Škoda Auto has started building a new emissions center for 11 million euros

Mladá Boleslav - Škoda Auto has started building a new emission center on the grounds of the company's technical development in Mladá Boleslav. It will be part of the engine center, which opened last year, and together with the Volkswagen Group, Škoda will invest more than 11 million euros (about 300 million crowns) into the project. The opening of the center is scheduled for July 2016, and its task will be to further reduce emissions of new Škoda cars. The company informed ČTK about this in a press release today.
The construction itself will cost 6.4 million euros, and nearly five million euros will go to technology and workplace equipment. "In the development of new cars, we consistently focus on reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The new Emission Center is an important part of our Growth strategy and another significant investment by Škoda Auto. We have been developing and manufacturing aggregates in Mladá Boleslav for 116 years, and the new Emission Center further strengthens the company's competencies in this area," said member of the management board Frank Welsch.
Škoda will use the center to measure emissions from cars with gasoline and diesel engines, as well as vehicles with alternative drives. Testing will be conducted at two new measurement stations equipped with so-called biaxial test brakes, including rollers and analytical systems. The technical equipment of one station will allow for 15 emission measurements per day, with capacity later expanded to 25 measurements. It will be possible to simulate temperatures ranging from minus 40 to plus 65 degrees Celsius.
"Sustainable development and environmental protection are core elements of Škoda Auto's strategy, clearly demonstrated by its products. For instance, in the recently introduced Škoda Superb model, fuel consumption and emissions have decreased by up to 30 percent compared to its predecessor, thanks to new engines, reduced weight, and optimized aerodynamics," said Škoda.
Škoda Auto is the only car manufacturer in the Czech Republic that not only produces cars and components but also develops them. For this purpose, the company employs about 1,700 specialists, engineers, designers, technicians, and constructors in technical development. Several specialized jobs will also be created in the new emission center.
Škoda has a tradition of 116 years in the development and production of aggregates. In 1899, four years after the company was founded, initially focusing on bicycle manufacturing, founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement (L&K) equipped the bicycle with a auxiliary motor for the first time. In 1905, the company L&K developed the first car branded as 'Voiturette A'. This vehicle was powered by a water-cooled two-cylinder engine with an output of seven horsepower and a displacement of 1100 cm³.