Seat Announce EV Strategy WIth Six New Cars

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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28th March 2019

Spanish manufacturer Seat spelled out its near-term electrification with the addition of six electric and plug-in hybrid models.

The strategy, to take the carmaker through the next two years, will also include a completely new EV platform to be developed in league with parent company, the Volkswagen Group. Among the new models will be an electric version of the Mii and el-Born to become the brand’s first two fully electric models, while the new generation Leon and the Tarraco will feature a plug-in hybrid version. Even the sports hatchback that has won Seat many fans with now feature a plug-in hybrid version of the Cupra Leon and also in the coupe-styled Cupra Formentor crossover.

It’s planned new EV platform will be a smaller version of the Modular Electric Drive Toolkit (MEB) currently used for VW brands vehicles of around four-meters in length. A smaller EV platform could herald the launch of a range of more affordable vehicles that Seat hope to keep below the €20,000 ($22,000) threshold. The manufacturer will dedicate 300 Spanish engineers to the new platform’s development.

Announcing the strategy at Seat’s headquarters in Martorell, company CEO Luca de Meo, said: “Seat now has a clearer role in the Volkswagen Group and, thanks to the results obtained, we have earned the new electric vehicle platform. For the first time, the Seat Technical Center will be developing a platform that may be used by more brands around the globe.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_