By Robbie Broughton
What sort of things do you look for in a car? What about a washing machine to clean your kit? Skoda polled 1,500 UK cyclists to find out what were the most important things they wanted from their drive before and after their ride. They took the results and came up with the Karoq Velo. And yes, it does indeed have a washing machine, a pressure washer to clean your bike and even a built-in drone station.
Skoda asked two simple questions: “What technology would you like in a car?” and “What are the key frustrations faced when cycling?” They’ve built a unique concept car that they claim is the ultimate support vehicle, “delivering the perfect pre- and post-ride experience” for cyclists.
The fully integrated spin cycle washing machine was included as a result of 27% of the survey’s respondents who said that returning to their car in damp cycling kit was a major downside of riding. It uses the same water supply as the integrated pressure washer.
The car also has space for a full tool kit and built-in LED lights mean that late night repairs can be carried out without a torch. Other features include a magnetic landing pad for a Follow-Me drone that uses sensors and recognition technology to follow the cyclist and capture ride photos. There’s an inbuilt Wi-Fi hotspot that allows you to immediately upload footage when you get back to the car. It also has a mini fridge to keep your drinks cool.
Unsurprisingly, bike storage came top of the priorities from the respondents of the survey and Skoda claim that they’ve made easy-to-use racking to carry two bikes on a special roof mount and another one inside, leaving room for three passengers.
The car isn’t currently available for sale although it is being used to help cyclists prepare and train for races and competitions. Keira McVitty and Laura Scott are two lucky cyclists who have been trying it out and they both feature in the promotional video.