Škoda iV
The iV designation on the rear of Skoda cars reveals that it is an electrified model, whether hybrid or pure electric.
On the occasion of the Ice Hockey World Championship held in Bratislava in 2019, the automaker Škoda introduced a new sub-brand called Škoda iV (pronounced: í ví). The letter “i” in the name is intended to denote the characteristics of Škoda vehicles, which are innovative, intelligent, iconic, inspirational, individual, and intuitive. The letter “V” in the name stands for vehicle. This is a marketing explanation of the abbreviation designed to differentiate electrified vehicles from those with conventional propulsion.
In this context, electrified vehicles are understood to include both hybrid vehicles of the PHEV type and vehicles with purely electric propulsion of the BEV type. The Škoda management expects the share of electrified models to increase, reaching 25% of the brand’s total production by 2025.
To enter a “new era,” Škoda introduced two new vehicles: the fully electric vehicle ŠKODA CITIGOe iV and the vehicle ŠKODA SUPERB iV with plug-in hybrid propulsion.
ŠKODA CITIGOe iV
It’s the first serial electric car from Škoda in its 124-year history. It is a locally emission-free city car of the BEV type with an electric motor with a power of 61 kW and a torque of 210 Nm. The energy source is a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 36.8 kWh or 60 Ah. This battery allows the vehicle a range of up to 265 km, measured according to the WLTP mode. The maximum speed is 130 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is in 12.5 s.
Charging: The speed of recharging depends mainly on the type of charger used. When charging to 80% capacity, the fastest DC fast charging station takes 1 hour. Charging to 80% at a wallbox with alternating current and a power of 7.2 kW takes 4 hours and 8 minutes, while charging at a home charging station with a power of 2.3 kW takes 12 hours and 37 minutes.
Comparison of weights of conventional power units and electric drives:
When comparing the electric motor with the 1.0 MPI engine used for conventional CITIGO vehicles, the electric motor in the CITIGOe iV model is larger, easier to install, but surprisingly slightly heavier than its combustion counterpart. The electric motor itself weighs 54.1 kg, while the 1.0 MPI engine weighs only 50.5 kg. However, the electric motor requires a much simpler and lighter single-stage gearbox. Overall, the unit with the electric motor is about 10 kg lighter than the conventional one, which weighs 80.2 kg together with the gearbox. For completeness, it should be mentioned that the battery of the Citigo iV electric car weighs 248 kg, is mounted under the floor, and also occupies space under the front seats. The classic Citigo has a tank with a volume of 35 liters, approximately 40 kg.
ŠKODA SUPERB iV
It is the first vehicle from the brand equipped with a plug-in hybrid drive with a range in purely electric mode of 55 km, the combined range is 850 km. The vehicle has two engines, a 1.4 TSI petrol engine with a power of 115 kW and an electric motor with a power of 85 kW. The maximum system power in SPORT mode is 160 kW with a torque of 400 Nm. The lithium-ion battery is located in the floor in front of the rear axle and has a capacity of 3.6 kWh or 13 kWh. The CO2 emissions of the Škoda Superb iV are 40 g/km according to the WLTP method.
