Skoda Auto has shown a sharp increase in sales in Europe, reaching 223,500 cars in the first quarter of 2026, reports Autocar.

Skoda Auto CEO Klaus Zellmer attributed this result to a sustainable business model, the growth of the electric car direction, and a corporate culture based on teamwork and employee initiative.

According to the results, the company has become the second largest car manufacturer in Europe after Volkswagen and is among the fastest growing brands in the region.

Skoda’s growth in the market is 17 percent, and growth does not happen by itself. Revenue grew by 9 percent, and profit by 21 percent, Zellmer noted.

He added that the key factor for success is not a rigid vertical management, but the creation of an environment where employees can freely offer ideas and participate in decision-making. According to him, modern market conditions are too complex for an authoritarian style of management.

Zellmer also drew attention to the role of a leader’s personal quality: curiosity.

Curiosity is like a battery that constantly provides energy to learn and pose new questions, he said.

Earlier, Zellmer worked at Porsche in the US, and then held leadership positions at the Volkswagen Group, where he gained experience in managing in the conditions of a pandemic crisis and large-scale transformation of the industry.

Zellmer noted that he does not attribute success exclusively to himself, emphasizing the role of the team.

The Skoda CEO said he does not achieve results alone, he achieves them together with a team that needs to be guided and inspired.