SEAT has 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.
For the first time in the history of the company, SEAT will 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. More than 300 highly skilled engineers will be participating in the project in Spain.
During the presentation of the results held at SEAT’s corporate headquarters in Martorell, Luca de Meo said: “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.
Volkswagen AG CEO, Dr Herbert Diess, attended the presentation and emphasised SEAT’s role within the Volkswagen Group: “SEAT is playing a new role within the Volkswagen Group, taking on even more responsibility. This year’s achievements underline SEAT’s potential to make use of growth opportunities and open new markets.” He added: “The small electric platform project is a great step towards even more affordable electric mobility. SEAT will realise the first electric vehicle that is especially designed for urban journeys.”
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.
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