People at the heart of SEAT and CUPRA's strategy for electrification
The 15,000 employees of the team are working towards two main goals: the company's transition to electric mobility and the growth of CUPRA.
Working with commitment and passion, every day, towards the common goal: the 15,000 employees who make up the SEAT S.A. team are ready to make the difference in the transformation path - the most profound in its history - that the company is facing. Electrification requires not only a set of new roles and professional profiles, but also a change in corporate culture; people are therefore the most important resource on the road to evolution.
"We already have the best talent inside the company, which is why we are increasingly committed to taking training to the next level, with a constant view to the future", explains Laura Carnicero, Executive Vice President for People and Organization.
Toward Electricity
The focus of all departments is the transition to electric mobility. The only way to be ready for the future is to live it in the present already: this is the approach of the R&D team, which has focused on the six electrified models to be developed by 2025.
Prominent among them are CUPRA Terramar, CUPRA Tavascan and CUPRA UrbanRebel. "The UrbanRebel is going to help transform CUPRA into an all-electric brand and is designed for a rebellious, out-of-the-box electric world", explains Werner Tietz, Vice President for Research and Development.
Future: Fast Forward
In late 2022, SEAT took a new strategic step by the agreement with Volkswagen Group, PowerCo and the other companies involved in the Future: Fast Forward project, for the approval of PERTE - the Strategic Projects for Economic Recovery and Transformation through Electric and Connected Vehicles, an initiative promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Industry - with a joint investment of 10 billion euros.
The goal is to turn Spain into a European hub for electric mobility. "Now is the time to make it a reality, creating a local battery value chain and converting the Pamplona and Martorell plants to electric production", adds Alfonso Sancha, Executive Vice President for Purchasing.
Electrification
Martorell's electrification depends on its production lines, where in 2022 all employees made a major effort, working more than ever as a team to overcome setbacks like the semiconductor shortage. "The next big step now is to transform the line of the SEAT and CUPRA hybrid models so that we can manufacture our future 100% electric models on them", continues Markus Haupt, Executive Vice President for Production and Logistics.
Meanwhile, last July CUPRA arrived in Australia, continuing the Brand's global expansion. Soon the CUPRA Born will also be available, whose production in Australia has already begun. "With the expansion of our CUPRA City Garages we’re continuing to create unique experiences around the world", says Kai Vogler, Executive Vice President for Sales and Marketing, who then points out that with the latest openings in Lisbon, Rotterdam and Sydney, there are now seven CUPRA City Garages in major cities around the globe. During 2023 they will become at least ten, with openings in Berlin, Madrid and Paris.
Increasing value
Thanks to the determination of every single SEAT employee, the company has overcome all the challenges of 2022. "Electrifying a country is a very ambitious goal, and in order to achieve it we need a strong, solid, sustainable company", says David Powels, Executive Vice President for Finance and IT.
"In just four years CUPRA has achieved great success and in 2022 sold 150,000 cars, doubling 2021 levels. Thanks to a historic level of investment, the Future: Fast Forward project will democratise access to sustainable mobility in Europe with electric cars made in Spain. It will also drive industrial transformation, creating thousands of jobs and helping Spain to stay competitive", stresses CEO Wayne Griffiths. "The long-term goal is to get CUPRA into the 100 most valuable brands in the world. Achieving it will require the mindset, passion and determination that all SEAT team members demonstrate on a daily basis".
Source: SEAT S.A.
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