Can the Skoda Elroq help you ‘Be More Elroq’?
Here’s how Skoda’s new all-electric compact SUV helps you float like the clouds, charge up your day like a cup of coffee, and shine like the moon...
Skoda always likes to add a bit of character to its new car launches. And the reveal of the new all-electric Skoda Elroq compact SUV was no different.
During the launch, the team behind the Skoda Elroq drew some interesting analogies about the inspirations behind its design: up to 360 miles of range that lets you roam like the clouds, charging speeds of 145kW to 175kW that are as energising as your morning cup of coffee, smart Matrix LED headlights that sparkle like the moon, and an elevated driving position that (like a flamingo) lends you a new perspective.
We wanted to find out if the new all-electric Skoda Elroq really lives up to that ambition. Can it really help you ‘Be More Elroq’?
This seemed like a particularly pertinent challenge when you consider that Skoda is giving the first 475 customers who pre-order the Skoda Elroq up to 10,000 miles of free public charging through Skoda's Million Mile Giveaway.
So, what’s the best way to enjoy those miles and ‘Be More Elroq’? Here are our suggestions…
Range to roam like the clouds
Did you know that clouds can travel over 300 miles in a single day? Equally, did you know that the new all-electric Skoda Elroq can go a fair bit further than that – with a range of up to 360 miles on the Skoda Elroq Edition 85 model that lets you take your exploration the extra mile?
The new Skoda Elroq’s impressive all-electric range comes from a combination of advanced large-capacity lithium-ion battery technology and ultra-efficient electric motors under the Skoda Elroq’s skin, allied to a smooth underbody and a wealth of clever vents, deflectors, spoilers and diffusers that better guide air over its surface.
Equally, it’s what you do with that range that really counts. “It’s not just about how far you can go,” says Skoda Head of Sales & Marketing Martin Jahn. “It’s about how well you travel, observing the world. Just like how clouds provide endless inspiration, it’s our curiosity about the natural world that drives us to innovate and improve.”
So, where can you go in the new Skoda Elroq to touch the sky and be inspired? Well, it may surprise you to know that some of the UK’s most inspiring mountain views are all well within the all-electric range of the Skoda Elroq, even if you live in the heart of the city.
Why not take in the Three Peaks of Scotland, England and Wales, for example? Ben Nevis is just 124 miles from Glasgow and 145 miles from Edinburgh, and has a gondola if you don’t fancy the hike to the 1,345m summit. Yr Wyddfa (or Snowdon) in north Wales is just 125 miles from Birmingham, 108 miles from Manchester, or a brisk 82-mile drive from Liverpool. Again, there’s a steam train to the summit if you want to enjoy the view effortlessly.
Finally, Scaffell Pike in the Lake District is less than 100 miles from Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. But, sadly, that’s one mountain you’ll <have> to climb on your own to enjoy the view. Although you can be inspired by the fact that you’re walking the same hills and dales as William Wordsworth when he composed his poem ‘Daffodils’. Its famous opening line: “I wondered, lonely as a cloud…”
Fuelling the drive to explore
Having lots of electric range is all well and good, but what happens when you need to top it up? Well, depending on which Skoda Elroq you pick, you can make the most of ultra-fast charging speeds from 145kW to 175kW, letting you recharge your Skoda Elroq from 10% to 80% in as little as 25 minutes on a compatible charger.
As Skoda CEO Klause Zellmer explains, it was inspired by the same philosophy as one of our everyday energy boosts. “Like the morning ritual of a cup of coffee, the Skoda Elroq is designed to fuel our drive to explore,” he says. “It only takes about 15 to 30 minutes for caffeine to kick in, offering hours of sustained energy. It’s an efficient way to start the day. Likewise, charging the Skoda Elroq only takes around 25 minutes.”
