Škoda Electric vehicle FAQs

A good first question and the answer is probably yes! As you read through these FAQs, you’ll see there are some things to consider before you commit to switching to an EV. For example, you’ll have to think about how and where you’ll charge it and the kinds of journeys you do on a regular basis, but most people can make it work.

We are heading to an electric future and the products and UK charging infrastructure are evolving at pace.

Choosing an EV is fundamentally no different to choosing any other vehicle. You need to consider practicality, reliability, your budget and running costs as well as things like specification, colour and power.

Charging is of course the one big difference. Think about how far you usually drive in a day/week/month, and then whether you can charge at home or work, or will need to rely on the public charging infrastructure. There’s no right or wrong to this – you just need to understand the implications for your lifestyle.

Yes of course – it’s really important to do this and we’d recommend speaking to your local retailer to find out what you need to know.

Yes of course! Like any Škoda car, it’s designed to be reliable and trustworthy. Of course we’d always recommend you visit a Škoda retailer, which has specially trained high voltage technicians to keep your car in great working order.

EVs have no tailpipe emissions and we do all we can to minimise any impacts. Click here to find out more.

New all-electric Elroq

The new all-electric Škoda Elroq is a compact SUV guaranteed to turn heads with its rugged styling and sheer presence on the road.

Enyaq

Our first fully electric SUV, the Škoda Enyaq, offers an impressive range and an electrifying variety of features including mobile connectivity and a digital cockpit. 

Enyaq Coupé

Following this we introduced the Enyaq Coupé, our first ever all-electric Škoda vRS. The all-wheel drive Enyaq Coupé delivers exceptional acceleration and sheer exhilaration. 

You can use our Fuel savings calculator to work out how much you can save on fuel with an electric vehicle. Simply enter the annual mileage and fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine (ICE) car you wish to compare against to see your yearly savings.

Essentially there are three ways to charge your electric vehicle:

• via a 3-pin household wall socket, which is slow but available widely;

• via a wallbox which can be installed at your home if you have e.g. suitable off-street parking available and is substantially faster and more practical than a 3-pin plug ; and

• via public or on the road charging points, which can be the fastest way to charge, especially where rapid or ultra rapid options are available. Availability of public charging is increasing all the time.

For more information on charging, visit our dedicated page here.

Use our charging calculator to find out how fast the Elroq and Enyaq can be charged and compare home and public charging times.

Typically, Electric Vehicle drivers would charge their car to between 20% and 80%. Like a mobile phone, charging is quickest the first 20% and once it passes 80% it slows to protect the battery’s longevity. You can of course charge it to 100% ahead of longer journeys but it is not recommended to leave the car at 100% charge for long periods. 

The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 require batteries to be taken back free of charge on request. Škoda UK aim to make sure that high-voltage batteries are disposed of properly. Contact your local Škoda retailer for further information.

Standard extension cables cannot cope with the continuous high power draw required to charge an electric vehicle. If you are unable to find a suitable place to charge at home, there are an ever increasing amount of convenient public charging options including street chargers (e.g. in lamp posts), destination chargers (e.g. at supermarkets, cinemas or shopping centres), or workplace chargers which can make charging away from home quick and easy. 

Yes. The vehicle is designed to be safe whilst charging on rainy days. However, the plugs and sockets are not designed to be immersed in water. 

Like most lithium-ion batteries we use every day, such as in our smartphones, the capacity of batteries in electric vehicles will reduce over time through use and charging. This is important to keep in mind when comparing new and used electric vehicles on our website, as the capacity of a used battery will be lower than the capacity of a new battery.

The reduction of battery capacity through use, charging and time is called ‘degradation’.  For battery electric cars, degradation is affected by many variables such as charging speed, driving style, charging volume, temperature etc. As a battery ages the capacity will reduce, which means that the battery may need to be charged more frequently and the range achievable in real life may decrease.

You should not rely on new car performance figures (including battery capacity and range) in relation to used vehicles with older batteries, as they will not reflect used vehicle performance in the real world.

