Skoda finally decides on an EV strategy for the Indian market

After much deliberation over different platforms and product strategies to enter India’s EV market over the last two years, Skoda appears to have come to a decision. The company has allegedly begun working on its first locally manufactured EV for this important emerging market.

According to a recent report from the Indian newspaper Business Standard, Skoda plans to launch a new fully localised EV manufactured in the city of Chakan in India’s western state of Maharashtra. The company is also considering exports, although the article does not state any specific target countries or regions.

Petr Janeba, Skoda’s Brand Director in India, told the Indian newspaper that the future Skoda EV will measure 4.5 meters long, indicating a compact or C-segment model comparable to the Elroq.

Speaking further, Janeba said that Skoda plans to offer the India-focused EV with two battery pack options, allowing it to set the floor price attractively low while also appealing to affluent buyers seeking greater long-distance usability. Janeba has not disclosed the cell chemistry, energy storage capacity, or any other critical details about the battery packs yet.

“While the platform is decided, product development is ongoing,” Janeba said. He added, “It is a unique car we don’t have in Europe.” After various speculations in the local media over the last two years, this marked the first time a Volkswagen Group official shared concrete details about the company’s plan for an India-made mass-market EV.

New multi-energy platform

Janeba did not reveal the platform of the India-made Skoda EV, but the Elroq’s rear-biased MEB platform is likely off the table. In a recent podcast, Autocar India Editor Hormazd Sorabjee said Skoda and Volkswagen are evaluating a new multi-energy platform that supports ICE, hybrid, and electric applications.

The company had considered an India-focused derivative of the FWD variant of MEB, dubbed ‘MEB21G’, as well as an ‘India Main Platform (IMP)’ based on the Compact Main Platform (CMP) for its locally manufactured EVs, but ultimately ruled out both solutions.

The new rumoured mixed platform may be a step backwards, especially considering that Volkswagen Group has moved to dedicated EV platforms across almost all key markets..

Still, it might be the only feasible path to developing low-cost, India-focused EVs and more competitive successors to the country’s current ICE models. Otherwise, the company would require two new platforms, demanding significant capital investment.

“The investment decisions and capacity are not finalised, it’s an evolving situation,” Janeba said, speaking about the upcoming India-made EV. Naturally, Volkswagen may be planning a close cousin of the India-made Skoda EV, although the company has yet to confirm such plans.