In 2023, Skoda Auto manufactured over 781,000 vehicles at its Czech plants, and its international facilities contributed an additional 107,000 units. The company’s scope of production was not limited to vehicles; it manufactured key components, including PHEV and MEB battery systems, axles, and engines, which also installed in other Volkswagen Group brands’ vehicles. Additionally, Skoda Auto made strategic advances in its internationalisation strategy in 2023: The brand entered the Vietnamese market in September and began preparations in mid-October for resuming production in Kazakhstan.
Production in the Czech Republic
In 2023, Skoda 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, Skoda 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 Skoda’s models but also to vehicles across the Volkswagen Group.
International production facilities
At the Volkswagen facility in Bratislava, Skoda Auto’s production included over 36,000 units of the Karoq SUV and the initial units of the new Superb generation. The company was responsible for the entire development of both the Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat, which are manufactured on the same production line in Bratislava. This initiative is part of the Beta+ project, aimed at leveraging synergies in the production network and further boosting efficiency. By transferring the production of the Superb to Bratislava, the carmaker is creating capacity for additional units of the Octavia at the Kvasiny plant from the summer of 2024 onwards. Additionally, the move will allow more battery-electric vehicles to be built at the Mladá Boleslav plant.
At the Ukrainian plant in Solomonovo, 2,580 Skoda 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.
Across the four Chinese factories in Changsha (Kodiaq and Kodiaq GT), Nanjing (Kamiq, Kamiq GT and Superb), Ningbo (Octavia, Octavia Pro and Karoq) and Yizheng (Rapid), the Czech car manufacturer built approximately 18,500 vehicles in 2023.
Internationalisation strategy: entering new markets and building synergies
Skoda Auto effectively advanced its internationalisation strategy throughout 2023. The Pune factory in India produced almost 48,000 units of the locally developed Kushaq and Slavia models. Additionally, the Aurangabad plant contributed approximately 4,400 units, encompassing the Superb, Octavia, and Kodiaq models. In total, Skoda Auto’s Indian facilities produced over 52,000 vehicles.
The company is actively seeking to reach more customers in India while also expanding its international market presence. In line with this objective, Skoda Auto opened a new Parts Expedition Centre in Pune in October 2023. This will serve as a logistics hub for completely-knocked-down (CKD) kits of the Kushaq and Slavia models manufactured in India, starting this year.
In December last year, the Indian Parts Expedition Centre achieved a significant milestone by being the first in India to receive the Indian Green Building Council’s platinum certificate for green building. The certification underscores the facility’s adherence to green building principles, focusing on water conservation, energy efficiency, natural resource preservation, waste reduction, and creating healthier spaces for workers. These efforts align with Skoda Auto’s corporate strategy for a sustainable future.
From Pune, the CKD kits are set to be exported to Vietnam, reflecting Skoda Auto’s expansion into that market in September 2023. Vietnam is part of the ASEAN region where Skoda Auto strategically leads the Brand Group Core and aims to maximise growth for the Volkswagen Group.
Skoda 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.
