About 35 members of Škoda’s VIN-verified EV Lounge community met in Hradec Králové to drive the brand’s full electric range, talk to its engineers and give feedback on features still in development.
Most online car forums are open to anyone with an opinion. Škoda’s EV Lounge works differently, because you need the VIN of a Škoda electric car to join. That rule shapes the whole community, which Škoda recently brought together for its third in-person Meet Up.
Around 35 owners from ten European countries gathered in and around Hradec Králové on the first weekend of October. The group was a mix of community ambassadors and competition winners, and many drove there in their own cars.
A Facebook Group With a Direct Line to Mladá Boleslav
Škoda launched the EV Lounge on Facebook in September 2023, and an in-house team runs it. Members can swap tips and travel stories, and the administrators pass their feedback back to the company. If no member can answer a question, the admins take it straight to the relevant teams at Škoda Auto.
Barbora Menčíková helped set up the group. She says it has grown into something closer to a family than a forum, with friendships carrying over into the real world. Škoda rewards activity, too. It picks ambassadors from its most active members and invites them to events, while regular members can win places through competitions.
Moose Tests and Skid Pans
The morning took place at the driving centre in Hradec Králové, where participants could try the entire Škoda electric range. In the Epiq, Elroq and Enyaq, they practised an extreme evasive manoeuvre similar to the moose test and took skid-control training on a slippery surface. The flagship Peaq ran on the oval track.
Earlier, some community members had driven the new Epiq and Peaq at a dynamic presentation, putting them among the first behind the wheel alongside journalists. Unsurprisingly, Škoda reports that nobody was keen to hand the keys back.
Engineers in the Room
The more useful part came before the driving. Members heard a presentation on driver assistance systems and how software updates develop them. Afterwards, they could put specific comments and ideas to the engineers who fine-tune those systems. Charging and wallbox specialists were there as well.
The conversation runs both ways. Škoda’s Nataša Obermann says members already get beta versions of the brand’s apps, and the company used the weekend for small-scale surveys on features still in development. Customers get a hearing, and Škoda gets a focus group of committed owners. Nice for both sides.
The rest of the programme was lighter. Teams drove to their accommodation using a blank map, completing tasks along the way, and the day ended with traditional Czech špekáčky sausages roasted over a fire.
What the Owners Drive
Škoda also profiled several attendees, and their stories offer some real-world context:
- Jakub runs a 2025 Elroq Sportline with about 56,000km on it. He estimates his household saves around CZK 100,000 a year on fuel and is eyeing a Peaq.
- Ivo from Belgium has covered roughly 110,000km in a 2021 Enyaq iV 60. He says its smaller battery manages around 250km between stops, which suits a family of five.
- Tero from Finland drives a Mamba Green 2024 Enyaq RS. He is now considering something smaller, because his family stops about every 200km anyway.
Hybrids Get Their Own Lounge
Škoda has since extended the idea. A separate community for hybrid owners launched in spring 2026, again gated by VIN. It is open to mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid owners, and owners of Škoda’s new full-hybrid models will be able to join soon.
Behind the campfire sausages, this is a practical tool for the brand: a verified pool of owners who drive these cars every day and give Škoda direct feedback on what to fix next.
