- Direct Shift Gearboxes (DSG) from Vrchlabí used in numerous ŠKODA models and other vehicles of the Volkswagen Group
- Vrchlabí plant produces more than 500,000 DQ 200 transmissions per year
- High-tech factory one of largest employers in Hradec Králové region
Mladá Boleslav, 9 February 2017 – The 1.5 millionth direct shift gearbox has run off the production line at ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant since the start of production in 2012. The modern DQ 200 transmission is used in numerous ŠKODA models as well as other Volkswagen-Group vehicles. It enables quick gear changes within just milliseconds and provides superior shifting comfort.
ŠKODA produces a total of 28 variants of the DQ 200 transmission at the Vrchlabí plant. Each transmission comprises 352 individual components. “Over the past few years, we have consistently developed the plant into a high-tech location and a pillar of ŠKODA production. Producing more than one and a half million transmissions since the year 2012 impressively demonstrates the performance of ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí team,” says Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA Board Member for Production and Logistics.
The Vrchlabí plant looks back on more than 150 years of history. It was founded in 1864 by Ignatz Theodor Petera as a saddlery. Automobile carriages were built at the foot of the Czech Giant Mountains from 1908. The first ŠKODA model was the ŠKODA TUDOR in 1946. In 2012, the site was repurposed from producing vehicles to component manufacturing. Within 18 months, the Czech car manufacturer had established a new factory building and modernized the existing facilities. The daily production capacity rose to more than 2,000 direct-shift gearboxes of the DQ 200 type. The plant now produces around 510,000 units per year. They are used in the models of the traditional Czech brand as well as in other series of the Volkswagen Group.
ŠKODA and the Volkswagen Group have invested a total of EUR 250 million in modernizing the production halls, technical facilities, the logistics area as well as the dedicated training centre for transmission manufacturing. At the same time, ŠKODA cooperates closely with local authorities and institutions and supports numerous cultural and ecological projects. With around 1,000 employees, ŠKODA Vrchlabí is one of the most important employers in the Hradec Králové region.
In 2015 the professional journal ‘Produktion’ and business consultancy A.T. Kearney awarded the high-tech factory ‘Factory of the Year’ in the category ‘Outstanding location development’ – one of the most prestigious prizes for the manufacturing industry in Europe. The evaluation was based on the criteria of value enhancement, customer satisfaction, quality, innovation and profitability. In its explanatory statement, the jury, consisting of leading representatives of industry and research, emphasized the short period during which ŠKODA had carried out the site transformation.
In addition to manufacturing transmissions at Vrchlabí, the mechanical MQ 200 and MQ 100 gearboxes are produced at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav. Here with the help of 700 employees, ŠKODA manufactures around 2,500 per day and more than 570,000 per year. These are used in the ŠKODA CITIGO, FABIA, RAPID, OCTAVIA, YETI and SUPERB as well as many other series of the Volkswagen Group.
