Simply Clever 2.0

Welcome to the new episode of the SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST. Right after the summer break, we start with a big world premiere. At the end of August, ŠKODA unveiled its seven-seater VISION 7S concept. ŠKODA thus provides the first specific outlook on the brand's new design language. From now on, ŠKODA will be not only simply clever but also modern solid. This new design language combines robustness, functionality, and authenticity. With the new design language, there will also be a new corporate identity, which is the most radical change in 30 years, with a new picturemark and wordmark coming up in the next few months and years. Both the new design language and corporate identity are the topics for this episode of SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST. And my honorable guest is Oliver Stefani, head of ŠKODA Design, and later on Martin Jahn, Board Member for Sales & Marketing at ŠKODA. 

At the end of the 1950s, two ŠKODA coupés based on the 1100 OHC roadster began taking part in Czech road races. While they did enjoy some success in local races, their racing career didn’t last long – the 1960s saw a new category of racing cars, and the OHC Coupé went into retirement. Enthusiasts from ŠKODA Česana bought the two cars, but in the end, both were written off in crashes. One of them was so burnt that its unique all-aluminium body was destroyed. Nevertheless, today’s SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST 2.0 is all about this wonderful coupé, which was nicknamed the Czech E-type. This is because a few years ago, workers at the ŠKODA Museum joined forces with the ŠKODA AUTO Prototype Construction Centre to revive this burnt-out coupé using original plans, modern technology and above all the enormous enthusiasm and determination of everyone involved.

Apprentices from the ŠKODA AUTO Vocational School build a unique Student Concept Car every year. This time, they based it on ŠKODA’s smallest SUV, the KAMIQ. In collaboration with ŠKODA Motorsport, they created the amazing ŠKODA AFRIQ that could enter any special stage of the legendary Dakar Rally off the bat. Plus, it can make water out of the air - thanks to technology from the Israeli company WaterGen. The system extracts drinking water from the humidity of the air and can even generate drinking water in the desert. By installing a unit in the AFRIQ, ŠKODA AUTO is raising awareness of this technology that can help to combat water shortages in desert regions and eliminate the need for single-use plastic bottles. But how does it work? And how did this collaboration between ŠKODA AUTO and WaterGen come about? That's the topic of today's episode of the SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST 2.0. Joining me is Ludmila Prokopcová, head of technology scouting & business development, and Steve Elbaz, vice-president for mobility at WaterGen.

Today we’re at the M6 production hall of the ŠKODA AUTO factory in Mladá Boleslav. So far, this is where batteries for the plug-in hybrid cars, SUPERB iV and OCTAVIA iV have been produced. But not long ago, ŠKODA AUTO added traction batteries to the line-up. These are used in the all-electric models based on the MEB platform – the ENYAQ iV and ENYAQ Coupé iV. The company invested almost 130 million euros in the new facility. 200 new jobs will be created, and when running at full capacity, the line will produce  more than  250,000 traction batteries per year.I recently had the opportunity to visit the new production line and find out how the batteries are assembled, how much of this work is automated, and how the employees were trained to work on this production line. That’s the topic of today’s episode and joining me is Christian Bleiel, Head of Component Production at ŠKODA AUTO.

Almost everyone knows the classic computer game, which aims to place variously shaped elements in a given space as compactly as possible. ŠKODA AUTO logistics has the same task whenever they have to load a 40-foot-long freight container. However, since 2020, they have been supported by an application using artificial intelligence technology: OPTIKON AI calculates the best way to place and the optimal number of different types of pallets, thus maximizing the loading capacity of the container.How exactly does OPTIKON work? What does such a container loading look like in practice? And where else could similar optimization help the carmaker? The guests of today's SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST 2.0 are the coordinator of the ŠKODA AUTO transport systems, Jakub Novák, and Petr Švarc from the artificial intelligence department.

Today’s SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST is special. We won’t be talking about digitaltechnologies or innovations but about helping the people of Ukraine fleeing from Russianaggression. Due to the war, PEKM Kabeltechnik temporarily suspended production at itsplant in Lviv, where they assemble cable harnesses for door panels, bumpers, seats, andtowbars. The factory is now operating again, but to a limited extent due to supplyconstraints. This is why ŠKODA AUTO decided to help the company duplicate production,i.e., double up production, specifically in Mladá Boleslav. How did ŠKODA AUTO manage to relocate part of the production from Ukraine to MladáBoleslav in just a few weeks? And how important is it for the carmaker? Today’s guests onthe SIMPLY CLEVER podcast are the head of the ŠKODA AUTO Connectivity and Electronics Purchasing department, Jan Melichar, the Supply Chain Risk Manager Pavel Odstrčil and ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Purchasing Karsten Schnake. 

