In order to be able to use modern locomotives on the 3,000 V electrified routes after the Second World War, Škoda decided to license foreign components. The necessary support was found in Switzerland from the companies Sécheron and SLM, which resulted in the E 499.01 series. The locomotive, designated by the manufacturer as 12E, reached 120 km/h with an hourly output of 2,344 kW and could therefore be used in front of express, passenger and light freight trains. As is usual with DC locomotives, the power was regulated using series-parallel circuits and resistors. The prototype was operational in 1953 and was tested in Poland until the Czechoslovak main line was fully electrified. 99 series pieces followed until 1958.

In order to save on license fees and end dependence on foreign technology, the bogies developed with Swiss help for the E 499.0 were replaced with in-house developments, thus creating the class E 499.1. A distinguishing feature of these locomotives were the four rectangular engine room windows on each side, while the E 499.0 had six round windows. A prototype was built in 1957 with the manufacturer's designation 20E and in 1959 and 1960 60 pieces of the series variant 30E were built. The self-developed bogies initially caused problems, but these could be turned off over time.

The 499.1 was also initially used in front of all types of trains. When the E 499.2, also from Škoda, was introduced in 1978, the older locomotives were increasingly used for slower trains. The introduction of the E 499.3 from 1984 pushed them even further out of service. The engines still available in 1988 were reclassified as the classes 140 and 141. In 2016, only two engines of the class 141 were reported to be still active at CD. While some locomotives are preserved in museums or as monuments today, a few are still used by private operators in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Although the classes 499.0 and 499.1 were also used in front of freight trains, the tractive effort in this area of application was limited. When the E 499.157 was damaged in an accident, the opportunity was taken to provide it with a different gear ratio for a top speed of 90 km/h as part of the repairs. Due to the limited adhesion, the starting tractive effort did not increase, but bigger pulling power was available at the usual speeds for freight trains. Although this locomotive was dismantled after testing, 85 examples of the new freight version were built in 1960 as the class E 469.1. These locomotives also had electric train heating and could therefore also pull passenger trains, but this only happened rarely due to the lower maximum speed.

When there was a further need for freight locomotives for 3.000 volts direct current, another series of 55 units was built in 1967 as the E 469.2. These had a revised locomotive body and driver's cabs based on the class E 669.1 and were the first Czechoslovak DC electric locomotive to have multiple controls. When some steam locomotives still had to be replaced a few years later, another 29 units were built in 1971 as the E 469.3. The three series later became the classes 121, 122 and 123. Since after the division of Czechoslovakia no major railway lines in Slovakia were electrified with direct current, they all came to CD. According to their age, the 469.1 were the first to be either retired or sold to private railways by 2006. Most examples of the newer series were retired between 2010 and 2020.

Starting in 1980, the ČSD had a total of 50 class E 479.1 two-section locomotives built for the steep gradients in Slovakia. Technically, they largely corresponded to the ES499.1 developed at the same time. However, the individual halves had slightly less power than the ES499.1 and were only designed for 100 km/h. Since 1988 they have been known as class 131. With the division of Czechoslovakia, they all came to Slovakia, where they are still in use today.