In the 1980s, the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) procured electric dual-system locomotives to simplify the steadily growing traffic and operations in cross-border transport between East Germany and Czechoslovakia. Due to the lack of experience in dual-system technology (East Germany: alternating current 15 kV/16⅔ Hz, Czechoslovakia: direct current 3 kV) and the full capacity of the electric locomotive manufacturer LEW in Hennigsdorf, the machines were developed based on the CSD series ES 499.1 and 499.2. However, the locomotive factory Skoda had not yet built a machine for the AC system of 15 kV/16⅔ Hz, so the components for the alternating current part were supplied from East Germany. Consequently, the demand from CSD resulted in a double order for Skoda, consisting of 15 locomotives of class BR 372 and 20 locomotives of class BR 230 for the DR.