Spanish carmaker Seat, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, has announced a massive investment of three billion euros in the conversion of its Martorell plant near Barcelona for the production of electric small cars. The announcement was made on the 30th anniversary of the location and marks the transformation of the plant.
The aim is to produce small electric cars for the Volkswagen Group starting from 2025, with the plant being converted and employees trained accordingly. The VW and Cupra electric cars will be built in Martorell, and later an electric Skoda in the four-metre class is expected to be produced as well.
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Seat has developed a strategic plan comprising five main pillars to prepare for the production of electric vehicles for various Group brands. These pillars include staff training, vehicle development, end-to-end production (E2E), digitalisation, and sustainability. Seat is leading the ‘Small BEV’ development for the VW Group.
Currently, the Martorell plant employs around 12,000 people and has produced 12 million cars since its opening in 1993. The Seat Ibiza, the Leon family, and the Seat Cordoba were the most frequently produced models. The Cupra Formentor, available as a plug-in hybrid, is the most frequently built model at the factory.
Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths has stated that the company’s ambition is to produce electric vehicles made in Spain from 2025, and Martorell will also manufacture the CUPRA UrbanRebel as part of the transformation. The Volkswagen Group had already announced total investments of ten billion euros in e-mobility in Spain in November 2022, which will flow into the conversion of the Martorell and Pamplona plants for the production of small electric cars, as well as into the battery cell factory in Sagunt near Valencia.
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The Pamplona vehicle plant could produce electric crossovers of the small car series in the future, with the ID.2 X being a potential model name. A Skoda model with the name Elroq is also expected to be produced. Seat’s transformation is set to bring about a new era for the company and its employees.
