Škoda will offer shared electric cars and scooters in Prague

Czech carmaker Škoda Auto plans to offer electric car sharing under the WeShare brand in Prague next year, using its first electric model, the Škoda Citigo iV. The project is in cooperation with parent company Volkswagen.

Škoda CEO Bernhard
Maier made the announcement before the opening of the Frankfurt Motor
Show. Škoda also recently announced an electric scooter sharing
project for Prague called BeRide.

The WeShare service
has been available in Berlin since June 2018, using the electric
model of Volkswagen’s Golf. The user must have a smartphone and
credit card, be at least 21 years old, have a driver’s license for at
least a year, and be registered at a German address.

“WeShare is an
electric car-sharing service, thus offering emission-free and
sustainable urban mobility. By doing so, WeShare is helping to make
cities cleaner and quieter as well as to create more living space for
everyone,” Škoda said in a press release.

The electric
vehicles are recharged at public charging stations. Initially,
recharging will be handled by WeShare, but over time that
responsibility will shift to customers.

The electric Citigo and hybrid Superb are the main new models presented by Škoda at the Auto Show. They are the first mass-produced electric cars in Škoda’s124-year history.

In mid-May, Škoda presented its new iV e-mobility sub-brand in Bratislava, and introduced the all-electric Citigo iV and the Superb iV plug-in hybrid. The manufacturer says they offer quick charging, long ranges and affordable prices.

The Citigo iV is
made in Bratislava, and is powered by a 61 kW electric motor. Its
range is up to 260 kilometers, and it does not generate any
emissions.

From early 2020, the flagship Superb will be available as a plug-in hybrid featuring both an efficient gasoline engine and an electric motor.

“Škoda has thus
officially entered the era of electromobility, setting the course for
a successful future,” the carmaker said in a press release.

Electric components
have been produced for Volkswagen Group in Mladá Boleslav since
September 2019. The brand is also supporting the development of
charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The company plans to
have set up 7,000 charging points in and around its plants by 2025,
investing 32 million euros to make this happen. Over 13,000 employees
have already been trained in electric vehicle production.

Through the
production of electricity and natural gas cars, Škoda wants to
achieve the target of reducing vehicle fleet emissions by 30 percent
by January 2025 compared to 2015. In the same year, a quarter of the
cars produced are to be electric.