SEAT & CUPRA launch battery system assembly plant in Martorell

SEAT & CUPRA have opened a battery system assembly plant in Martorell, a key step in Volkswagen Group’s electrification strategy. Learn the details.

SEAT & CUPRA have officially put into operation a new battery system assembly plant at their Martorell site, marking a major milestone in the company’s transition toward electric mobility. The facility is a key component of both SEAT & CUPRA’s transformation and the wider battery strategy of the Volkswagen Group, aimed at strengthening in-house capabilities and securing long-term access to battery technologies.

The new plant covers an area of 64,000 square metres and is designed to assemble one battery system every 45 seconds. At full capacity, this translates into up to 1,200 battery systems per day and around 300,000 units per year. From 2026 onwards, the facility will exclusively supply battery systems for the series production of the CUPRA Raval and the electric Volkswagen ID. Polo, both of which will be built in Martorell.

Battery systems will be transported automatically to the vehicle assembly lines via a 600-metre enclosed bridge linking the new plant to the main production halls. This logistics concept is intended to streamline internal flows, reduce handling times and support more efficient large-scale electric vehicle production.

Sustainability measures are an integral part of the project. The roof of the facility is equipped with 11,000 solar panels, covering around 70% of the electricity required for the battery assembly process. In addition, a rainwater collection system with a capacity equivalent to three Olympic swimming pools has been installed, underlining the plant’s focus on resource efficiency.

The Martorell facility will assemble next-generation battery systems based on the MEB+ platform, including a cell-to-pack architecture and the Volkswagen Group’s unified cell concept. The strategy also foresees the use of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry for certain models, reflecting the Group’s efforts to reduce costs and make electric mobility more accessible.

The opening of the battery system assembly plant is closely linked to the Electric Urban Car Family project, led by SEAT & CUPRA on behalf of the Volkswagen Group’s Brand Group Core. The programme comprises four compact electric models from three brands — CUPRA Raval, Volkswagen ID. Polo, Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID. Cross — all of which will be produced in Spain and targeted at the European mass market.

Investment in the battery system assembly plant amounts to €300 million, forming part of a broader €10 billion commitment by the Volkswagen Group and its partners to electrification in Spain. Of this total, €3 billion has been allocated to the transformation of the Martorell site. Looking ahead, the plant is set to maintain its position as one of the Group’s largest manufacturing hubs in Europe, with a potential annual capacity of up to 600,000 vehicles, a significant share of which could be fully electric.

With the launch of the new facility, SEAT & CUPRA move into the final stretch of a transformation that began in 2020. Martorell is increasingly positioned as a cornerstone of the Volkswagen Group’s European electric vehicle ecosystem, reinforcing Spain’s role in the production of next-generation, accessible electric cars.