It's a big investment in a new plant – €11 million. Some €6.4 million of that will go on construction alone. The remainder will be spent on equipping the centre with the very latest technology.
The facility in Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic is due to open in mid-2016, and will play a key role in reassuring customers that ŠKODA is taking the environment seriously.
Drawing on the century-old heritage of the car manufacturer, ŠKODA’s Board Member for Technical Development Dr Frank Welsch said, “We have been building engines in Mladá Boleslav for the last 116 years. The company’s expertise in this area will be further strengthened with the opening of our new Emissions Centre. In developing new vehicles, we consistently aim to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The new Emissions Centre is thus a key element in our growth strategy and another important investment for the ŠKODA brand.”
The new facility will house two completely new measuring stations featuring so-called biaxial brake testers. Each test stand will be able to carry out up to 15 emission measurements daily, subsequently increasing to as many as 25 measurements per day. The range of test operating temperatures runs from -40°C up to 65°C.
The plant will help ŠKODA continue its goal of reducing carbon emissions. The company has already had some success with recent innovations to its Superb model. Thanks to lighter engines and optimized aerodynamics, the new Superb uses up to 30 percent less fuel and emits 30 percent less CO2 than its predecessor.