KLAUS ZELLMER

SUV is smallest member of Chinese manufacturer’s three-car line-up for continental Europe Britain will only get all-electric Atto 3, but more right-hand-drive BYD EVs are set to follow

THE Vision 7S marks a major shift for Skoda – in styling but also in its overall branding. Former Porsche America chief Klaus Zellmer took over at the helm of the Czech brand in July. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, he gave his thoughts on the new concept and Skoda’s wider push into EVs.

QWhy does Skoda need a new design language and corporate identity?

A“Skoda has always had to change ever so slightly through its 127 years. This might be a bigger change because we’re taking it to the next level on design and the logo. But we’re in the middle of the biggest transformation of this industry – more change than in the past 50 years. Also, we have to make a conscious decision to not fish in the same pond as VW, SEAT and Cupra. This is why we had to develop our own design language: Modern Solid.”

QVision 7S certainly has a dramatic look. How much of it will be kept when the production car arrives?

A“If you look at our concept cars from the past, they weren’t so far from the truth when they actually hit the road. And it’s the same here; it’s a really good precursor for what we’re about to do.”

QBut elements such as the seating layout and doors will change, yes?

A“Of course, yes. Most of what we have in the concept is doable, but the spine in the car and the ‘suicide’ doors will change. They’re great on concepts, but that’s it.”

QHas there been a bit of surprise within Skoda at how readily customers have taken up EVs? Or are Enyaq buyers completely new to the brand?

A“That’s a difficult one. We’ve been under-supplying the markets massively for two years, basically. So we don’t really see exactly the source of business, exactly which cars they had before Enyaq. But our order bank for Enyaq remains incredible; I mean, we’re basically sold out for a year.”

QYou’re making a huge investment in EVs, including a smaller, more affordable SUV. Is it fair to say that your offering in this space will be typical Skoda – so slightly more practical than the comparable VW and Cupra vehicles?

A“Spot on, yes. Think about the brand values of Skoda – we’re very into functionality – and this automatically translates into a spacious interior. We’re not going to show that car for a little while yet, but we’ve done product clinics on it already, and we got really good marks.”

QIs it still going to be possible to sell that car at the target price of 20,000 Euros (£17,000)? There have been rumours that this figure is edging upwards.

A“I would never try to tell you that it’s easy to make a car like this with a 20,000Euro price tag. It’s a fight. But we have not given up. The price objective for that car remains 20,000 Euros, give or take a thousand Euros depending on brand. And we’re not just going to add 3,000 Euros to give the R&D team an easier life – no!”

QFinally, how are you doing on supply? The whole car industry has suffered huge delays to deliveries. Are you overcoming it or is there still more work to do?

A“I think we have better back-ups now to supply the semiconductors we need to make cars. Are we completely through the weeds? Not yet. But we’re still convinced that in the second half of this year, especially the fourth quarter, we’ll be in full swing on production. This will cut back lead times for our customers. Acceleration will be hard, but with this time frame we should be able to live up to our promises when it comes to delivery times.”

“Our concept cars haven’t been that different when they hit the road. It’s the same with the Vision 7S”

CHINESE EV giant BYD has confirmed plans for a major expansion into Europe that includes an ambitious push to bring cars to UK customers by the end of this year.

Founded as a battery maker in 1995, BYD (Build Your Dreams) took its experience in that area and used it to move into vehicle development and production. The firm has a wide portfolio of EVs on sale in its native China, and BYD has confirmed it will launch three cars in Europe that will be shown at this autumn’s Paris Motor Show. First deliveries are targeted before the end of this year.

The initial model range in continental Europe includes an imposing seven-seat

SUV, called Tang, and a swoopy-looking saloon, called Han. Both offer dual-motor powertrains with 510bhp, but are only built in left-hand drive so won’t be sold in the UK.

But the smallest vehicle of the trio – the Atto 3 – is all but certain to be the cheapest car in the new line-up, and the biggest seller. It will be the initial UK launch model.

The Atto 3 is 4,455mm long, so it sits between the MG ZS EV and VW’s ID.4 on overall size. It offers seating for five people, and a 440-litre boot that expands to 1,338 litres when the rear seats are folded down. Hi-tech standard equipment on the Chinese model includes a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that can rotate between portrait and landscape orientation.

The Atto 3 sits on BYD’s new bespoke EV architecture, called e-Platform 3.0, and is powered by a single front-mounted motor producing 201bhp and 310Nm of torque, enough, BYD claims, for a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds. Two battery capacities are available globally – 48kWh and 60kWh – but the UK will get only the larger of these. BYD claims a range of up to 261 miles. A heat pump will be standard too, helping to maintain this figure in colder weather.

BYD claims the new tech base supports 800v electrics. It hasn’t used this tech in the

Atto3 though, and the 29 minutes needed for a 30-to-80-per cent recharge (at up to 88kW) looks respectable rather than rapid.

BYD is still in “detailed discussions” with a retailer group that will lead its charge into the UK market, making its stated goal of delivering cars to British buyers within the next four months look ambitious.

The firm hasn’t detailed the precise UK specs of Atto 3, let alone any pricing. The bigger-battery right-hand-drive version costs AUS$48,000 in Australia, just over £28,000. Given that BYD is benchmarking Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia, it seems likely the Atto 3 could cost around £30k in UK dealerships.

“BYD is still in ‘detailed discussions’ with a retailer group that will lead its charge into the UK market”