SEAT has announced it will invest €5bn (US$5.6bn) in R&D projects by 2025 as it focuses on further electrification of its model line-up. The significant investment will go toward vehicle development, particularly electrifying the range, as well as equipment and facilities at the Martorell, Barcelona and Componentes plants.
SEAT president Carsten Isensee commented, “This investment plan is our way of dealing with the future with determination and optimism, so that we will have a stronger, more innovative and more sustainable company. Our willingness is that Martorell will manufacture electric vehicles from 2025 onward, when the electric vehicle market will have grown.”
The company also confirmed that its el-Born concept car will be launched as a Cupra model, arriving in 2021. Developed on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, the Cupra el-Born features a 77kWh (gross: 82kWh) battery driving the rear wheels, offering a range of up to 310 miles (500km). Thanks to its fast charging capability, the Cupra el-Born can take on 161 miles (260km) of charge in only 30 minutes.