Technology company ABB has cooperated with Volkswagen Group for many years, with ABB supplying sophisticated robotics and automation solutions to the Group’s carmakers. Sustainability plays an important role in ABB’s business, which is why it is not surprising to find more and more Škoda Enyaqs among the firm’s company cars.
There are more and more electric cars in ABB’s fleet.
One of them is driven by Václav Švub, global manager for robotic welding in the automotive industry, who leads five international teams located around the world. He has already clocked up a hundred thousand kilometres since May 2022 in his Enyaq. “In the beginning, of course, you discover new things – how the car behaves and what its range is when it’s raining or cold – and you have to adopt a slightly different approach compared to a car with an internal combustion engine. But I stopped noticing the differences after a while and now I enjoy the feeling of a smooth and quiet ride. And my wife is delighted with the car,” says Václav Švub with a smile.
The biggest benefit of eMobility is for the surrounding area, he believes. “I realised this when I travelled to Shanghai, where there are already more electric cars than cars with combustion engines. When you cross a busy eight-lane street where cars are stopped at red lights and you don’t smell fumes and you hear a completely different sound of the city, you’re left in no doubt why we need to continue the transition to clean mobility.”
Václav Švub
Enyaqs at ABB are used by service technicians and salespeople and as an employee benefit. The cars are traditionally well equipped, but in some countries additional features – like extra front headlights in Nordic countries – need to be purchased. Some service cars need additional equipment such as a shelf in the rear or fittings to hold tools and parts safely in place. Charging infrastructure in company garages is also a must, of course.
Václav Švub, for example, although he charges at home, also often uses the charging facilities at the company and, last but not least, at airports. “Prague airport deserves praise for being very accommodating to electric car drivers. It’s a long way ahead of other large airports. I only use fast chargers on longer trips abroad, and I can honestly say that I haven’t encountered any problems and I’ve always found a free space. I regard the Enyaq as the most successful model in Škoda’s history. It’s a great-looking car, practical, spacious and has the added benefit of an electric motor. I’m looking forward to the new electric models, for example the smaller Elroq, which we will definitely consider as another car for the family,” Václav Švub says.
Vítězslav Lukáš, Managing Director of ABB in the Czech Republic