How was the Elroq made? Not in the usual way!

When developing the electric Elroq, the experts at Škoda tried out a method never used before. The preparation of test cars for pre-series production tests was different from usual: cars were sent off for testing straight from the production line.

15. 8. 2024 eMobility

In an effort to minimise the number of costly prototypes a car company has to prepare, car development is making increasing use of a range of virtual methods. “The first test cars were built in cooperation with other departments directly on the production line,” says Milan Vostrý, project manager for prototype preparation.

In some respects camouflage makes acoustics testing harder, but it’s nothing the Škoda experts couldn’t deal with.

The prototypes, several dozen of which are usually produced, are usually made in a specialised prototype workshop. “Even though we did the final paintwork in our workshop, the first Elroq model, or parts of it, went through a series-production welding shop, paint shop and assembly line,” Milan Vostrý points out.

“This was made possible by excellent cooperation between many departments, from our prototype workshop, through the construction department, paint shop, welding, assembly, production planning, assembly technology, logistics and even plant security,” Milan Vostrý says appreciatively. This cooperation produced a total of sixteen test cars in two waves, which were used for the testing done by the specialist departments. “These weren’t prototypes in the true sense of the word,” he explains, adding that the cars were already much closer to regular production cars than is usually the case with prototypes. “This procedure also facilitated the next stages of preparation for production and assembly in hall M13, including the start of production of the pre-series cars,” adds the manager responsible for prototype preparation.

The Elroq test prototypes were made on the M13 line, where the Enyaq electric SUV (shown) and the Octavia are usually assembled.

Focus on sound

The advantage of this procedure was that numerous departments tried out how the car would behave in their environment. The produced cars went straight into actual testing, undergoing certain durability tests or mandatory crash tests, for example.

In this way, Škoda could often test things on cars very similar to the production model that are otherwise tested on so-called “mules”, i.e. cars that have the new model’s technology but look different. These are suitable for some types of tests, but not at all for others. “Any kind of camouflage is a complication for our work,” says Michal Němec, acoustics test coordinator. His department tests all the noises a car makes, including aerodynamic noise – and this can be altered by any deviation from the final design.

Škoda Elroq

So his department has to test cars in complete secrecy. The aim of the tests is, of course, to identify any shortcomings so they can be rectified as quickly as possible. “We do testing in our laboratories, on the Škoda polygon, but also, for example, in an aero-acoustic tunnel in Italy and on a test track in Wolfsburg,” Němec says. “We test all the driving modes that a customer might encounter, all in different climatic conditions, driving the cars on different surfaces,” the engineer adds. And he says that testing an electric car for noise is actually no easier than testing a car with an internal combustion engine.

While there’s no need to deal with the noise of the combustion engine, intake and exhaust, and satisfying the overall legislative noise limits isn’t a problem, it’s necessary to focus even more on other areas. “In the absence of a conventional power unit, other noises come to the fore that can remain hidden in the case of cars with an internal combustion engine,” Michal Němec explains. This means that engineers have to focus more on aerodynamic and tyre noise, for example, but also on various other noises that are influenced by differences in the production of the cars. Sounds are evaluated both objectively using sound recordings and subjectively, i.e. through test drivers or other people.

Camouflage of the Škoda Elroq electric SUV.

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Electric cars may generate new sounds, such as various high-pitched or low-pitched noises caused by the high-voltage electrical system. One special feature of electric cars is the compulsory sound they have to emit when travelling at speeds of between six and twenty kilometres per hour. “We have to fine-tune this warning to pedestrians of an approaching electric car to meet all the legislative requirements,” Němec says.

The tests cars undergo are truly thorough and demanding. The acoustic testing of the Elroq alone took a total of over 2,000 hours. That works out at more than 250 eight-hour days. In reality, of course, the tests are quicker because multiple cars are tested at the same time and the work is done in shifts. However, acoustic testing accounts for just a fraction of the tests during car development. In addition to the aforementioned crash tests, for example, the car’s software is checked, climate tests are carried out (including some in specialised climatic chambers), various quality and verification checks and homologation tests. “There really is a lot to do, as the goal is to make sure the car delivered to the customer is of the highest quality possible,” Michal Němec concludes.