Seat launches pilot production of electric compact cars
In its announcement, the Spanish company confirmed that the ‘countdown to series production’ has begun. For Seat and the Cupra brand, this represents a significant milestone, as the Cupra Raval and, shortly afterwards, the VW ID. Polo will be the first electric vehicle to roll off the production line at the Spanish plant. These are not just any vehicles—particularly the ID. Polo, which is seen as the Volkswagen Group’s flagship model for establishing a foothold in the affordable battery-electric compact car segment.
Seat has completed a comprehensive overhaul of its Martorell plant in Catalonia to prepare for the production of two battery-electric compact models. In recent years, the site has been systematically converted for EV manufacturing. Around 160,000 square metres of the facility have been adapted for electric vehicle production. Production line 1 has been fully modernised, and 1,000 new robots have been installed in the body shop. In addition, 60 new stamping tools have been introduced for component manufacturing, including the new PXL press. The company has also developed four new exterior colours specifically for the electric compact car family. A key element of the transformation is a newly commissioned 600-metre automated bridge. The structure links the battery system assembly plant, inaugurated in December, directly with assembly line 1, streamlining logistics between battery production and vehicle assembly.
“We are entering a historic year. In Martorell, the epicentre of future mobility, we are in the final phase of series production of the Cupra Raval, the car that will mark the beginning of a new era for the brand,” said Markus Haupt, CEO of the brands Seat and Cupra. “We have transformed our facilities, trained our teams, and optimised our processes to make this possible. Today, the goal of driving electromobility in Europe from the Iberian Peninsula is closer than ever.”
Seat/Cupra is not only responsible for the Raval and ID. Polo produced in Martorell, but also for the two SUV derivatives of the battery-electric compact car family—the VW ID. Cross and Škoda Epiq—built at the VW plant in Navarra. The so-called ‘cluster for the development’ is led by Seat/Cupra. Teams from Martorell and Navarra have worked closely together, completing 560,000 training hours, according to the company. Suppliers based on the Iberian Peninsula were also involved: Spain is home to over 90 suppliers and 110 production sites, which together cover 70% of the vehicles’ material costs.
“We are in the final stages of our industrial transformation, verifying and optimising the operation of our facilities, which are already a benchmark in the sector,” said André Kleb, Chief Production Officer for the Iberian Peninsula at the Volkswagen Group’s Core brand group. “Martorell continues to evolve and, with the arrival of the new electric models, will consolidate its position as the epicentre of future mobility: a flexible factory capable of producing 100% electric, hybrid and efficient combustion models for different Volkswagen Group brands, ready to face the challenges of the future.”
Kleb’s position has only existed for a few months: In November 2025, the Volkswagen volume brands of the Brand Group Core (BGC) established a regional production network, dividing the plants into five production regions. Since then, the plants are no longer assigned to specific brands (e.g., in Spain, Martorell to Seat/Cupra and Navarra to VW) but to the production region. As of 1 January, André Kleb, previously Head of Planning and Production Engineering for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, took over responsibility for production on the Iberian Peninsula—covering not only the two Spanish plants but also the factory in Setúbal, Portugal, where the series version of the ID.EVERY1 (likely to be named ID. Up) will be produced.
0 Comments