Skoda is using the opportunity provided by next month’s Shanghai Motor Show to hint at its electric future. With the Vision E study, the company provides its first brand-specific outlook on the future of individual mobility. The five-door SUV coupé can travel up to 500 kilometres, or about 300 miles, on purely electric power and meets the level 3 requirements for autonomous driving. Skoda says it is intensively pursuing the electrification of its model range, and will be offering five purely electric models in various segments by 2025.

The company says that at 4,645 mm long, 1,917 mm wide and 1,550 mm tall, the Skoda VISION E has great road presence. It says that in the future-oriented vehicle concept, the elevated seating position typical of SUV models and the generous space combine with a dynamic silhouette and gently sloping roof line in the style of a coupé.

The top speed is 180 km/h (112mph). The lithium-ion batteries and optimal recuperation allow a claimed range of up to 500 kilometres (311 miles). The two electric engines drive all four wheels. The front- and rear-wheel drive is adjusted to ensure stability, dynamism and safety.

The concept car also achieves the prerequisites for level 3 autonomous driving: It can operate independently in traffic jams, go into autopilot on motorways, stay in lane and swerve, carry out overtaking manoeuvres, independently search for free parking spaces and park and leave parking spaces alone. To enable this, various sensors with different ranges and numerous cameras constantly monitor the traffic situation.

Skoda says electromobility plays a key role in the its global growth strategy. It develops its own vehicle concepts for purely electric mobility on the basis of the MEB Group platform.

The electrification of Skoda’s model range will begin as early as 2019 with the launch of a Superb with plug-in hybrid drive. Skoda’s first purely electric series-produced vehicle will be released shortly afterwards in 2020. The company says that by 2025, the brand will have expanded its range to include five purely electric cars in various segments.