OREANDA-NEWS. At the annual press conference Skoda, which was held in Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, the results of the last year were summed up and the strategic development plan of the company until 2025 was presented. According to Azat Timerkhanov, our correspondent, in 2017, Skoda AUTO set a new record by car sales and annual profit.

In the official press release the following figures are given: sales have reached the level of 1 200 500 units, which is more by 6.6% compared to the previous year. At the same time, revenues from sales grew by 20.8%, which is 16.6 billion Euros, among which 1.6 billion Euros is the company's current profit (+ 34.6%). Thus, according to these indicators, the company set a new record, by surpassing the figures for the last 4 years.

In addition, another record was reached on the sales of cars in a single market: this is the market of China, where 325,000 cars were sold. In the strategic development plan, the main principle for Skoda is compliance with the large-scale changes that occur in the auto industry - in particular, the further development of the capabilities of electric vehicles and drones.

Other key areas of activity are digital products and processes, the conquest of new markets, the spread of traditional automotive production and various types of mobile services. Today the brand is represented in 102 countries, in the future it is planned to expand the geography of its presence up to 120. For example, this year Skoda AUTO will begin sales of its models in Singapore, and in 2019, it is planned to start sales in South Africa.

Other figures of strategic development are also given: thus, by 2020 the company will launch 19 new models around the world, and by 2025 10 electric vehicles will be brought to the market. "We are launching the largest investment program in our history: over the next five years, Skoda AUTO will invest about two billion Euros in the development of electric mobility and new mobile services," said Bernhard Maier, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Skoda AUTO.

According to the analytic agency "AUTOSTAT", 62 302 Skoda cars were sold in Russia in the last year, which is more by 12.5%  than in 2016.