Skoda has demonstrated the impressive efficiency potential of its new electric flagship SUV, with a production Peaq 90 covering 936 kilometres (582 miles) on a single charge.
The seven-seat electric SUV completed the journey from Skoda’s headquarters in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, to the Dutch coastal resort of Zandvoort without stopping to recharge. The run was officially monitored by certification authority TÜV SÜD and also recognised as a Czech record for the longest distance travelled by an electric vehicle on a single charge.
The result is particularly notable because the Peaq 90 has an official WLTP range of up to 647 km (402 miles). The record attempt therefore exceeded its certified range by 289 km, or almost 45%.
The record attempt was conceived by Skoda employees Marek Jež and Jakub Krs, who wanted to discover how far the new electric SUV could travel when efficiency was prioritised above normal driving performance.
The pair set off from Mladá Boleslav at noon on Tuesday, August 25, heading west through Germany and into the Netherlands. Rather than relying on motorways and higher-speed roads, the route was carefully selected to favour smoother driving and lower energy consumption.
The original target was Amsterdam, around 850 km from the starting point. As the journey progressed and the Peaq continued consuming less energy than expected, the drivers decided to extend the route toward the North Sea.
The final destination became Zandvoort, adding roughly another 50 km to the planned journey.
By Wednesday afternoon, the Peaq had travelled 936 km at an average consumption of just 9.2 kWh/100 km.
That figure is dramatically below what most drivers would experience during everyday use, but it demonstrates how much range can be extracted from an EV when conditions and driving techniques are carefully optimised.
Production Peaq 90 Used for the Record
Importantly, Skoda did not use a specially built prototype for the attempt.
The vehicle was a standard-production Skoda Peaq 90 equipped with:
– 91 kWh battery, with 86 kWh usable capacity
– 210 kW electric motor
– Rear-wheel drive
– 19-inch wheels
– Production low-rolling-resistance tyres
– Aerodynamically optimised body with a drag coefficient of 0.249
The only notable preparation was sealing the charging-port flap before departure. The battery was fully charged at the beginning of the journey and was not connected to a charger until after the 936-km run was complete.
The Peaq’s combination of a relatively large battery, rear-wheel drive, low-rolling-resistance tyres and aerodynamic design helped create the conditions for the record.
Smooth Driving Was Key to the 936-km Range
The drivers made it clear that the record was not representative of normal Peaq driving.
Maintaining a consistent speed was one of the most important factors. Hard acceleration, heavy braking and frequent stops can significantly increase energy consumption, particularly in a large electric SUV.
The route was therefore selected to avoid heavy traffic wherever possible. AI-assisted route planning helped identify roads that offered more favourable conditions for maximising efficiency.
Regenerative braking was also used carefully. While regeneration allows an EV to recover energy during deceleration, excessive use can unnecessarily slow the vehicle and require additional energy to return to cruising speed.
The biggest challenge came when the Peaq reached urban areas in the Netherlands.
Intersections, traffic lights and congestion increased energy consumption compared with the long, flat stretches of road between cities. After travelling around 750 km, the drivers still had approximately 170 km remaining, but city driving threatened to make the final part of the journey more difficult.
Once the SUV returned to longer, uninterrupted roads, consumption dropped again.
Weather Also Helped the Peaq Break the Range Record
Weather conditions played an important role in the final result.
The drivers acknowledged that dry roads and favourable conditions helped the Peaq achieve its exceptionally low energy consumption. Wet roads would have increased rolling resistance and potentially reduced the final range.
The record attempt also benefited from relatively consistent cruising rather than the frequent acceleration and braking associated with everyday urban driving.
This is an important distinction when comparing the 936-km record with the Peaq’s 647-km WLTP rating.
WLTP testing is designed to provide a standardised comparison between vehicles under regulated conditions. The record attempt, by contrast, was specifically designed to maximise efficiency.
The two figures therefore measure very different things.