Yes – see previous question for charging options. The easiest and quickest way to charge at home is via a home charge (also known as a wall box). We have a partnership with award-winning supplier of easy-to-use home chargers, Ohme. Not only do they make the installation and set-up as easy as possible, they also offer low-cost charging options via integration with smart EV energy tariffs (eg. OVO Charge Anytime). You will need to have off-street parking available and permission from the landlord if you rent your property as well as an initial assessment arranged by Ohme to check if you are a standard or non-standard installation.

As a Škoda customer, you may be eligible for a free home charger as part of the vehicle finance package (UK retail customers 18+, subject to suitable location for standard installation); if not, costs start at a preferential rate for Škoda customers of £925, or £975 including standard installation for the most popular tethered Ohme Home Pro, plus you’ll get all the advice you need – click here to find out more.

Even if you have a home charger fitted, there may be times when you need to charge on-the-go and so it’s good to know public charging has come a long way over the past few years, and continues to improve.

Rapid chargers (with direct current or DC and speeds from 23 kW) and Ultra rapid (from 100 kW) are generally found on major routes and are essentially the petrol stations of the electric world. All electric cars have a maximum charging speed, and all rapid chargers have a maximum output (both are measured in kilowatts (kW)), so try to find a charger which maximises your car’s charging capacity. 

If you have a 60 kWh battery, it could take as little as 30 minutes to charge from empty to full at a 150 kW rapid charger (providing the charger is performing at that rate). At a 22 kW chargepoint, it could take around 3 hours. These are indicative minimum charge times for comparison only. They may not reflect real world experience.

And don’t forget that ‘filling’ to 80% is not only quicker (the last 20% is designed to fill much more slowly) but is also better for your battery. You can set 80% as the maximum charging level via the car or the app.

While many Škoda EVs have been designed with bi-directional technology, the interfaces and wallboxes are not currently available to enable this. Instead, we’re focusing at the moment on intelligent charging functionality which maximises energy usage while minimising costs.

Bi-directional charging essentially allows you to use your car’s battery as a power source. This could be ‘Vehicle to Load’ that allows you to use the car’s battery to charge devices, such as a scooter or e-bike; ‘Vehicle to Home’ that allows you to transfer energy back into your house from your vehicle, utilising dynamic energy tariffs to draw on stored electricity during peak periods; or ‘Vehicle to Grid’ that enables the transfer of electricity back from your EV into the grid.

Currently, because electric vehicles use newer technologies than their traditionally-fuelled counterparts, their list prices may be more expensive. But you have to look at the total cost of ownership (TCO) which takes into account the cost of fuel (or charging), servicing, taxes and incentives, as well as the resale value of the car once you come to change or sell it.

Compared to a petrol or diesel vehicle, it generally costs less to service an EV, because there are fewer moving and mechanical parts. To understand your EV service intervals and approximate costs take a look at our service plans or talk to your retailer.

Take a look at our fuel saving calculator to work out your estimated costs and compare those to the estimated costs of running a petrol or diesel model. Running an electric vehicle may, in many cases, cost less than the equivalent petrol or diesel car – see following question.

If you’re charging from a home wallbox, we advise installing an Ohme intelligent charger and switching to OVO Charge Anytime to save you money on your home charging costs. Find out more here: [OVO and Ohme].

On the road it’s more variable. To avoid paying over the odds when you need to fill up on a long journey, take a look at our PowerPass plans which simplify and can reduce the cost of public charging.

You can find details of the maximum electric range (according to official test (WLTP) criteria) in the individual vehicle descriptions in the model pages. These figures are obtained under standardised test conditions, after the battery has been fully charged to 100%. It’s important to note that, as with any car, the official test (WLTP) figures may not reflect real life driving results. What you actually achieve on the road will depend upon a number of factors including accessories fitted post-registration, variations in weather, driving styles, speed, vehicle and battery age and condition, vehicle load, and the starting charge of the battery. But there’s plenty of things you can do to help maximise your range, such as pre-heating your electric vehicle when charging on a cold day, coasting or using regenerative braking, and removing heavy items you don’t need to carry. To see how different factors might affect your range, take a look at our range calculator tool.

