A PEKM Kabeltechnik worker assembles wire harnesses at Skoda's plant in Mlada Boleslav.
Skoda is producing wire harnesses at its home plant in the Czech Republic after the Ukraine war disrupted supplies of the key component.
Skoda and other Volkswagen Group brands, along with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford, have suffered production stoppages at their European plants since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and forced Ukrainian components plants to reduce output.
Skoda is now assembling wire harnesses at its factory in Mlada Boleslav near Prague for the Fabia small station wagon.
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Czech cable harness manufacturer PEKM Kabeltechnik built the necessary production equipment in assembly halls provided by Skoda.
The assembly operation is staffed by 35 women from PEKM Kabeltechnik’s Ukraine plant in Lviv, who are also training new employees.
PEKM Kabeltechnik is part of the U.S.-based Commercial Vehicle Group.
Production of cable harnesses for the Octavia, Kodiaq, Karoq and Suberb models will start in the coming weeks, Skoda said in a statement.
Because of the war-related supply bottlenecks, Skoda was forced to suspend production of the Enyaq full-electric SUV for eight weeks from March 3 due to a shortage of cable harnesses.
Skoda also has secured additional wire harness capacity from the German company Kromberg & Schubert's plant in Kenitra near Rabat, Morocco. In addition, Kromberg & Schubert has now increased the number of cable harnesses manufactured at its Ukrainian plant in Zhytomyr.
“We have been working very closely with our partners over the past few weeks to minimize the impact of the war in Ukraine on the supply of cable harnesses,” Skoda board member for purchasing Karsten Schnake said in the statement. “With great dedication, we managed to resume production in Ukraine within a short period and also significantly increase manufacturing capacities.”
Schnake also sought to assure the company’s Ukrainian partners that Skoda is and would remain fully committed to them.
“They have our utmost respect for continuing to supply us as the circumstances permit,” he said.
Skoda also plans to duplicate the production of high-voltage cable harnesses required to charge electric vehicles. These will be manufactured in Romania starting from the end of June.
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