Together with its production partners worldwide, Skoda has already produced one million vehicles this year, making it the fourth year in a row that the number of vehicles rolling off the production line has reached seven figures. Never before has this milestone been achieved as early as in October of a calendar year. Models including the Octavia, Fabia and the Superb have made the greatest contribution to this success. Additionally, the large SUV, the Kodiaq, promises further growth for 2017. The Skoda Karoq will also provide impetus for growth. The company is currently introducing the compact SUV to the markets, thereby continuing its SUV campaign.
The landmark of one million vehicles produced, which was reached at the end of October, underlines once more the company’s development over the last 25 years in particular. Since joining Volkswagen Group in 1991, the Czech car manufacturer has increased its production seven fold and transformed itself from a regional operator into a high-volume manufacturer. Whilst there was only one model range rolling off the production line back then, today it is seven model ranges and over 40 model variants.
As it has grown, the company has been cultivating an international and efficient production network. In its home country of the Czech Republic, besides its main plant in Mladá Boleslav, the manufacturer operates further production plants in Kvasiny and Vrchlabí. In addition, Skoda vehicles also roll off the line at Volkswagen Group plants or with local partners in China, India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Algeria and Slovakia.
The company has set a course for long-term growth beyond 2017. The roadmap for this comes in the shape of the 2025 Strategy, with which the Czech manufacturer is preparing itself for the upcoming challenges in the automotive industry. The future strategy’s key topics include electro-mobility, the digitalization of the company, internationalization and new mobility services. With this, Skoda aims to grow in two dimensions: on the one hand, vehicle sales are to be increased further and on the other hand, new business areas, such as digital mobility services, are to create a broader base for growth.
Speaking on the occasion, Skoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics, Michael Oeljeklaus, said, “Reaching the mark of one million cars produced is an important milestone for us this year. This number, which has now already been reached, underlines the performance of our production sites as well as the expertise of our team. This year, we are once again aiming for a new production record.”