SEAT invests €3 billion to shift from combustion to electrification, marking 30th anniversary of Martorell factory

SEAT invests €3 billion to shift from combustion to electrification, marking 30th anniversary of Martorell factory

(IN BRIEF) SEAT S.A., the Spanish automaker, is marking the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of its Martorell factory with a total investment of €3 billion to transition from combustion to electrification across all areas of its business. The transformation involves five main pillars: people and organization, electrification and product, production end to end (E2E), digitalization, and sustainability. The Martorell factory will produce full electric vehicles for different brands within the Group by 2025, as part of the company’s strategic plan. The transformation is in line with SEAT’s and the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to the electrification of Spain and includes the electrification of the Martorell and Pamplona factories, the construction of a new gigafactory for batteries in Sagunto, and the creation of a complete supplier ecosystem. The transformation of SEAT reflects the growing demand for electric vehicles and sustainable mobility.

(PRESS RELEASE) MARTORELL, 22-Feb-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — SEAT S.A., a Spanish car manufacturer part of Volkswagen Group, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of its Martorell factory, coinciding with the beginning of the company’s largest transformation ever. The transformation, involving a total investment of 3 billion euros, will see SEAT shift from combustion to electrification across all areas of its business. The company has designed a strategic plan to achieve this transition, including five main pillars: people and organization, electrification and product, production end to end (E2E), digitalization, and sustainability.

As part of the transformation, SEAT’s Martorell factory will begin producing full electric vehicles for different brands within the Group by 2025. The factory will become one of the Volkswagen Group’s production hubs for these electric cars and a crucial part of the electric vehicle value chain in Spain.

CEO of SEAT and CUPRA Wayne Griffiths said: “Over the past 30 years, SEAT S.A. has created employment and boosted industrial growth in our country and there is even more planned for the future. Our ambition is to produce electric vehicles made in Spain from 2025 and, as part of this transformation, Martorell will also manufacture the CUPRA UrbanRebel. Thanks to this project, the most important for our company in the years ahead, our employees and the factory will begin a new era”.

One of the key projects in the transformation is SEAT’s leadership of the Small BEV cluster for the Volkswagen Group, which aims to democratize sustainable urban mobility for different brands. The company’s transformation is part of SEAT’s and the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to the electrification of Spain, as laid out in the Future: Fast Forward project. This project includes the electrification of the Martorell and Pamplona factories, the construction of a new gigafactory for batteries in Sagunto (Valencia), and the creation of a complete supplier ecosystem.

Markus Haupt, Executive Vice-President for Production and Logistics at SEAT S.A., added: “As the focus of this transformation is in our factories, we have a great challenge ahead of us: changing our production processes to make electrification a reality. To achieve this, we will integrate new technologies into the Martorell site train our staff to ensure that they have the necessary facilities and skills to handle the electrification of SEAT S.A.”.

To achieve these goals, SEAT is investing in its production facilities to transform Martorell into a smart factory, implementing data and business intelligence tools, virtual reality, and big data to improve production processes and real-time monitoring. The company has activated an ambitious training plan for its employees to help them adapt to new technologies and achieve a more efficient organization.

SEAT’s Martorell factory has produced more than 12 million vehicles over the past 30 years, exporting to over 70 countries around the world. The plant currently employs around 12,000 people and is the headquarters of Martorell. The factory will remain a driver of growth and development for the company, as it transitions to full electric vehicles.

The Spanish economy is expected to benefit significantly from the Future: Fast Forward project, with a positive impact of over 21,000 million euros. The transformation of SEAT and the Volkswagen Group reflects the growing demand for electric vehicles and sustainable mobility.

SEAT S.A. Communications

Cristina Vall-Llosada
Head of Corporate Communications
M/ +34 646 295 296
cristina.vall-llosada@seat.es

Jan Conesa
Corporate Communications
M/ +34 650 659 096
jan.conesa@seat.es

SOURCE: SEAT, S.A.