The agreement was endorsed at a summit held at CASA SEAT in the presence of Wayne Griffiths, President of SEAT S.A.; Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Jordi Hereu, Minister of Industry and Tourism; Carlos Mazón, President of the Generalitat Valenciana; and María Chivite, President of the Autonomous Community of Navarre.
Through this agreement, the company and the different administrations are committed to implementing agile and effective measures to guarantee the success of the transformation towards electrification by providing incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles with direct aid, promoting the charging infrastructure, renewing the public fleets of the different administrations with electric vehicles and proactively and positively communicating the advantages of electric vehicles.
“In March 2021, we promised to electrify our company and put Spain on electric wheels” said Wayne Griffiths, President of SEAT S.A. “Since then, we have worked hard to make this goal a reality. However, the market is not getting off the ground as this year, 25 percent of vehicles sold in Europe should be 100 percent electric and we are only halfway there. In Spain we are much further away, with just over 5 percent, and there is no sign of improvement. With this declaration, the Spanish Government and communities with governments of different political colours are sending a very positive message to the whole country and to Europe: only together will we succeed in making Spain a benchmark country for sustainable mobility in the future.”
SEAT S.A. and the signatory administrations assume responsibility for leading the transition to cleaner mobility, following the European target of selling only zero-emission vehicles by 2035 and becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050. As the second largest car producer in Europe and the ninth largest in the world, Spain and its industry have laid the foundations for the car of the future. With the aim of guaranteeing the success of the transformation towards electrification, SEAT S.A. has promoted this declaration in which it commits, together with the Spanish Government, through the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, and the governments of Catalonia, the Comunitat Valenciana and Navarre, to work on:
Study a programme of incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles, respecting the framework of competences. This would make aid available at the time of vehicle purchase with the aim of making electric mobility available to the public, as well as tax measures and complementary aid plans at regional level. Also promote measures to promote electric vehicles in fleets of private companies and rental companies, which could at the same time create a second-hand electric car market and renew Spain's vehicle fleet.
Continue adopting measures to increase the rate of growth of charging infrastructure, especially ultra-fast charging points on major roads, defining a five-year deployment plan with annual milestones to be met. Likewise, improve administrative management to speed up processing, approval, installation and start-up, developing and implementing signage on the road network to inform of the existence of charging points. Create a single, useful digital platform for users that allows access to any of the charging points, regardless of the operator.
Promote the renewal of the vehicle fleets of the different Public Administrations with electrified vehicles to promote sustainable mobility and lead by example in the eyes of the public.
Implement, in collaboration with the sector, communication campaigns across different channels and media to inform about the benefits of electric vehicles for sustainable mobility and to put an end to the false myths surrounding their use.
Establish a working group formed by Catalonia, Navarre and the Comunitat Valenciana, together with other Administrations and private actors, to develop the indicated actions and other measures that can be adopted to relaunch electrification in Spain and can serve as an example to be applied in other autonomous communities.
In March 2021, SEAT made a commitment to put Spain on electric wheels and since then has been working hard to make it happen. SEAT S.A., together with Volkswagen Group, PowerCo and its partners in the Future: Fast Forward project, is investing 10 billion euros to turn Spain into a hub for electromobility in Europe. This country initiative guarantees the production of four models of urban electric vehicles at the Martorell and Landaben factories starting in 2026. Batteries produced in Sagunto will be used for their manufacture and more than 70 percent of the components are allocated to more than 100 suppliers in Spain.
The Future: Fast Forward project has a direct impact on more than 145,000 jobs, securing current positions and creating new jobs in Catalonia, Navarre, the Comunitat Valenciana and eight other autonomous communities, in an example of how companies of all sectors and sizes are able to join forces to promote electric vehicles. SEAT S.A. also wants to lead by example and will double during the first quarter of 2025 the number of chargers at its facilities to more than 250. During the same year it will triple the charging network in the parking lots around its factory in Martorell, reaching 140 charge points.
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