In 2023, Škoda Auto manufactured more than 781,000 cars at its Czech plants and its overseas facilities provided another 107,000 units. The company’s scope of production is not limited to automobiles; manufactured key components, adding PHEV and MEB battery, axle and motor systems, which were also installed in cars from other Volkswagen Group logos. In addition, ŠKODA Auto has taken strategic steps in its foreignization strategy in 2023: the logo entered the Vietnamese market in September and began making arrangements in mid-October to resume production in Kazakhstan.
Andreas Dick, Škoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics, comments: “Over the past year, we have produced more than 888,000 Škoda vehicles globally, demonstrating our ability to adapt quickly and flexibly to a dynamically changing and geopolitically challenging environment. This achievement reflects our commitment to our customers, our brand, and the Group. Our recent new market entries and the addition of local manufacturing facilities are key steps in expanding our global production capacities. I would like to thank all my colleagues for their great commitment and teamwork.”
Production in the Czech RepublicIn 2023, Škoda Auto manufactured approximately 556,000 units of the Fabia, Scala, Octavia, Octavia iV, Kamiq, Enyaq and Enyaq Coupé series in Mladá Boleslav. This facility also produced 349,021 MQ100 and MQ200 manual transmissions, 1,736,815 axles and 469,935 EA211 engines, which are also installed in other Volkswagen Group brands’ vehicles. Additionally, the site manufactured 165,606 battery systems for MEB vehicles and 147,625 battery systems for plug-in hybrid models. With a second assembly line commissioned in December 2023, the facility’s capacity is set to increase by 50% to 1,500 units a day.
The Kvasiny plant also contributed significantly, producing a total of 225,000 units of the Karoq, Kodiaq, Superb, and Superb iV models in 2023. Key highlights of the year included the unveiling of the second-generation Kodiaq in October and the world premiere of the fourth-generation Superb in November. The brand’s ICE flagship will continue to be available in both hatchback and Combi estate body styles.
In Vrchlabí, Škoda Auto’s production focused on DQ200 automatic direct-shift transmissions, with a total of 686,066 units manufactured. These transmissions are integral not only to Škoda’s models but also to vehicles across the Volkswagen Group.
At Volkswagen’s Bratislava plant, Škoda Auto’s production consisted of more than 36,000 units of the Karoq SUV and the first units of the new generation of the Superb. The company is responsible for the entire evolution of the Škoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat, which were built on the same production line in Bratislava. This initiative is part of the Beta project, which aims to exploit synergies in the production network and increase efficiency. By moving production of the Superb to Bratislava, the automaker is building capacity for additional sets of the Octavia at the Kvasiny plant from summer 2024. In addition, the move will allow more battery-electric cars to be built at the Mladá Boleslav plant.
At the Ukrainian plant in Solomonovo, 2,580 Škoda cars were assembled last year from semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits imported from Czech production plants. The potential for increasing production volumes at the Solomonovo facility is contingent on the evolving war situation in Ukraine.
At the four Chinese plants in Changsha (Kodiaq and Kodiaq GT), Nanjing (Kamiq, Kamiq GT and Superb), Ningbo (Octavia, Octavia Pro and Karoq) and Yizheng (Rapid), the Czech manufacturer manufactured around 18,500 cars in 2023.
Internationalization strategy: penetrate new markets and create synergies. Škoda Auto has complexed its internationalisation strategy for 2023. The Pune plant in India has produced around 48,000 sets of the locally evolved Kushaq and Slavia models. In addition, the Aurangabad plant provided approximately 4,400 sets, adding the Superb, Octavia and Kodiaq models. In total, Škoda Auto’s Indian plants have produced more than 52,000 vehicles.
The company is actively looking to reach more consumers in India while also expanding its presence in the overseas market. In line with this goal, Škoda Auto opened a new portion shipping center in Pune in October 2023. This will serve as a logistics platform for Fully Disassembled Kits (CKDs) of the Indian-made Kushaq and Slavia models, starting this year.
In December last year, the Indian Parts Expedition Center achieved a significant milestone by being the first in India to achieve platinum certification from the Indian Green Building Council for sustainable construction. The certification highlights the facility’s compliance with sustainable construction principles, with a focus on water conservation, energy efficiency, plant resource conservation, waste reduction and creating healthier spaces for workers. These efforts align with Škoda Auto’s corporate strategy for a sustainable future.
From Pune, the CKD kits are set to be exported to Vietnam, reflecting Škoda Auto’s expansion into that market in September 2023. Vietnam is part of the ASEAN region where Škoda Auto strategically leads the Brand Group Core and aims to maximise growth for the Volkswagen Group.
Škoda Auto’s re-entry into Kazakhstan in October 2023 marks another significant step in its internationalisation efforts, contributing to the company’s goal of expanding its global presence.