Skoda has unveiled a new concept named the Element.
Based on the Citigo, the Element is a two-seat beach buggy which was created by
22 students who are attending Skoda’s vocational school. The team has been
working on the car since October and has spent approximately 1,500 hours
developing the vehicle.
In order to transform the Citigo into the Element,
the students removed the roof, created custom body panels, and developed a new
boot with a diamond-plated cover. The extensive customization required the
efforts of students from nine different fields including painters,
electricians, mechanics, and logistics specialists.
Skoda was coy on technical specifications, but
confirmed the car is powered by an electric motor that produces 82 PS,
which seems to suggest that the concept has the same motor as the Volkswagen
e-Up! The Element is the fourth Skoda concept to be developed by apprentices
since 2014 and past projects include the Atero Coupe, the CitiJet, and the
FUNstar pickup.
The Skoda vocational school is based at the
company’s headquarters in Mladá Boleslav and is an advocate of the dual
training which combines the "right combination of theory and practical
training." The company also notes projects such as the Element helps to
inspire students, which is critical as there is currently a shortage of young
engineers in many technical trades.
