Seat makes electrification plans public
Seat has put its electrical strategy into concrete terms. The VW subsidiary plans to launch six electrified models on the market by the beginning of 2021. The electric versions of the Seat Mii and the Seat el-Born will be the first two all-electric models of the Spanish car brand.
The two electric models will be joined by a PHEV quartet of existing models – the Leon, the Tarraco, the Cupra Leon and the Cupra Formentor. In addition, Seat will develop a new vehicle platform together with parent company Volkswagen. According to the Spaniards, this is a smaller version of the MEB modular system, which all Volkswagen Group brands can use as a basis to produce cars with a length of around four metres. The aim of the new platform is to develop affordable electric cars that can be sold at an entry-level price of less than 20,000 euros. According to Seat, more than 300 engineers are involved in the project.
“Seat now plays a clearly defined role within the Volkswagen Group,” commented CEO Luca de Meo at the company’s annual press conference. Thanks to outstanding business figures, Seat has truly earned the responsibility for the new electric vehicle platform. “For the first time, Seat’s Technical Center will develop a vehicle group that can be used by several brands worldwide,” de Meo emphasizes. In fact, Seat today reported record sales and vehicle deliveries. But only marginally.
VW CEO Herbert Diess also sees Seat in a new role within the Group: “This year’s successes underline Seat’s potential to exploit growth opportunities and open up new markets. The small electric platform is a big step towards more affordable electric mobility. “Seat will implement the first electric vehicle specifically designed for urban traffic.
To put this into perspective, Seat is expected to be the second brand in the Volkswagen Group after VW next year to launch a purely electric model based on the regular MEB platform – the el-Born, named after a trendy district of Barcelona. In Zwickau, the model will in future roll off the assembly line just like the VW ID. and a still nameless compact SUV from Audi. The electric-only version of the Mii miniature car was unveiled in February 2017 and has been tested since May in Barcelona as a sharing car by around 1,000 Seat employees.
Meanwhile, Seat’s electric offensive also includes a micromobility strategy that Seat will drive forward for the Volkswagen Group. The recently introduced Minimó concept car plays a central role in this strategy and, alongside Seat’s electric scooter eXS, is another example of urban micromobility solutions. According to media reports, the 1+1 seater could go into production in 2021.
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