- Spanish Volkswagen Group duo SEAT and CUPRA have begun series production of EV battery systems at its Martorell plant near Barcelona.
- The move comes after the battery facility was inaugurated last December, and it represents the final step before Martorell-produced battery systems begin appearing in production EVs later this year.
- This new facility will allow Martorell to become an automotive powerhouse in an increasingly EV-focused world.
New EV batteries in production in Spain
The production scale of this new plant is significant, which has the capacity to produce up to 1,200 batteries per day, and up to 300,000 batteries per year. At full capacity, that works out at around one battery system produced every 45 seconds.
The new battery plant has been built in less than two years, spanning around 64,000 m² in size, with employment of around 500 people. As part of the aim to make EVs cleaner across their entire life cycle (including the production stage), the facility also has 11,000 roof-mounted solar panels, which provide around 70% of the electricity required for the battery system assembly process.
With that significant capacity, these battery systems won’t only find their way into SEAT and CUPRA products, but also elsewhere across the Volkswagen Group. The firm has already confirmed that this facility will produce batteries destined for the upcoming CUPRA Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo models, both of which are being produced at the Martorell factory.
André Kleb, Chief Production Officer (CPO) for the Iberian Peninsula at the Volkswagen Group’s Brand Group Core, commented:
“As part of the Brand Group Core of the Volkswagen Group, the Iberian Peninsula is strengthening its position as a European hub for electromobility. Through the Electric Urban Car Family project, we will manufacture four electric models in Spain, starting with the CUPRA Raval, making electric mobility accessible from the Iberian Peninsula to customers across Europe.”
