Volkswagen Group plans to turn Seat's Cupra performance marque into a full-electric brand and make only battery-powered cars at Seat's Martorell factory near Barcelona in Spain, VW CEO Herbert Diess said.
"CUPRA will become THE youthful and fully electric car brand – worldwide active, born in Spain," Diess wrote on Sunday in a LinkedIn post.
"Spain has great potential to become an e-mobility hub in Europe," Diess said after meeting Spanish King Felipe, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Industry Minister Reyes Maroto Illera in Martorell.
The conversion of the plant could also involve battery-cell production in Spain, Diess said.
"Our plans are bold: Conversion of Martorell into a fully electric car plant. Local cell production in Spain, build up of infrastructure for fast charging and green energy," he wrote.
The project depends on support from the European Commission, he said. "We need the Commission’s support to make it happen," Diess said.
Seat presented its future lineup during the meeting, including its first full-electric car, the Cupra Born. The compact hatchback will be introduced this year. It will be built alongside the VW ID3 at VW Group's EV plant in Zwickau, Germany.
Diess did not say which electric cars would be built at Martorell, which currently produces Seat and Cupra models with combustion engines, including gasoline-electric hybrids.
VW launched the Cupra label three years ago to focus on sportier versions of Seat models that can generate more revenue per car.