The Skoda Elroq’s always-online connectivity and advanced in-car electric-focused navigation make finding the right charger to fit your journey easy – whether it’s an ultra-rapid charger that can add a lot of miles in a few minutes, or a slower, more cost-effective charge when you’re stopping at a destination for a longer time. It can also help you find local points of interest such as cafes, shops and museums, so you’re filling your time – while filling your battery – in the smartest way possible.
Equally, Skoda is a partner in IONITY: a network of ultra-rapid chargers that already boasts 38 UK locations and 690 locations across Europe. They’re all accessible using Skoda Powerpass: Skoda’s simple one-account solution for accessing a wealth of different charging providers with one card or the MySkoda smartphone app. So, you never have to waste time hunting for the right charger.
So, why not set your sat-nav to the IONITY charger on the main motorway junction into Milton Keynes, and then take in the short-drive to the museum at Bletchley Park – home to World War 2 code-breakers such as Alan Turing, who hacked enemy transmissions and gave birth to the modern computer?
Headlights inspired by moonlight
Have you ever wondered why a full moon shines so brightly? As Skoda’s Head of Design Oliver Stefani explains, it’s all a matter of reflection.
“A full moon casts 30% more light than a crescent Moon: not because it generates more light, but because it reflects more sunlight,” Stefani says. “Moonlight is actually a bit of a misnomer. What you're actually seeing is sunlight reflected off the moon’s surface, coming to us without the harsh glare. This beautiful interplay of light and visibility inspired the design of our Matrix LED headlights.”
The Skoda Elroq’s optional Matrix LED headlights – which come as standard on the Skoda Elroq SportLine – offer a new high-tech split-light interpretation of Skoda’s iconic ‘four-eyes’ headlight design.
The high-mounted ultra-slimline LED daytime running lights are made up of four LED modules. They sit on top of compact LED blocks for the main headlights, which use 26 individual light segments with smart matrix technology to selectively mask out and shield other road users when using high beam. That means you still have maximum illumination and visibility in low-light conditions, without dazzling other road users.
Dynamic headlight rage control also offers five smart adaptive modes for different scenarios: City, Country, Highway, All-Weather and Tourist – the latter of which is a particularly convenient way to switch your headlights for driving on the opposite side of the road in foreign countries.
So, where in the UK can you go in the Skoda Elroq to reflect on – and be inspired by – the moon yourself? Well, plenty of UK cities have public observatories, such as the Royal Observatory in Greenwich in London, the Mills Observatory in Dundee, or the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. Equally, there’s the huge Jodrell Bank radio telescope in Cheshire, which has been probing the heavens for 75 years, or the Observatory Science Centre on the south coast of Sussex.
If you really want to see the moon at its best, though, you really have to head out of the city to one of the UK’s Dark Sky Parks, such as Exmoor, the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, the Yorkshire Dales or the North Yorkshire Moors – all of which benefit from their remote location and lack of urban light pollution to offer astonishingly clear views of the night skies.
Kielder Forest, near the Northumberland coast on the Scottish Borders, has even achieved International Dark Sky Park Gold Tier status, and is home to the Kielder Observatory – a dedicated permanent low-eco-impact facility that holds regular family-friendly stargazing events throughout the year.
Find a new perspective, like a flamingo…
Flamingos played a big part in the reveal of the new all-electric Skoda Elroq, with a bold pink flamingo forming part of the camouflage for the pre-reveal cars. It’s all down to the fact that the Skoda Elroq is an urban crossover, with an elevated driving position that gives you a more confidence-inspiring and commanding view of the road, as well as making it easier to get in and out (a boon for families).
So, where can you go in the heart of the urban jungle to get your own elevated view of the world? Well, London is packed with impressively elevated public gallery views, from St Paul’s Cathedral, through the London Eye to the London Sky Garden, The Shard and 22 Horizon.
If the South Coast is more your thing, then you can head to the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth or the Brighton i360. Or, up North, you can take in the views from the Cloud 23 Bar in the heart of Manchester or from Blackpool Tower on the Lancashire coast.
