Volkswagen Group wants to build its third battery cell factory in Spain.
The Volkswagen Group intends to make Spain a strategic pillar of its global electrification plans. As announced at the New Auto Strategy Day, in which the company set out its roadmap to 2030, Volkswagen Group and SEAT S.A. are willing to cooperate with the Spanish Government to transform the country into a leading e-mobility hub and will apply to take part in the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE).
As part of the Future: Fast Forward project, Volkswagen Group will make its best efforts to build a battery cell factory in Spain. After Sweden and Germany, Spain could become the third location for one of six gigafactories in Europe. Moreover, the planned Small BEV Family could be produced in Spain. The Small BEV Family will play a key role in democratizing electric mobility in Europe, as it will make climate-neutral e-mobility accessible for more customers.
Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group: “Spain could become a strategic pillar of our electric strategy. We are willing to establish the entire value chain of e-mobility in the country – electric vehicle production, electric car components, a Group-new cell factory. Depending on the general framework and public support, from 2025 onwards the Small BEV Family could be made in Spain.”
Thomas Schmall, member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group for Technology, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components and Chairman of the SEAT S.A. Board of Directors: “We are further pushing forward our battery strategy and we are willing to build up gigafactory number 3 in Spain. The localization would enable high security supply for the planned e-vehicle production in Spain. Like in our first two planned factories in Salzgitter and Skellefteå, we would intend to build up the potential gigafactory together with a strategic partner. In its final stage at the end of the decade, the plant could have a yearly capacity of 40 gigawatt hours.”
Wayne Griffiths, CEO of SEAT and CUPRA: “We support and will apply to take part in the PERTE announced by the Spanish Government. Realizing the potential of the Future: Fast Forward project demands both public support and investment. We aim to cooperate with the Spanish Government to transform the country into a European e-mobility hub and the SEAT S.A. production plant in Martorell into an all-electric vehicle factory. The Iberian Peninsula is key to achieving climate-neutral mobility in Europe by 2050. We are ready to transform the Spanish auto industry and make a significant contribution to the decarbonization of South Western Europe.”
Future: Fast Forward, leading the electrification of the automotive industry in Spain
Last March, at its 2021 Annual Press Conference, SEAT S.A. presented an ambitious plan, called Future: Fast Forward, intended to lead the electrification of the automotive industry in Spain, with the production of urban electric vehicles in Spain from 2025.
Fast Forward project is strongly connected with the PERTE and public support.
The urban electric car would be a large project in terms of potential volume. It would represent an important milestone on the road to sustainability and the fight against climate change and could become the engine for the transformation of the Spanish automotive industry. This segment, of around 20-25,000 euros, is essential to make electromobility accessible to the masses and hit the Green Deal targets.
Future: Fast Forward would serve as a driving force to generate employment, especially for young people. The project includes SEAT S.A. as well as technological centers and large, medium and small companies.