ENYAQ iV is Škoda’s most upcycled car

Škoda's ENYAQ iV is its most upcycled car, the company has revealed, to coincide with World Environment Day on 5 June.

The ENYAQ’s powertrain uses 13.1kg of recycled plastics while recycled steel and recycled aluminium account for 40 per cent and 60 per cent of the body composition respectively.

Drivers will find a range of everyday items reused and recycled across Škoda’s model range, the company said. Giving the example of its first all-electric SUV, the ENYAQ iV, which is manufactured in Škoda’s Mladá Boleslav plant, it said the zero-emission car uses leather tanned using olive leaf extracts alongside the high percentage of recycled plastics and aluminium in its construction.

The recycled plastic used on the car’s exterior is equivalent to the weight of a new tyre, the company said, adding it is reclaimed and reused from battery housings and bumpers.

The portion of recycled steel and recycled aluminium used for the body further reduces the ENYAQ iV’s environmental footprint. About 20 per cent of the side windowpanes are also recycled, it said.

“Sustainable materials and recycling processes are a focus for all ŠKODA models as part of the brand’s Green Future strategy, which aims to increase sustainability along the entire value chain,” the company said.

Sustainable materials are also used for the electric SUV’s interior. For example, sound insulation is made from recycled textiles, and both the floor and boot mats are made and remoulded using fibres from recycled PET bottles. In the Lodge trim grade, 60 per cent of the polyester for the seat fabric is also reclaimed from recycled PET bottles. The remaining 40 per cent is made from eco-friendly natural wool.

The distinctive cognac-coloured leather is tanned, without chemicals, using olive leaf extracts. Ordinarily, the leaves are burned and considered waste material in the food production industry. This process makes efficient use of them in place of chemicals and the leather has been processed in an innovative, eco-friendly manner.

The ENYAQ iV’s battery pack has been designed to be reusable and is 96 per cent recyclable, the company said. ŠKODA also developed a second-life scheme for old electric car batteries where they can be installed in dedicated power hubs and used for solar energy storage.