Seat to develop a new platform fo EVs and launch six electrified models in Spain

Seat presented its electric strategy which, until the beginning of 2021, will include six electric and plug-in hybrid models. The electric version of the Mii and el-Born will be the brand’s first two fully electric models, while the new generation Leon and the Tarraco will feature a plug-in hybrid version.

Furthermore, the Cupra Leon and the Cupra Formentor will also have a plug-in hybrid variant. Seat President Luca de Meo also announced at the company's annual media conference that the Cupra Formentor, the new CUV that was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, will be built at the Martorell factory.

Seat will also develop a new vehicle platform in collaboration with the Volkswagen brand, a smaller version of the Modular Electric Drive Toolkit (MEB) on which multiple vehicles of the size of around four metres in length by different brands, Seat among them, will be made. The goal of the new platform is to develop affordable electric vehicles, with an entry level price below €20,000 ($22,400). More than 300 highly skilled engineers will be participating in this project in Spain.

During the presentation of the results held at Seat's corporate headquarters in Martorell, company CEO Luca de Meo stated that “Seat now has a clearer role in the Volkswagen Group, and thanks to the results obtained, we have earned the new electric vehicle platform.” “For the first time, the Seat Technical Centre will be developing a platform that may be used by more brands around the globe”, added de Meo.

The electric offensive reaches further than new models and also encompasses a micromobility strategy which, as announced by the CEO of Seat during the Mobile World Congress, the company is going to lead for the Volkswagen Group. The recently unveiled Minimó concept car plays a part in this strategy and the electric Seat eXS kickscooter are two examples of urban micromobility solutions put forward by the company.

The automotive industry is experiencing a transformation that poses challenges and opportunities. The fight against climate change and the goals of reducing emissions are the major issues that are going to affect the car industry in upcoming years, as well as connectivity and new mobility services.

In this context, Seat is going to create a software development centre to gain a competitive edge. The Metropolis:Lab Barcelona is going to become integrated in the new centre in order to continue to develop innovative solutions for better mobility. Other independent Seat companies, such as XMOBA, will also operate out of this new centre, which will be located in Barcelona and staffed by 200 professionals, to take full advantage of all synergies.

The electric offensive which will include six electric and plug-in hybrid Seat and Cupra models until the beginning of 2021 is also part of Seat's response to these challenges. In addition, the development of a new electric platform for urban vehicles, in collaboration with the Volkswagen brand, will serve as the basis for creating electric vehicles that are affordable to everybody. These will see the light in a period of three to four years and will help democratise electric mobility.