Skoda plans to launch updated electric vehicle in India in 2025, says Brand Director Petr Janeba
New Delhi: Skoda Auto will roll out its electric vehicle in the Indian market in 2025. In an exclusive interaction with ANI Skoda Auto Brand Director Petr Janeba says Skoda’s European bestseller, the Enyaq EV, was initially slated for an Indian debut this year but postponed to next year for an updated version.
Janeba says a significant facelift planned for the model in March has led the company to hold off until the new version, featuring Skoda’s latest design language, is ready.
He said, “We have one of the best-selling EVs in Europe is our European Enyaq. The car was tested, the car was prepared for India. We have actually stopped bringing the car this year. Because there will be a huge facelift of the Skoda Enyaq coming in March following the new design language.”
He added, “We actually can choose one of the three EV cars coming to India or all three.”
Skoda is closely monitoring India’s changing EV policies, especially the CAFE3 (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) norms set to be introduced in April 2027.
On further investment in India Janeba highlighted the importance of a consistent regulatory environment, as state-level EV and hybrid tax policies currently vary widely, impacting long-term planning.
“And within this plan, we understand nobody can survive in India without having a deeper localized CKD EV in India. We are ready for this. We are ready in Pune to make another investment for the car and for the production to get it. In the end of the day, we still take our time in order to decide the right measure car for the market, seeing the new competitors coming on the EVs.” Said Janeba
Skoda already has two manufacturing units in India, in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Pune. EVs are planned to be manufactured in their Pune plant
For the production, he stated, “In the same factory in Pune, Chakan we will be producing EV. Currently we have increased because of the Kylaq the production capacity in Pune to 250,000 units a year and we will be increasing further once it is needed either for the current cars because of the export or because of the Indian demand or for the new cars like EVs.”
The facility is also set to support EV production with deep localization efforts to make Skoda’s electric line up more affordable for Indian consumers.
Piyush Arora, India CEO, Skoda Auto echoed this sentiment, expressing confidence that Skoda’s expanded product offerings will capture the growing sub-four-meter SUV segment, a category that represents nearly 30 per cent of India’s automotive market.
“With the new Kodiaq and other upcoming models, we are aiming for a 5 per cent market share in the medium term,” he added.
Skoda’s commitment to India extends beyond manufacturing. Arora highlighted the company’s investment in local engineering talent and its dealer and supplier networks.
“Our technical centre in India plays a crucial role in developing products like the Kodiaq, which was fully designed in India,” he noted, calling it a testament to India’s engineering prowess and the company’s long-term vision for the region.
(With inputs from ANI)