Use our range calculator to get an idea of how far you could drive your electric vehicle on a single charge, and how the range can be affected by a range of factors

The range of electric vehicles will generally differ due to various factors. Visit our dedicated page which explains how your electric range may be affected and find our useful hints and tips about how to maximise your range.

It might surprise you to learn that Norway and Canada are the countries with the most electric car drivers. As with combustion engines, electric motors do consume more energy in the cold; however, there are lots of ways to get around this. Electric cars can be heated via an app, which reduces consumption when driving. Find out more. 

We’d always recommend you visit a Škoda retailer, which has specially trained high voltage technicians to keep your car in great working order for all service and maintenance requirements. Use our online service booking tool or contact your retailer to discuss any servicing concerns.

Just like all our vehicles, all new electric Škoda models come with a 1 year breakdown cover, provided by  Škoda Roadside Assistance in partnership with the AA. And like our specialist technicians, our roadside team have access to the latest knowledge and training around EVs to give you peace of mind. For more details of our roadside assistance packages and T&Cs, click here.

Yes – with many newer cars and EVs having ‘connected’ technology, minor updates and improvements can be done remotely or ‘over the air’ – just like you might do with software updates on your phone. And do make sure you’ve downloaded and connected your car to the app for maximum convenience – for details on how to do this and the benefits, click here.

Yes of course – we offer a number of different finance packages so there is likely one to suit you. It’s a great way to spread the cost, you can include a service and maintenance package, and you’ll have the opportunity to stay updated on the latest developments and new models. Click here to see what’s available.

All new Škoda electric cars come with our standard 3 year/60,000 mile warranty plus an 8 year/100,000 mile high voltage battery degradation warranty, whichever comes first, click here for full details and T&Cs. There’s lot of advice on how to look after the battery to help maximise its effective lifespan – click here for details.

Over time, like most lithium-ion batteries we use every day, such as in our smartphones, the capacity of EV batteries will reduce with use and charging. If you’re buying a Škoda Plus Approved Used electric car, we’ll perform a multipoint check and produce a battery health certificate. The Škoda Plus Approved Used electric car will benefit from the balance of the warranty, which is supplied when the car is new and covers battery degradation to 70% over a period of 8 years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first, subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions set out in the warranty). Find out more here.

The technology and batteries in electric vehicles are improving all the time, but there are some great used EVs available. Buying a Škoda Approved Used EV means you’ll get the peace of mind you get with buying an approved petrol or diesel car, plus a battery health check (see above for details). Check out our used stock for available vehicles

Electric vehicles are designed to be safe. In fact because many of them are new to market, they incorporate the Škoda's latest safety technology. If you’re involved in an accident, it’s important that the battery is checked and repaired by a Škoda high voltage technician who’s trained to work on EVs. Recalls or service campaigns for EVs are managed in exactly the same way as for petrol and diesel cars; we’ll let you know if anything needs doing and work with you to arrange an appropriate time for it to be done.

Currently, the government has a number of incentives in place which mean you’ll pay much less Benefit in Kind on an EV compared to a petrol or diesel car. Visit our website to find out more.

There are a number of incentives in place for certain EV drivers, relating to VED (car tax) and BiK (as above), for installing homechargers, as well as for parking and travel. Electric vehicle drivers currently benefit from the lowest road tax rate of only £10. And if you rent or own a flat, you can get a grant for installing an EV chargepoint – for details, click here: GOV.UK Find a grant. Before you decide to purchase an EV it’s worth finding out what’s available for your specific chosen vehicle, and bear in mind this will vary depending on how you fund your car and where you live and drive.

Insuring an EV is no different to insuring a petrol or diesel vehicle, and your individual premium will be determined by a number of factors. Our partners at Volkswagen Financial Services are specialists in Škoda vehicles and can offer competitive rates. Speak to your retailer or click here to generate a quote.

Yes! Vehicles available on the scheme will vary from time to time, along with the corresponding rates and APs. To find out more, click here.

OVO Energy is Škoda’s recommended energy supplier. We’ve partnered with them to give our EV customers a green energy solution that keeps their running costs down. Find out more about the OVO Energy deal and how to sign up here.

Yes. Electric vehicles are designed and tested to the same standards as conventional combustion engine vehicles and can be taken through all types of car washes.