Case Studies

Škoda Auto (Volkswagen Group) skoda

The entry of the German Volkswagen Group into Škoda Auto did not mean only significant adjustments to the latter's production and know-how but also changes in awareness of the Škoda Auto brand, which is improving every year. Since 1991, when Škoda Auto became the fourth brand of the Volkswagen Group, the Czech carmaker expanded its operations not only in its three production facilities in the Czech Republic but also in its foreign production and assembly plants in Russia, India and in China and also in its partner factories in China, India, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Ukraine. Škoda Auto has further enhanced its activities in the Czech Republic. Besides opening a design centre, Škoda Auto established a technology centre in Mladá Boleslav in 2008 that delivers R&D solutions for the entire Volkswagen Group.

 

Company built here its first production facility in Europe, which according to expert opinion is the most modern car factory in Europe. The facility produces four passenger-car models in the compact and MPV segments. Upon initiation of three-shift operation in autumn 2011, the maximum capacity of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech will rise to 300,000 cars per year.

 

TPCA: the green factory in the centre of Europe tpca

In early 2005, Toyota Motor Corporation and PSA Peugeot Citroen launched production in their TPCA (Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile) joint-venture plant near the city of Kolín, Central Bohemia region. At around EUR 750 million, the state-of-the-art plant located about 60 kilometres east of Prague belongs to one of the biggest foreign investments in Central Europe to date. The plant produces approximately 300,000 passenger cars annually and local production covers urban car models Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1. These economical city cars with low fuel consumption and emissions were given a facelifts in 2008 and 2012. Eighty per cent of all parts are sourced in the Czech Republic. More than 99% of the cars are exported to European markets, mainly France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany. TPCA has roughly 3,000 employees.

SOR Libchavy sor

SOR Libchavy, the leading Czech bus and coach producer, was established in 1991 and its first bus was on the road only two years later. The company currently produces 550 buses of its own design in all categories annually. Compared with the competition, the main benefit of SOR's buses is their low curb weight, which on average is up to two tonnes lower than comparable buses from other manufacturers. Due to this lower curb weight, fuel consumption is 14.5% less than that of other types of buses in the market.

SOR Libchavy produces buses in city, intercity, tourist and low-floor city versions. These buses have been equipped with IVECO Euro VI engines as standard since 2014. Another innovation in the pipeline is the production of two more fullylow-floor city buses. For the intercity bus segment, SOR offers three mid-floor models as well as a low-entry version. The company also produces electric buses, trolleybuses and CNG buses. SOR obtained ISO 9001 certification in 2001. Exports account for around 50% of total output, and increased production is aimed at foreign markets like Slovakia, the Baltic states, Serbia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Croatia and Bulgaria.

Iveco Bus iveco

Iveco Czech Republic, with its headquarters in Vysoké Mýto, is the largest factory of the Iveco Bus, the second largest bus manufacturer in Europe. The company focuses mainly on production of intercity buses, though starting in 2011 the production programme newly includes Citelis 10.5 m and 12 m city buses with diesel and CNG engines, as well as bodies for trolleybus versions.
Iveco Czech Republic also offers the widest range of products of the entire Iveco Group, including minibuses, tourist coaches and city, suburban, long-distance and intercity buses. Fundamental diversification over the last three years has resulted not only in new designs, improved passenger comfort and outstanding consideration for the environment, but also great value for money, thanks to the quality, service life and low operating costs of the buses. In addition, a focus on environmental friendliness has brought about a significant expansion of the range of buses on offer that use alternative fuels.

In the area of city transport, Iveco Bus is maintaining its current position as the European leader in terms of environmental protection, reduced emissions and expansion of the range of buses powered by alternative fuels. The line of very popular low-floor Citelis city buses has been expanded with the addition of the low-entry city/suburban/long-distance Crossway LE, which has become a sought-after model and is offered in a three-door version. The traditionally very strong position of Iveco Bus in the segment of long-distance coaches continues to be supported by the Arway and Crossway models.

TATRA tatra

TATRA TRUCKS a.s. is one of the oldest vehicle manufacturers in the world. It has always been situated in Kopřivnice, a town in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, the Moravia-Silesia region.

TATRA TRUCKS a.s. has two subsidiaries - Taforge a.s. and Tafonco a.s. Its core production programme includes heavy-duty off-road trucks and vehicles for combined off-road and on-road transport which have been continuously improved due to increasing customer requirements. One important advantage of TATRA, a. s., not only in the field of development but also production capacities, is the high level of human potential.

The TATRA brand trucks are based on the TATRA vehicle design which has not yet been successfully copied by anybody. Heavy trucks from Kopřivnice are famous for their passability through the most difficult terrains in extreme climatic conditions, high reliability and excellent utility characteristics. TATRAs can adjust to bitter frosts as well as abnormally high desert temperatures.

While other heavy truck manufacturers that originated in the historical territory of the Czech state either did not exist for very long or were swallowed up by more successful ones, the TATRA brand is still alive. It is the only one to keep the flag of the Czech design school hoisted in its segment.

MBTech Bohemia mbtech

MBtech Bohemia is based in three locations in Plzeň, Prague and Mladá Boleslav as a subsidiary of MBtech Group, a global provider of automotive engineering and consulting services. The Czech R&D centres specialize in CAD design of components and modules for new vehicles, engines and electronics. The scope of services ranges from concepts including Class A Design, engineering services, production of prototype parts and model building, as well as complete vehicle testing. MBtech Bohemia in the Czech Republic is the biggest foreign subsidiary of MBtech Group worldwide.

Ricardo Prague r

Ricardo Consulting Engineers UK operated in the Czech Republic from 2000 until Ricardo Prague Ltd. was established in 2005. Prague Technical Centre cooperates daily with other members in the UK, USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, China and India Ricardo locations, and others to provide CAE design and analysis support to satisfy customers around the world. Prague Technical Centre offers research and development and design support mainly in the field of internal combustion engines, transmissions, vehicle technology and Control&Electronics. The current number of 160 engineers is a consequence of the interrupted growth during the crisis period. Ricardo Prague undertook a major expansion of its technology centre in the Czech Republic in 2004 and has been growing recently again.

Swell Technology Centre

At its Development Services Centre in Hořice, Czech Republic, the engineering company SWELL operates a progressive technology centre for comprehensive development support in the automotive industry. The scope of services covers CAD/CAE engineering and prototyping, mainly in the sheet-metal area (BIW structures), and a wide range of development testing (vibration tests at high temperatures for engines and exhaust-system components, frequency and modal analyses, combined mechanical/environmental testing for plastic and metal structures, etc.). The company's customers include Škoda Auto, Honeywell Turbo Technologies, Continental Automotive Systems, Faurecia Exhaust Systems, Magna International, and many others.

Valeo Climate Control va

Valeo Climate Control has a technology centre in Prague to provide engineering support for its heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) and control panel programmes. As it is engaged in all new development projects, the Czech R&D centre cooperates with nearly all Valeo climate control divisions elsewhere in the world. As a state-of-the-art yet cost-effective development location, Valeo's Czech R&D centre is considered a centre of excellence for air-conditioning system design.

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