The Czech automotive industry entered 2025 with slightly pessimistic figures. In the first quarter, a total of 372,334 road vehicles were manufactured in Czech plants, representing a year-on-year decrease of 7%. Passenger cars, as traditionally, accounted for the vast majority, with a production of 366,510 units. The Czech Automotive Industry Association (Sdružení automobilového průmyslu) announced this in a press release.

While overall production is declining, the electric vehicle segment is experiencing a significant increase. From January to March, 65,063 electric vehicles were produced, which is 140.8% more than in the same period last year. Of these, 50,484 were battery-electric vehicles, and 14,579 were plug-in hybrid vehicles. This means that the share of electric vehicles in the total production of passenger cars has increased to 17.7%.

"March itself was a record month for the number of electric vehicles produced in the Czech Republic. The launch of new models, in this case, the new Skoda Elroq and the updated Enyaq, always generates interest from the market and customers, which is reflected in the final production statistics for the Czech Republic," said Martin Jahn, President of the Czech Automotive Industry Association.

The largest Czech manufacturer, Skoda Auto, produced 236,524 passenger cars in the first quarter, a year-on-year decrease of 2.8%. Of these, 48,442 were electric models, representing an increase of almost 282%. 22,016 of these vehicles were sold on the domestic market, while the rest were exported. The launch of the Elroq series production in January and the Enyaq update in February had a significant impact.

Hyundai, located in Nošovice, reported a significant decrease, with 71,540 vehicles produced, which is 18% less than last year. Over 16,000 electric vehicles were produced, representing 23% of the total production. At Toyota in Kolín, the decrease was more moderate, with the company producing 58,446 vehicles, of which nearly 60% were hybrid versions of the Yaris model.

The bus segment, on the other hand, saw an increase, with 1,321 buses produced in the Czech Republic, which is 12.4% more than last year. Of these, 107 were fully electric. Iveco CR in Vysoké Mýto produced the most buses, with 1,275 units. In contrast, the manufacturer SOR Libchavy experienced a significant decline, producing only 41 units.

Tatra Trucks, the manufacturer of trucks, produced 277 vehicles, which is 31.6% less than in the same period of the previous year. This decrease was due to a higher proportion of specialized vehicles with more complex production processes.

The Jawa motorcycle brand reported a production of 169 units, representing a decrease of almost 30%. A total of 4,057 trailers and semi-trailers were produced in the first quarter, mainly by the company Agados.

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