Felipe VI visits the construction site of SEAT's new battery assembly plant

The Volkswagen Group and SEAT S.A. continue to make progress in their transformation project to put Spain on electric wheels. At an event held today in the presence of His Majesty King Felipe VI; the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Pere Aragonès; and the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, among other dignitaries, the company showed the progress in the construction of the new battery system assembly plant, currently under development. 

SEAT S.A. is investing 300 million euros in this new facility, which will enable the assembly of battery cells from the PowerCo gigafactory in Sagunto, also under construction, for the Volkswagen Group's electric urban car family, which will start production at the Martorell factory by the end of 2025.

The battery system assembly plant is part of an ambitious transformation plan being developed by the Volkswagen Group and SEAT S.A. in Spain which, alongside the partners of the Future: Fast Forward project, will turn Spain into an electric vehicle hub in Europe.

CEO of SEAT and CUPRA, Wayne Griffiths explained that “three years ago we made a big promise: to electrify SEAT S.A. and put Spain on electric wheels. During this time, we have worked hard to make that goal a reality and the new battery assembly plant is the best proof we’re on the right track. We are delivering on our investments, on the creation of new electric cars and on the redevelopment at the factories. Our commitment to electrification and decarbonisation is clear and now we need the same commitment from the Spanish Government.”

Chairman of the Board of Directors of SEAT S.A., Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG (Brand Group Core) and CEO of the Volkswagen Brand, Thomas Schäfer, said: “The Volkswagen Group is 100% committed to Spain, to the Spanish automotive sector, and to shaping the future of sustainable mobility in and for Europe. We are delivering what it needs to bring electric mobility to the masses: affordable, appealing cars and leading-edge batteries. We strive to enable e-mobility for everyone! In this regard, the continuous support of the Spanish Government is crucial. And we call on Europe to stick to electromobility as central lever to make the Green deal reality.”

The authorities began their visit at the company's Design Centre, where they were able to see, among other things, the future models of the electric urban car family, which will be produced in Martorell and Navarra from next year. The group then moved to the site where the battery system assembly plant is being built, where the attendees were able to learn more about the project in detail and see how work is progressing. The event ended with a presentation by Wayne Griffiths and Thomas Schäfer on the progress of the Volkswagen Group's and SEAT S.A.'s electrification plan in Spain.

AN INVESTMENT OF 300 MILLION AND MORE THAN 500 JOBS

The new battery system assembly plant in Martorell is a key part of SEAT S.A.'s electrification journey. This facility will cover a space of 64,000 square metres and, when operational in 2025, will have an impact on more than 500 jobs.

SEAT S.A. is investing 300 million euros in this plant, where the assembly process of the battery cells produced at the PowerCo gigafactory in Sagunto will take place. The Martorell plant will have an initial capacity to produce 1,400 battery systems per day, which will be transferred directly to the assembly lines of the new electric cars via a 600-metre-long conveyor system. The new plant will have 11,000 solar panels, producing 70% of the energy required for the entire process.

The new assembly plant is a key element in the path that SEAT S.A. embarked on in March 2021, when it announced the goal of electrifying Spain. The company launched the Future: Fast Forward project together with the Volkswagen Group, PowerCo and 49 partners, with an investment of 10 billion euros, the largest in the country's industrial history, to turn Spain into a hub for electric mobility in Europe. Future: Fast Forward will have a direct impact on more than 145,000 jobs, securing current positions and creating employment.

AN IMPULSE FOR MARTORELL

SEAT S.A. is leading the cluster of the Volkswagen Group's electric urban car family, which will democratise access to electric cars and which will produce the 100% electric CUPRA Raval, from the end of 2025. Over the following months, the Volkswagen ID 2.all model will also be produced in Martorell, while Navarra will manufacture a SUV based on the ID.2all and the Škoda Epiq. 1,100 people are working on the development and industrialisation of the Volkswagen Group's electric urban cars.

With an investment of 3 billion euros, double the amount the company spent 30 years ago to build the Martorell factory, SEAT S.A. is driving the biggest transformation in its history. This summer, the company will move the entire production of the SEAT Ibiza and SEAT Arona to another assembly line in Martorell to prepare a new line for electric cars at the factory.

The transformation that SEAT S.A. has set in motion also has a direct effect on the company on an industrial, organisational and cultural level. The battery systems assembly plant, which has received Next Generation EU funds from the second round of the PERTE Electric and Connected Vehicle (EV), is a fundamental pillar in the transformation towards electrification at Martorell.

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