The annual conference of Seat and Cupra, which incidentally spoke very little of the first, announces the creation of a battery production plant in Spain and the arrival in 2024 of a hybrid and hybrid urban SUV rechargeable. The latter will be produced in Hungary.
Spring is here and at the end of the first quarter, manufacturers are multiplying the publications of their financial results for the past year. Very often, they also take the opportunity to announce some of their future projects. The annual conference of Cupra and Seat thus included two major surprises.
Seat electrifies Spain!
At the end of the conference, the most significant announcement is an investment of 7 billion euros for the electrification of Spain. Understand by this, the creation of a factory that will produce battery cells for electric models from 2026. Located in Sagunto, in the Valencia region, this Iberian Gigafactory will have a production capacity of 40 GWh per year. The brand plans to recruit 3,000 employees. The construction of this plant will begin at the end of 2022.
“In 2026, Seat and Cupra will have a battery production plant in the Valencia region with a capacity of 40 GWh.“
” This project is extremely important for Volkswagen, for Spain and for the whole of Europe. We aim to electrify Spain. We are ready to invest more than 7 billion euros in collaboration with third-party suppliers for the electrification of our factories in Martorell and Pamplona, and the establishment of the value chain for the production of electric batteries in Valencia”said Thomas Schmall, Member of the Board of Directors of Volkswagen AG in charge of technology and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SEAT SA
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Future Cupras will not necessarily be 100% electric
The other significant announcement is the arrival in 2024 of an electrified Cupra SUV, therefore not completely electric. This model will be manufactured, not in Spain, but in Hungary, in the Audi factory in Gyor where the TT and Q3 are today assembled. About 4.50 m long, it should be based on the MQB EVO technical platform and replace the Cupra Ateca at the end of its life. A highly probable scenario since the Seat Ateca was launched in 2016, restyled in 2020 and should logically retire in 2024. This model, which should have a specific Cupra body and no longer have an alter-ego under the Seat coat of arms, will leave the choice between a mild hybrid variant and a rechargeable hybrid version whose autonomy in electric mode will reach 100 km. The latter foreshadows a whole new generation of plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) capable of going much further without consuming gasoline.
Cupra’s roadmap is therefore even clearer now. In 2024, the 100% electric Tavascan SUV Coupé will join the ranks as well as this hybrid SUV / compact plug-in hybrid mentioned above, which should significantly boost the sales of the young brand. Then, in 2025, the city car resulting from the Urban Rebel concept car, unveiled in September 2021 at the Munich Motor Show, will complete the offer from below, after having calmed down its lines. Finally, an additional model has also been announced at Cupra for 2025, probably an electric urban SUV developed like the city car on the MEB Entry basis. This B-SUV will also have an equivalent at Skoda.
To read. Skoda. 3 future modern and solid electric vehicles before 2030!
What future for Seat?
The President of SEAT SA explained that the company must transform itself to become a more robust and sustainable organization, increasing competitiveness and profitability: “The sustainability of our business relies on the growth of CUPRA. We see our new CUPRA brand as a lever to improve profitability and we must devote all our efforts to its growth.“, declared Mr. Griffiths. A speech only focused on Cupra which leaves no room for Seat whose future raises many questions… Business to follow.
TO READ. 6 100% Cupra models by 2025
