SEAT & CUPRA has started series production of battery systems at its Martorell plant in Spain, using Volkswagen Group’s Unified Cell and cell-to-pack technology. The facility can produce 300,000 units annually. The batteries will power the CUPRA Raval and Volkswagen ID.Polo, both launching from the plant in 2026.
SEAT & CUPRA has begun series assembly of battery systems at its plant in Martorell, Spain, in what the company describes as the final step before series production of the CUPRA Raval begins this summer.
The battery systems produced at the facility will power both the CUPRA Raval and the Volkswagen ID.Polo, the two electric models set to be built at Martorell. Both vehicles are part of the Volkswagen Group’s Electric Urban Car Family, developed under its Brand Group Core division.
“The start of production of series assembly battery systems marks a decisive milestone in the final stretch of the transformation of our company and takes us closer to the series production of the CUPRA Raval,” says Markus Haupt, chief executive of SEAT & CUPRA. “With the beginning of electric-vehicle production, Martorell will strengthen its position as a fully flexible plant, ready to lead Spain’s transition to electric mobility by producing electric, hybrid, and highly efficient combustion models.”
The battery systems are built around the Volkswagen Group’s Unified Cell, a standardized battery technology platform designed for scalability across brands, regions, and vehicle segments. The systems use cell-to-pack technology, eliminating intermediate module stages for a more efficient assembly process.
The plant has the capacity to produce 1,200 battery systems per day and up to 300,000 units per year — equivalent to one every 45 seconds. Assembly begins with two parallel operations: pre-assembly of electrical components and cell stacking across two lines, which together produce 3,600 stacks per day through nearly half a million welding points. Once assembled and sealed, each battery system undergoes quality checks before being transported via a 600-meter bridge directly to the vehicle production line.
The E Box, which serves as the battery management unit, is manufactured at SEAT & CUPRA’s El Prat Components facility – a site that spent 45 years producing manual gearboxes before being repurposed for electric vehicle component production.
“As part of the Brand Group Core of the Volkswagen Group, the Iberian Peninsula is strengthening its position as a European hub for electromobility,” says André Kleb, chief production officer for the Iberian Peninsula at the Volkswagen Group’s Brand Group Core. “Through the Electric Urban Car Family project, we will manufacture four electric models in Spain, starting with the CUPRA Raval, making electric mobility accessible from the Iberian Peninsula to customers across Europe.”
The 64,000 sq m battery assembly plant was built in under two years and is staffed by 500 employees. Some 11,000 solar panels installed on its roof supply around 70% of the electricity required for the assembly process.
SEAT & CUPRA has invested €10 billion in Spain’s electrification through its Future: Fast Forward project, in collaboration with the Volkswagen Group, PowerCo, and other partners.
