Vision O concept: Skoda's electric Octavia wagon on SSP with 800-volt tech

Skoda has reminded Europe that wagons still matter—and did it with style. The Vision O concept demonstrates what an electric heir to the Octavia Combi could look like. Officially it’s a show car, but not a lifeless mock-up: you can sit inside and even trundle at low speed, since the power unit is there purely to move the concept around rather than for full-on road use.

The attention around Octavia is easy to explain. The Combi has long been prized for practicality on a class-above level. The current model offers a trunk of about 640 liters, expanding to up to 1700 liters with the second row folded—one of the key reasons families and frequent haulers stick with it. At the same time, it drives and feels almost like a Golf in terms of quality and build, yet wins on space. That everyday usefulness is exactly what buyers don’t want to lose as the market goes electric.

There’s no electric Octavia yet, but it’s expected around 2028. Crucially, it’s not about today’s MEB platform, like the ID.3 uses, but the more modern SSP—the Volkswagen Group’s software-defined architecture. It should bring new functions, an 800-volt electrical system and, as promised, a roomier cabin thanks to extra width, while keeping physical controls. For many buyers in 2025, that sounds like welcome news.

The backdrop is shifting fast: Chinese brands such as BYD and Geely are gaining ground in Europe with compellingly priced, well-equipped EVs. For Skoda, an electric Octavia is a chance to keep mainstream customers with a familiar formula—an honest estate, sensible ergonomics, and up-to-date charging tech. Nail those basics, and the wagon faithful could finally get an EV that fits their lives.