being a moderately sized brand within the Volkswagen Group stable. (Or, at least, I do.) However, the fact is, Škoda Auto does produce a lot of batteries for various Volkswagen Group vehicles — more than 500,000 to date. And that is just since it started doing this in May 2022!
That’s done at Škoda Auto’s Mladá Boleslav factory in the Czech Republic. Naturally, Škoda itself uses these batteries in its EVs, but so do Volkswagen, Audi, and SEAT. The batteries range from 55 kWh to 82 kWh in energy storage capacity.
“Along with the individual battery modules, each containing 16 cells or 24 cells, an MEB battery system also includes a case with an integrated cooling and a battery management system, as well as the necessary electrical connections. There are around 250 employees working at the current production line, in which Škoda Auto has invested around 130 million euros,” the company states.
Here’s a full list of the key numbers from Škoda Auto:
- 16 or 24-cell batteries per module
- 55–82 kWh total capacity per battery pack (“allowing up to 347 miles of range”)
- 52–77 kWh net capacity for those batteries (“to guarantee long lifespan,” not all of the storage capacity is used)
- 345–493 kg weight (“optimum weight for low centre of gravity”)
- 2.3, 7.2, or 11 kW AC charging (home sockets, wallbox, or public charge point)
- Up to 135 kW fast charging (10–80% charge in 29 minutes)
Passing this milestone doesn’t mean the company is celebrating its achievement and slowing down. To the contrary, Škoda is raising production capacity of these MEB vehicle batteries, to 1,500 a day. It’s also producing 800 plug-in hybrid batteries a day. A new assembly line is coming later in 2023 to increase production.
“Škoda is investing heavily in the transformation of its facilities and development, digitalisation and further education of its workforce, with the company already upskilling more than 23,000 employees to prepare for the demands of e-mobility,” the company writes.
“Battery systems are the key component for our successful transformation to e-mobility. The landmark of 500,000 Škoda-made battery systems for MEB and plug-in hybrid vehicles is an outstanding achievement,” Michael Oeljeklaus, Škoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics, adds. “It testifies both the trust of the Volkswagen Group in our highly-skilled team and our uncompromising commitment to e-mobility. And we are even shifting up another gear soon when we will be opening an additional assembly line and further increase the daily production capacity of battery systems. We are therefore following our clearly defined roadmap in order to strengthen the Czech Republic as an e-mobility hub.”
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