In the first five months of 2021, the production of passenger cars in the Czech Republic increased by 23.7%, amounting to 595,580 vehicles. Of these, 12% were electric cars, with 52,668 electric vehicles and 20,128 plug-in hybrids produced by car manufacturers. The Association of the Automobile Industry announced these figures.
The largest domestic carmaker, Škoda Auto, increased production by 34.4% to 375,981 cars, of which 11% were battery-powered. In the Nošovice plant, Hyundai produced 145,200 vehicles, or 7.7% more than in the same period last year.
The share of electric cars and plug-in hybrids was 21%. The Kolín-based Toyota increased production by 10.9% to 74,399 vehicles, with hybrids accounting for 53%.
“The revival of the market and the improving situation in the supply chains are positively impacting domestic passenger car production. It continues to grow, and its five-month and May figures are approaching pre-crisis levels from 2019,” said Zdeněk Petzl, the association’s executive director.
“Lower production results in the bus and motorcycle segment, caused by the cyclical nature of orders and the continuing shortage of some components, confirm that we will have to reckon with the effects of the fluctuating situation of recent years during 2023,” he added.
Bus production decreased by 223 to 1,883 vehicles. The Vysoké Mýto-based Iveco CR produced 1,756 buses, or 6.6% less than in the same period last year. SOR Libchavy produced 119 buses in the first five months.
The traditional motorcycle manufacturer Jawa Moto also decreased production, mainly due to market saturation with the successful Pérák model in the past year. From January to the end of May, 325 motorcycles were produced, 68% less than in the same period last year.