In this episode of the Simply Clever podcast, we’ll be offering some advice to people who have decided to switch to electromobility.Imagine the situation – you have two cars at home, and you’re thinking about trading one in to get an EV, maybe one with a small battery that’s ideal for towns and cities.I was in that situation not so long ago and had questions like:is it ok if I just use a standard plug socket to charge the EV? How is charging going to affect my bills? And should I start thinking about solar panels? Especially after energy priceswent through the roof at the end of the year.  I decided to ask somebody with lots of experience in electromobility, home charging, and solar energy. Today’s guest is EV enthusiast and YouTuber popularizing electromobility and photovoltaics, Jan Staněk, aka ElectroDad. Jan invited us to his house close to Brno and showed us what it’s like to live with two e-cars in the garage. 

Sportier, more passionate, and more powerful - at the end of January, ŠKODA AUTO introduced a new version of the fully electric model ENYAQ iV - the ENYAQ COUPÉ iV. And now, in March, the journalists had the first chance to drive it - including the fastest version RS. The so-called Media Launch was held in Tuscany, Italy. And in this episode of SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST 2.0, I'm going to try out the new ENYAQ COUPÉ iV on my own.

The expression peer-to-peer comes from computer terminology. In peer-to-peer networks, the clients or users communicate directly with each other. And peer-to-peer cArshAring works exactly the same way. As a customer, you do not rent from a carsharing company but directly from the car owner - when he is not using his vehicle. In this episode of SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST, we look back at the successful year of growth and expansion of the Czech peer-to-peer carsharing service HoppyGo with its CEO Robin Švaříček. For example, we talk about how the EV market growth in the Czech Republic changed this carsharing service. 

No fuel, just heartbeat - with these words ŠKODA AUTO introduced its new member of the EV family - ŠKODA ENYAQ COUPÉ iV and also its RS version. More aerodynamic profile, more sportive design, extended range and faster charging and in RS version the most powerful production ŠKODA ever. That's all you get with this new ŠKODA electric model, while you still have a spacious boot that is only 15 liters smaller than in regular ENYAQ iV. You can re-watch the world premiere on ŠKODA AUTO Czech republic Youtube channel. And here in SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST 2.0 I interviewed Daniel Pantůček, exterior designer at ŠKODA AUTO and Jaromír Mendl, product marketing manager for ENYAQ iV and ENYAQ Coupé iV.

Shortly after Skoda Auto presented its new model for the Indian market, the small Sedan Slavia, the car manufacturer announced another piece of news concerning its “global models”, specifically the next generation of vehicles for the Indian and South American markets, among others. Skoda Auto is taking over global responsibility for the MQB-A0 platform of the Volkswagen Group and will be developing the next generation of this platform, which incorporates the smallest models produced by the Group. This will include the successors of the recently introduced cars for the Indian market, Kushaq and Slavia. What does this mean for Skoda Auto? What is the potential of these “entry models” on global markets? What are the differences between the versions of the models presented on the individual markets? Jiří Dytrych, head of the Small product line at Skoda Auto, will be answering these questions in the newest edition of the Simply Clever podcast. 

In this episode of SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST 2.0 we visit Hamburg. This city with the population of almost 2 millions people is facing exactly the same problem as most of the big cities. Lots of cars, not enough space for parking and of course emissions. Volskwagen offers its own solution - ridesharing service called MOIA. You can see these golden painted electric minibuses pretty much everywhere on the streets of Hamburg. What you don't see is the clever algorithm behind the app which calculates the optimal route for you going for example to work and anybody else who might share the same direction you are headed. With only six seats in a spacious car you have much more comfort than in a public transport yet it is a bit cheaper and much more sustainable than taking a taxi or your own car. MOIA s vision is quite ambitious - to take one million cars off the road. In MOIA headquarters in the center of Hamburg we met with Sascha Meyer, Chief Product officer of the company. 

Probably nobody could have expected that right after the covid crisis there would be another global problem causing the vehicle production to stop - this time the global shortage of chips. Of course, covid19 played its role. One of the other reasons is probably that the production of chips is too centralised in Asia. But it was probably a combination of various factors combined. How are the automotive companies supposed to react? A what is the outline for upcoming months? These are the questions for Marek Jancák, head of ŠKODA AUTO vehicle production in a new episode of SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST 2.0.

Imagine that you are thinking about selling your old car. But not because you want to sell it, but because the car itself told you it is the right time to do it - based on used car market data. According to Eric Boutin, head of customer journey at ŠKODA AUTO this is not a science fiction. With proper data it is quite an easy thing to process. But we need to get to the point where there will be public consent that this kind of data usage is beneficial for the customers. What exactly is behind the term customer journey? Does it end at some point? And how has it changed because of covid, younger generation of customers and new digital technologies? I'm Vojtěch Koval and you are listening to SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST  2.0 with Eric Boutin, head of customer Journey at ŠKODA AUTO.

