Electric Cars: The Basics
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The Skoda Octavia PHEV Hatchback
Skoda Auto, more commonly referred to as Skoda, is headquartered in the Czech Republic. The company was established in 1895. In 1991, the company become part of the German automotive group, Volkswagen. Skoda vehicles are sold in over 100 countries.
Skoda is committed to an electrification strategy, to include, launching up to 10 electric vehicles, with 6 pure-electric models by 2025. According to the company, “By 2022, we will be investing a full two billion Euros into eMobility and new mobile services. These investments encompass new products and the production, purchase, quality and launch of new electric vehicles.”
The Citigo-e IV is the first all-electric vehicle from Skoda targeted at the urban consumer. Order books for this BEV opened in December 2019. The all-electric SKODA ENYAQ iV is the first pure electric SUV from SKODA. The e-SUV went on sale in 2020. The SKODA electric vehicles range includes:
- SKODA ENYAQ iV SUV
- SKODA ENYAQ Coupé iV SUV
- SKODA OCTAVIA iV plug-in hybrid hatchback
- SKODA OCTAVIA plug-in hybrid estate
- SKODA SUPERB iV plug-in hybrid hatchback
- SKODA SUPERB iV plug-in hybrid estate
The Skoda Octavia family car has been manufactured since 1996. The model is currently on its fourth generation. The Octavia has sold well since its introduction, with more than five million cars sold. The fourth generation Octavia was unveiled in Prague in November 2019. Deliveries commenced in 2020. The Skoda Octavia is also available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
The Skoda Octavia hatchback has been a family-favourite for sometime, in particular, with those keen on affordability. With the introduction of the PHEV variant, the Skoda hatchback value proposition has become even more compelling. Driving a PHEV on the emission-free electric mode is cheap, in comparison to using the petrol or diesel engine. Depending on the cost of charging, driving an electric car will cost between 5 cents and 10 cents per km.
The Skoda Octavia hatchback plug-in hybrid has a 13 kW onboard EV battery, quite typical for PHEVs in this price segment. The manufacturer claims an EV range up to 64 km (WLTP certified). Even adjusting for real-world driving, the electric car should be able to achieve up to 55 km, which is reasonably good in comparison to other plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Do keep in mind that the majority of family trips are short distances i.e. school-runs, grocery store, shopping etc. The average distanced travelled in a day is 50 km, so an electric range up to 55 km is more than sufficient to take advantage of the benefits of pure electric driving.
Even, for those that drive to work, driving on electric mode works well, as the electric car can be charged at home and at work (workplace EV charging)! For those weekend getaways, the petrol engine can be utilised for the longer drive.
Taking advantage of the EV range will also require inculcating a habit of charging the EV on a regular basis, which again is as easy as charging a smartphone. We at e-zoomed discourage the use of a domestic 3-PIN plug for charging an electric car. A ‘topping up’ approach to charging will help improve the overall efficiency of the electric vehicle and also improve the long-term maintenance of the onboard EV battery. Skoda offers a 8 years or 160,000 km warranty.
The PHEV is not DC charging compatible (most PHEVs are not) and has a 3.6 kW onboard charger. The PHEV can be fully charged in 3.5 hours. Using a 3-PIN socket will take up to 5 hours. In any case, we at e-zoomed recommend charging the EV overnight, when the electricity tariff rates are cheaper. Of course, we also encourage using green energy to charge the EV!
Moreover, driving on e-mode improves the efficiency of the vehicle i.e. lower motoring costs! Skoda claims the PHEV has a fuel economy up to 1.0 l/100km. Real-world economy will certainly be less efficient, but substantially better compared to the conventional internal combustion (ICE) variant (4.13-5.87 l/100km).
Though the Octavia plug-in electric car will not deliver a ‘Ferrari acceleration’, the PHEV offers decent performance, appropriate for this type of family car. The 1.4-litre TSI iV petrol engine (4-cylinders) is paired with an electric motor.
The plug-in electric car can achieve 0-100 km/h in 7.7 seconds. The top speed of the EV is 220 km/h. The total system performance is up to 245 PS and 250 Nm torque. Certainly suitable for city and motorway driving. Of course, do keep in mind that the EV also benefits from instant torque.
Practicality is a strong point for the Octavia PHEV. The vehicle offers generous interior cabin space for front and rear seat passengers, to include legroom and headroom. The EV is certainly comfortable. The boot space has been reduced due to the placement of the onboard EV battery. Nevertheless there is up to 450 L cargo volume on offer!
The EV has lower tailpipe emission (36g CO2/km) compared to the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) variant (157g CO2/km). Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet!
