Automation expert Kuka has secured a new order from the Volkswagen Group to supply 700 robots over the next three years. The robots will be deployed at Volkswagen Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, where two electric models are produced: the Skoda Epiq small SUV and the crossover version of the ID.2, likely to be called the ID.2 X.
Despite limited information from Volkswagen about the ID.2 X, Skoda recently presented a study of the Epiq, which is expected to offer a spacious interior with up to 490 litres of luggage space and a range of over 400 kilometres. Both models are set to debut in 2025 and are targeted to cost around 25,000 euros in the basic version.
The new Kuka robots will be used in body-in-white production to “assist” in the manufacturing process. This follows a framework agreement between Kuka and VW, allowing the automaker to call off up to 700 Kuka robots over the next two years. Kuka robots have been in use at the Pamplona plant for almost 30 years, and Peter Mohnen, CEO of Kuka AG, expressed satisfaction with the continued cooperation with Volkswagen.
The investment in e-mobility projects in Spain, announced by Volkswagen and its subsidiary Seat, includes a total of ten billion euros primarily for the battery factory in Sagunt near Valencia and the conversion of the Martorell and Pamplona plants for the production of small electric cars. Volkswagen aims to produce around three million fully electric small cars at both Spanish plants between 2025 and 2030.
This collaboration between Volkswagen and Kuka extends beyond Spain. In 2020, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles commissioned Kuka to plan, deliver, assemble, and commission a fully automated body construction system for the substructure of the all-electric ID. Buzz.