Could cars signal to pedestrians at the crosswalk that they are slowing down? So they can cross safely? Listen to today's SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST!In the last episode, we discussed the IPA2X autonomous robot that stops cars approaching a crossing so people can cross safely. The Škoda car company also took part in the project financed by the European Union. It also developed a special mask for the Enyaq iV car with an HMI interface. Instead of a so-called crystal face, this prototype Enyaq has an LED screen, which can, for example, show pedestrians that they can cross safely. And in today's SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST, we will focus, among other things, on how similar communication between the car and the environment might work and why the current legislation does not allow it.

The IPA2X robot can be thought of as an intelligent assistant for pedestrians – an autonomous rover aimed at improving safety at crossings, for example, for children, people with mobility issues and all pedestrians. It has two main parts: The base, or if you will, a chassis with wheels driven by electric motors. On the two-meter pole is the second part of the robot, basically its brain, LiDAR, and cameras, thanks to which it can recognize objects in its surroundings, mainly approaching vehicles. This head also has an HMI, i.e., screens that signal to drivers and pedestrians. In addition, the vehicle can communicate with the approaching car, for example, through its infotainment system.Put simply, it’s an intelligent, moving traffic light – you can see it in the video version of this podcast on the Škoda YouTube channel or on skoda-storyboard.com. This rover was developed by two Italian startups, Hipert and Lifetouch. Škoda Auto is also involved: The company even created a special mask for the Enyaq iV that can give signals to pedestrians. Prague’s CTU helped with the communication aspect between the rover and vehicles or unique applications. The entire EU-funded project is managed by the Technical University of Munich – and we’ll be discussing it in more detail in today’s SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST.The IPA2X project is supported by EIT Urban Mobility an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.EIT Urban Mobility acts to accelerate positive change on mobility to make urbanspaces more liveable. Learn more: eiturbanmobility.eu

Unfortunately, the number of accidents at railway crossings is constantly increasing. Drivers who ignore warning devices or are not careful enough at unprotected intersections are often to blame. But Škoda Auto has developed an application that warns drivers of an approaching train - and should thus increase safety at crossings.In most current Škoda models, you can download the Traffication app directly to theinfotainment system. The software evaluates potential dangers using trains' location data, among other things. During this trial period, Škoda collaborates with the train company Leo Express. How accurate is the app? And what other warnings can it provide? Today’s guest on the Simply Clever podcast is Michal Vondra from the EEH department at Škoda Auto.

Škoda broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the ‘longest continuous vehicle drift on ice’. Behind the steering wheel of the Mamba Green Škoda Enyaq RS iV on the frozen lake Stortjärnen, located in Krokom, Sweden, was the experienced racer and motoring journalist Richard Meaden, who, by the way, competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2007 and 2008. And, in 2011, he set a new world record for a production sedan at Bonneville Speed Week in a Škoda Octavia vRS – a record he held for ten years. Now, in an Enyaq RS iV, he’s officially broken the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the longest continuous vehicle drift on ice after reaching a distance of 7.351 km while drifting, simultaneously setting a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the ‘longest continuous vehicle drift on ice (electric car)’. And we had the chance to interview Dickie right after one of the attempts. Among other things, he explains how hard it is to make this electric SUV do something its electronic assistance systems usually try to avoid. 

As we enter the new year, you may be considering getting a new car, planning to take a look around a showroom or talking to a dealer. You might even be going through the specifications and looking at photos online. But what if you could explore a car from different angles and even take it for a drive without leaving your home? Škoda has already launched a virtual showroom – a website where you can configure your ideal car and see a 3D model of it. We discussed this with the head of the Customer Journey department at Škoda, Eric Boutin, back in November 2021. Now Škoda has taken another step by entering the ‘metaverse’, a virtual world where you can walk around the car and take it for a drive. There’s also an NFT gallery and a virtual island to wander round called Škodaverse. Today’s guest on the SIMPLY CLEVER PODCAST is Luca Zicconi from the Customer Journey department at Škoda. Luca and his team also partnered with Diego Borgo, a Web3 ambassador, NFT collector, and advisor to Fortune 500 brands regarding the blockchain. And with Luca and Diego, we’ll be finding out what exactly the metaverse is and how it can benefit automotive companies and their customers.

ŠKODA presented a new version of its EV - ENYAQ RS iV. We had the chance to drive it in the south of Spain and test new update of ME3 software. We talked with Jaromír Mendl, product marketing manager of ENYAQ family about the development of new ME3 generation of software and its latest updates.