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Strong ‘value proposition’. An affordable family electric car | Driving performance won’t set the heart racing |
| Strong on practicality and space | On board charger limited to 3.6 kW AC |
| Cheap to run on electric mode | Cheaper alternatives available |
Gallery
The Skoda Octavia Plug-In Hybrid Hatchback (credit: Skoda)
| At A Glance | |
|---|---|
| EV Type: | Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) |
| Body Type: | Hatchback |
| Engine: | Petrol-Electric |
| Available In Ireland: | No |
| Variants (1 Option) |
|---|
| Skoda Octavia Plug-In Hybrid (from € N/A) |
| EV Battery & Emissions | |
|---|---|
| EV Battery Type: | Lithium-ion |
| EV Battery Capacity: | Available in one battery size: 13 kWh |
| Charging: | DC charging not available. On board charger: 3.6 kW AC (0% – 100%: 3.5 hrs) |
| Charge Port: | Type 2 |
| EV Cable Type: | Type 2 |
| Tailpipe Emissions: | 22 – 36g (CO2/km) |
| Battery Warranty: | 8 years or 160,000 km |
| Average Cost Of Residential Charging | |
|---|---|
| Battery net capacity : 8.8 kWh | € 2.10 |
| Battery net capacity : 11.6 kWh | € 2.78 |
| Battery net capacity : 12.0 kWh | € 2.87 |
| Battery net capacity : 13.10 kWh | € 3.14 |
| Battery net capacity : 14.10 kWh | € 3.37 |
- Note 1: The average cost of residential electricity in Ireland varies depending on the region, supplier and type of energy used. An average for Ireland is 23.97 cents/kWh.
- Note 2: Not all EV manufactures make available the data on net EV battery capacity, and in a number of instances the EV battery capacity advertised, does not state if it is gross or net capacity. In general, usable EV battery capacity is between 85% to 95% of the gross available capacity.
| Charging Times (Overview) | |
|---|---|
| Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW): | 6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC) |
| Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW): | 3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
| Rapid charging AC (43 kW): | 0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC) |
- Note 1: SoC: state of charge
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Height (mm): | 1486 |
| Width (mm): | 1829 |
| Length (mm): | 4689 |
| Wheelbase (mm): | 2679 |
| Turning Circle (m): | 11.1 |
| Boot capacity (L): | 450 |
| Plug-In Hybrid 1.4 TSI iV | |
|---|---|
| EV Battery Capacity: | 13.0 kWh |
| Pure Electric Range (WLTP): | 64 km |
| Electric Energy Consumption (Wh/km): | 143 – 147 |
| Fuel Consumption (l/100km) | 1.0 – 1.07 |
| Charging: | DC charging not available. On board charger: 3.6 kW AC (0% – 100%: 3.5 hrs) |
| Top Speed: | 220 km/h |
| 0-100 km/h: | 7.7 seconds |
| Drive: | Available in FWD and AWD |
| Electric Motor (kW): | N/A |
| Max Power (PS): | 204 – 245 |
| Torque (Nm): | 250 |
| Transmission: | Automatic |
| Seats: | 5 |
| Doors: | 5 |
| Total Weight (kg): | 2,040 – 2,135 |
| Colours: | 10 |
| NCAP Safety Rating: | Five-Star |
Electric Vehicles (EVs): Jargons
There is no doubt, in that, for those new to electric driving, the terminology can be both daunting and confusing. We have chosen a few jargons to help you get more familiar with electric vehicles (EVs)! We also recommend reading our article ‘Electric Car Jargon Buster‘ for a more comprehensive list of terms.
| Glossary: Electric Vehicles (EVs) | |
|---|---|
| Alternating Current (AC): | What is alternating current? Though we may not be familiar with this term, we use alternating current everyday in our homes to power our appliances! Alternating current is a type of electric current, in which the direction of the flow of ‘electrons’ switches back and forth at regular intervals or cycles. When an electric car is charged at home, the type of electric current used, is alternating current. |
| Direct Current (DC): | What is direct current? Direct current (DC) is a type of electric current that flows in only one direction i.e. uni-directional. DC enables the constant flow of electrons from an area of high electron density to an area of low electron density. DC is quite common in our day-to-day lives. Many of the appliances we use on a regular basis that are operated by batteries, use DC. A mobile phone, a laptop, a torch light etc. In electric cars, the onboard EV battery also uses direct current to store energy. |
| Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle (ICEV): | What is an internal combustion engine car? Put simply, conventional petrol and diesel vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE). These vehicles ‘combust’ fuel with the help of an oxidizer (typically oxygen from the air). These vehicles mostly use fossil fuels, like petrol, diesel, jet fuel etc. These vehicles are characterised by high tailpipe emissions, which pollute the local air. |
| One-Pedal Driving: | What is one-pedal driving? In one-pedal driving, the EV slows down or stops, when the pedal is released. One-pedal functionality reduce the need to use the brake pedal, for speed reduction or stopping. Of course, the brake pedal is still the best way to hold a vehicle in place at a complete stop. |
| Smart EV Charger: | What is a smart EV charger? A smart or ‘intelligent’ electric car charger, is a type of EV charger that enables smart functionality, to include, more control by the user, and communication between the EV charging station, the operator, the utility and the national grid. |
While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.
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