Half camper car and half mobile office space, the new Skoda Roadiaq concept is 100% a digital nomad's dream machine, unrivaled by any compact camping vehicle since Vantourer's Mercedes Urban office van.
The bulging-roofed electric AWD crossover features a multifunctional interior that spends its sunlit hours supporting the industrious work-from-roader as he or she punches in the daily eight. At night, it transforms into a more conventional tiny camper, complete with an outdoor kitchen area.
When Skoda first teased the Roadiaq, the ninth project car developed by the students at its vocational school, the concept reminded us of a scorpion with a curled up tail.
But now that the automaker has revealed the complete car, it has more of a reptilian vibe thanks to its lower Emerald Green color and the scale-like triangles across the rear add-on high roof. So it's leaning more scorpion-tailed gecko at this point.
Whatever creature of nature the Roadiaq may or may not remind you of, it's a functional piece of imagineering that could immediately become the preferred vehicle of digital nomads around the world (or at least around the markets in which the Skoda brand is available). The students started off with an all-electric Enyaq, a 183-in (465-cm) SUV that should certainly appeal to the cross section of campers, travelers, outdoor enthusiasts and eco lovers that might just throw paycheck down on a tiny, multipurpose electric camper.
The addition of the odd-looking but functional rear high roof gives the concept a small van-like rear cabin area while keeping the profile low and aerodynamic enough not to eat away too much at the SUV's battery. The Roadiaq is based on the Enyaq 80x Sportline model, which brings along a 77-kWh lithium-ion battery for a rather practical estimated range of 307 miles (495 km, WLTP). It's powered by a combination of 201-hp (150-kW) rear synchronous e-motor and 107-hp (80-kW) front asynchronous motor.
The 81-in-high (205-cm) reworked roof adds space for a small camper floor plan similar to the one we've seen featured on the VW ID. Buzz and a few others. It houses a side bench/bed across the center aisle from a taller storage console. Only this time, the console isn't a kitchen block but a mobile workstation.
The worktop holds the wireless keyboard and mouse when not in use, and a 27-in monitor hangs just overhead on a dedicated mount. The Enyaq iV itself brings an integrated internet connection, and a speaker and camera finish off the productivity tech package.
The Roadiaq is a two-seater, and while its support for digital nomad #2 isn't nearly as comprehensive as for #1, the concept doesn't leave the passenger out in the cold entirely. The front passenger seat features a dedicated tablet mount to create a small but functional secondary workstation.
Oddly, while the Roadiaq accommodates a second person while working and driving, it does leave them out in the cold – rather literally – when it comes to sleeping. Though there's clearly room for a simple sleeping extension, similar to the one used on this Cascade mini-camper van, the concept is designed purely as a solo-sleeper. The bench doesn't expand in width but merely becomes the bed, complete with a flip-up extension for added length.
The auxiliary tailgate tent doesn't appear to provide any reprieve for the poor passenger, either, as it's dedicated to the kitchen area that got bumped out of the interior in favor of the office space. The tent involved a special conversion of the Enyaq tailgate for attachment and doesn't appear large enough to shelter a sleeper. So that passenger had better bring his or her own tent ... or maybe a bike to ride to the nearest hotel.
The quick-pitch kitchen features a small, portable single-burner stove and a small electric fridge box that set up on a pair of collapsible camping tables. Each table also has integrated storage bags to hold tools and accessories. A 12-V espresso machine plugs into the vehicle and brews coffee to fuel productive workdays at the keyboard, outdoor adventures and long stints behind the wheel.
When not in use, the kitchen gear stores in the Roadiaq's many under-bench and console drawers and compartments, along with cookware, dishes, appliances, a dining table and chairs. Skoda also mentions the inclusion of a solar-powered shower, solar panels for keeping the office/living area humming without eating up driving range, flashlights, and a survival kit. An electrical connection allows users to hook up to shore power when available.
In addition to working with Skoda's in-house team on the Roadiaq concept, the 29 students also worked with camper and body conversion experts from Czech companies Cargodesign and KPS Automobile. They began last fall and put 2,000 hours of work into creating the concept revealed this week.
Source: Skoda
