Driving on solar power

A “slightly modified” electric Skoda Enyaq 80 got Dutch travellers Renske Cox and Maarten van Pel 33,000km from Europe to South Africa and back over about one year and seven months.

Their EV now features in the Skoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav –  a city in the Czech Republic – where it is displayed until September 30, 2024, the couple offering their EV to the museum and receiving a 2024 Skoda Enyaq 85x Lauren and Klement at the Skoda Auto Customer Centre.

The 85 and 85x versions replace the 80 and 80x variants, providing180km/h top speed and featuring a new, optimised drivetrain.

The all-wheel-drive Enyaq 85x now has 210kW power and new software that supports battery preheating. The charging power has also increased to up to 175kW, enabling the 82kWh battery to be charged from 10% to 80% in 28 minutes.

The travellers’ yellow Enyaq with an 82kWh battery (77 kWh net) and rear-wheel drive was charged mainly using portable solar panels carried by the EV which had the rear reconfigured for storage, plus a roof tent, and off-road tyres.

The folding solar panels covered about 60 square metres and provided 54% of the power needed for their 33,360km journey across the African continent and could be repacked within about 15 minutes.

The Dutch pair formed a non-profit organisation for the trip which aimed to inspire more sustainable travel, teaming up with about 35 partners.

“Renske and Maarten are a prime example of how the Skoda brand appeals to everyday explorers – active users with a drive to discover,” says Skoda Auto Board member for finance, IT and legal affairs Holger Peters.

“It’s fantastic that our electric vehicle performed so well under such demanding conditions.

“Through their ingenuity and determination, they have shown us all that when you pursue your dream, nothing can stand in your way,” he says.

“By displaying the vehicle at the Skoda Museum, we can preserve and share this inspiring message.”

The Dutch couple say they wanted to make sustainability fun and encourage more people to travel sustainably.

They say they chose the Skoda Enyaq “because it’s a regular family car, which makes our expedition more approachable for others. “Plus it’s efficient and big enough to store everything we need.”

The Dutch couple’s tour of South Africa features in Skoda Storyboard.