SEAT & CUPRA has officially begun series assembly of battery systems at its Martorell plant, marking another major step towards the start of CUPRA Raval production later this year.
The batteries built at the new facility will be used in both the CUPRA Raval and the Volkswagen ID. Polo, with both electric models set to be produced in Martorell. It is another clear sign of how quickly the site is being reshaped for the brand’s next generation of electric cars.
The battery plant itself was inaugurated back in December, and this latest milestone now takes SEAT & CUPRA into the final run-up before the Raval reaches the road this summer.
A major milestone for Martorell
According to SEAT & CUPRA, the start of full battery system assembly is a key part of the wider transformation of the Martorell factory.
The plant is being positioned as a much more flexible production hub, capable of building electric, hybrid and high-efficiency combustion-engined models side by side. That flexibility will become increasingly important as the company moves deeper into electrification while still supporting the rest of its line-up.
Built around Volkswagen Group’s Unified Cell
The battery systems being assembled in Martorell are based on the Volkswagen Group’s Unified Cell concept.
In simple terms, that is a shared battery cell format designed to work across different brands, vehicle types and markets, helping the group scale up production more efficiently.
Within the battery pack, the cells handle the energy storage, while the electronic systems manage how the battery operates. One of the key components is the E Box, effectively the control centre of the battery, which is built at SEAT & CUPRA’s El Prat Components facility.
That is a notable shift for the site, which spent decades producing manual gearboxes and is now playing a direct role in EV production.
One battery every 45 seconds
The figures behind the new battery plant are impressive.
SEAT & CUPRA says the facility can build up to 1,200 battery systems a day, which works out at as many as 300,000 units a year. At full pace, that is roughly one battery every 45 seconds.
The production process begins in the logistics area, where parts are fed into the assembly line. From there, battery assembly includes the pre-assembly of electrical components and the stacking of battery cells using cell-to-pack technology, which improves efficiency by integrating the cells more directly into the pack structure.
Across the two lines, the plant is capable of producing 3,600 battery stacks per day, involving close to half a million welding points.
Once assembled and sealed, each battery pack goes through final quality checks before being sent on its way. The completed battery systems are then moved automatically via a 600-metre bridge straight to the vehicle production lines for the CUPRA Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo.
Built in less than two years
What makes the project stand out even more is the speed at which it has come together.
SEAT & CUPRA says the 64,000 square metre battery assembly plant has been built in under two years. The site combines a high level of automation with manual work carried out by around 500 trained employees.
There is also a clear sustainability angle. The roof of the building is fitted with 11,000 solar panels, which the company says supply around 70 per cent of the electricity needed for the battery assembly process.
CUPRA Raval moves closer
All of this is really about one thing: getting ready for the arrival of the CUPRA Raval.
The Raval will be the first fully electric car produced in Martorell and is a major part of the Volkswagen Group’s wider Electric Urban Car Family project. SEAT & CUPRA is leading that work within the Group’s Brand Group Core, with Spain set to build four electric models as part of the programme.
For SEAT & CUPRA, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year. The company is entering the final phase of one of the biggest changes in its history, with Martorell moving from traditional production into a much more central role in the group’s EV future.
“As part of the Brand Group Core of the Volkswagen Group, the Iberian Peninsula is strengthening its position as a European hub for electromobility. 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.”
André Kleb, Chief Production Officer (CPO) for the Iberian Peninsula at the Volkswagen Group’s Brand Group Core
More broadly, it is another sign of how the Iberian Peninsula is becoming increasingly important to Volkswagen’s European electrification plans.
