Seat opens battery assembly plant in Martorell

The plant, built with an investment of 300 million euros, was completed in just over two years. It covers an area of 64,000 square metres and can produce one battery system every 45 seconds, which is equivalent to 1,200 battery systems per day or 300,000 per year. From 2026, it will exclusively supply the production lines for the Cupra Raval and the VW ID. Polo, automatically transporting the battery systems via a 600-metre-long bridge to the assembly hall.Seat describes the opening as ‘a crucial milestone in the transformation of the company and of the country, as it positions Spain as a hub for electromobility in Europe.’ The plant’s commissioning marks a significant step towards the series production of the ID. Polo and Raval, which will kick off next year. The first production facilities for both vehicles have been in operation since November.A total of 11,000 solar panels on the roof are expected to supply ‘70% of the electricity required for the battery systems assembly process,’ according to Seat, thus reducing the CO₂ footprint. A water collection system, with a capacity equivalent to three Olympic swimming pools, will also bolster sustainability efforts.However, Seat has not yet revealed a critical detail: the source of the battery cells that will be assembled into ready-to-install battery systems at the new plant. When the project was announced in 2023, it was stated that the cells would come from the Volkswagen battery factory in Sagunt near Valencia, whose construction began in March. However, as this factory is not yet operational, the PowerCo cell factory in Salzgitter is likely to supply the cells in the interim, though it is only set to start production this December.One thing is clear: PowerCo’s unified cell will be designed as a cell-to-pack system, regardless of the cell chemistry, meaning the previous module level will be eliminated during assembly. This is expected to increase energy density and reduce costs by eliminating certain components—critical for the price-sensitive small car segment.“Right now we are moving from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat in the core technology of the electric world. The MEB+ battery system assembled at Martorell is fully competitive in all major aspects and a clear leap ahead as we introduce the unified cell,” says Günther Mendl, Head of the Group-wide Center of Excellence for Battery Technology. [It] “is not just another battery cell but our global technology platform allowing unprecedented speed, scale, and flexibility across brands, regions, and segments. At the same time, we switch to compact cell-to-pack design and add lithium-iron phosphate as alternative cell chemistry.”“The opening of this battery system assembly plant is a turning point in the history of Seat & Cupra. Today, we see how our ambition becomes a reality: we are ready to produce 100% electric Made in Spain cars that will make electric mobility accessible across Europe,” said Markus Haupt, CEO of Seat & Cupra. “Martorell is now the epicentre of the mobility of the future. We are proud to be leading the Electric Urban Car project for the Brand Group Core of the Volkswagen Group and to produce two of the models that will change the rules of the game in electrification, starting with the Cupra Raval.”seat-cupra-mediacenter.comThis article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.