Recycled bumpers and interior parts made of beetroot - Škoda develops more sustainable materials

How can we boost sustainability in the automotive industry? This podcast will not be about petrolheads and EV drivers locking horns. Instead, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the materials the cars are made of – both inside and out. In line with circular economy principles, the EKX department at Škoda Auto is looking for new materials – from interior details made of biomaterials, which are still in the early prototype phase, to the bumper-to-bumper project, which is almost production-ready and involves used bumpers being recycled from the scrapyard.

The guests on this episode are Lukáš Zuzánek and Dalibor Kopáč from this department. In collaboration with the Prototype Center and Design department, they have built a special show car – a demonstrator. It’s actually a fourth-generation Octavia with some doors and sections cut away – check out the YT version of the podcast to see it. It allows you to see into the car and examine the tested materials close-up. I jumped at the opportunity to take a look and asked Lukáš Zuzánek and Dalibor Kopáč to record this podcast while we were sitting next to the demonstrator.