Skoda Elroq - long-term review

In classic Lifer fashion, the Elroq vRS is impressing more the longer it’s here. It had the misfortune of following the overtly designer-y and Scandi-stylish Polestar 3 – also faster and more powerful – so there was a slight return to earth at first. But the respect is growing.

In part, it’s because I got back into it after recent meaningful spells behind the wheel(s) of the Audi RS5 and BMW iX3, two of the best new cars of the year so far. The family-oriented Skoda is not as far away from the Audi’s thrilling dynamism or as eclipsed by the BMW’s supremely executed EV intelligence as you might think. As previously noted, the Elroq vRS possesses serious hot hatch skills, although you might find yourself dreaming of what it might be like to actually change gear in one. Imagine that level of interaction.

Its efficiency is also improving. Slowly. Although most of us remain hung up on range, the truth is that if you’re fortunate enough to have a wall charger at home I guarantee you won’t be bothering a public charging unit very often. What I am doing, though, is bothering my home charging wall box more regularly than I’d like, because the Skoda has yet to deliver better than 240 miles fully charged. I expect to see that increase as the weather warms up, but even then I’m not anticipating much beyond an average of 3.3mi/kWh. Heathrow and/or Gatwick runs are a staple for me, and they’re a round trip of 150 miles. Which leaves circa 90 miles when I get back, a sub-optimal figure that’s swiftly diminished by a few train station journeys and other local stuff. All of which means I might find myself charging the Elroq four times per week, thus exposing its meagre range.

That said, with everyone currently fixated on oil prices for obvious reasons, it’s nice to be, erm, unplugged from that particular existential concern. Allow me to refer to my excellent Ohme app, which monitors energy usage and offers pointers on how to get the best out of smart charging. In March, the Skoda consumed 325.78 kWh of electricity, at an estimated cost of £63.51. That’s based on EON’s Next Drive Fixed tariff, which is currently 9.5p per kWh off-peak (midnight to 6am), 32.82p per kWh peak. That’s more expensive than it was six months ago, but still massively better than the horror show that’s unfolding at the fuel pumps right now. 

As we lurch ever closer to an energy shock to rival the one that upended the car industry in 1973, we can surmise that sales of EVs are only going to go one way.