Long-term report: Warm weather helps the Skoda Elroq vRS go further

I’ll make no bones about it, I’m a warm-weather person. I wasn’t built for the cold, so I’m always happy when a spell of hot temperatures rolls around. It appears to be the same for the Skoda Elroq vRS, too.

It’s well-documented that electric cars work better in warmer weather and it’s been quite noticeable in this Elroq. I’ve spoken previously that this car’s range has been getting nowhere near its claimed figure, falling to around 230 miles during the winter. It’s some way short of the 330-mile range that Skoda claims.

But now these warmer days have arrived, I’ve noticed that the range has been slowly creeping up. Recently, I saw the heady heights of 270 miles indicated on a full charge, which, though still some way off claimed, is far, far better.

For me, 300 miles is the sweet spot when it comes to electric car range. At 300 miles, you’re not worrying all that much about charging and it gives you a decent 150-mile radius of your home to venture and return back. Even though the Elroq isn’t getting close to that, 270 miles is still very usable.

I’ve noticed a big difference in how this car uses its range depending on the type of driving, too. Some recent EVs that I’ve driven – such as the new Mercedes CLA – seem to manage their charge very well when you’re travelling at motorway speeds. The Elroq isn’t quite the same; it’ll chew through its range quickly when you’re at 70mph, whereas around town, you feel as though you never need to charge it.

I still love how practical this car is, mind you. The Elroq has proven to be handy in all types of scenarios, whether it’s packing up a big shop or taking the dog on a long walk. In truth, it does all of the ‘Skoda’ aspects very well.

I do wonder how Skoda’s upcoming models will affect the popularity of the Elroq, though. The new Epiq, for instance, has a larger boot than the Elroq and even gets a handy ‘frunk’ under the bonnet, which is something I would’ve liked in this car. While the 272-mile range of the Epiq is under the claimed mileage of this Elroq, with its more up-to-date MEB+ platform, I imagine it’ll get far closer to that on-paper range than this car.

It’s going to be a tricky one for retailers, that’s for sure. How do you still sell the Elroq when the new Epiq will get all the latest toys, a bigger boot and – potentially – better efficiency? It’ll cost less too. Only time will tell.

For now, though, I do think that the Elroq is one of the strongest cars within the entire Volkswagen Group EV line-up. Much of that is down to its practicality levels and how solidly made it feels inside.

After six months with the Elroq, would I go for the vRS model though? Probably not. As I’ve mentioned previously, all of the things that I find most appealing about this car – the space, the features inside and the overall practicality – you’ll get from the standard Elroq. It’s cheaper and will have more range to boot. Want my advice? Stick with a standard one and you’ll have one of the most usable EVs available today.