The green alliance opens up other areas of collaboration, related to joint participation in pilot electromobility and R&D&I projects
Officials from SEAT and Volkswagen. (Credit: Iberdrola, S.A.)
Iberdrola, SEAT and Volkswagen Group Spain Distribution (VGSD) reinforce their commitment to the electrification of transport with the signing of a strategic collaboration agreement to jointly promote the deployment of electric and sustainable mobility in Spain. The alliance has been supported in the meeting held between Iberdrola’s President Ignacio Galán and the Volkswagen Group CEO and Chairman of SEAT’s Board of Directors, Dr. Herbert Diess.
The companies share the vision of the need to advance Spain’s electrification in a coordinated manner, involving alliances between the main actors that are providing solutions in this field, as well as opportunities to set up an industrial, commercial and innovation ecosystem that allows our country to maintain a prominent position in the automotive industry of the future and lead the development of sustainable mobility in Europe.
They have also identified the charging infrastructure as one of the key factors in boosting electromobility, and will therefore work together in its development in different areas of action. The green agreement includes the activation of cross-sectoral innovation projects and a plan to facilitate the deployment of fast and super-fast charging stations on the main corridors of the road network in Spain.
In addition, they will encourage their use at SEAT facilities and in SEAT and Volkswagen Group Spain Distribution dealerships, as well as integration of Iberdrola’s charging infrastructure in the navigators of electric vehicles and the selling of Iberdrola electric charging solutions at SEAT dealerships. In this context, Iberdrola has just completed the installation of 140 charging stations at SEAT centres in Martorell, including spaces for both private and public use.
“The agreement shows the ambition of our transport electrification strategy and confirms the need for continued collaboration between all the actors to respond to the challenges of a mobility based on clean energy, without CO2 emissions, and the demands of a society committed to reducing pollution and increasing energy efficiency,” explained Ignacio Galán, chairman of Iberdrola, who also stressed “the role electrification will have in the green recovery, which will lead to economic recovery and job creation.”
The CEO of the Volkswagen Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SEAT, Dr Herbert Diess, stated that “electric mobility is gaining ground, and demand for charging stations and clean electricity is on the rise. Now more than ever, there is a pressing need to establish an integral Europe-wide charging structure. Spain has a key role in this regard, and the Volkswagen Group wants to help to encourage electrical and emissions-free mobility in the Spanish market. Iberdrola is a strategic partner for us, particularly regarding the expansion of rapid charge points. Iberdrola is also advancing fast in terms of zero CO2 energy production and it now produces around 90% of its energy from renewable sources in Spain.” Diess summed up saying, “I am certain that by working together, Spanish roads will be electrified soon.”
Sustainable dealers, innovation projects and green energy supply
The automotive electrification strategy aims to use 100% renewable energy in the electric vehicle supply chain and to this end the companies will assess energy solutions to reduce CO2 emissions in the plants and dealerships of SEAT and Volkswagen Group Spain Distribution in Spain, with the analysis of proposals in the area of self-consumption, by installing solar panels, supplying 100% green energy and implementing energy efficiency solutions.
The green alliance opens up other areas of collaboration, related to joint participation in pilot electromobility and R&D&I projects; the incorporation of electric vehicles by these manufacturers into Iberdrola’s fleets and actions with SEAT and Volkswagen Group Spain Distribution sharing companies.
Iberdrola speeds up electric mobility
Iberdrola continues to push its stance for transport electrification as part of its strategy towards a decarbonised economy, as a key lever in the reduction of emissions and of city pollution, as well as for green recovery in the post-Covid world.
In March, the company decided to step up its sustainable mobility plan by making additional investments – a total of 150 million euros – to provide even more electric vehicle charging stations. The initiative envisages the installation of nearly 150,000 electric vehicle charging stations over the next five years in homes and businesses and on the public road network. The roll-out will prioritise ultra-rapid (350 kW), super-rapid (150 kW) and rapid (50 kW) charging points on motorways and transit corridors.
Electric vehicle drivers using Iberdrola stations can charge their electric vehicles with 100% green energy from clean generation sources with renewable Guarantee of Origin (GoO) certificates. The company also has the only App that incorporates verified information on operational electric vehicle charging stations in Spain, which in addition to geolocation for Iberdrola charging stations, allows reserving and paying from your mobile phone.
The company has recently become the first Spanish business to subscribe to The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, with the aim of accelerating the transition towards electric vehicles with a commitment to electrifying its entire fleet of vehicles and allowing its staff to charge their vehicles at its businesses in Spain and the United Kingdom by 2030.
SEAT’s electric future
The automotive company is immersed in a transformation towards electrification of the company and its brands. In 2020 and 2021, SEAT and CUPRA will launch five new plug-in electric and hybrid models, which will be added to the electric version of the SEAT Mii that is already on the market. The León family will have plug-in hybrid models with the SEAT and CUPRA brands, manufactured in Martorell; the SEAT Tarraco will have a PHEV version and the CUPRA Formentor, the first model designed and developed for the CUPRA brand, will also have a plug-in electric hybrid variant. In addition, the future CUPRA Born will accompany the SEAT Mii electric as the company’s second 100% electric vehicle. The company has also created SEATMÓ, a new brand focused on promoting sustainable mobility and offering also electric scooters and motorbikes. Up to 2025, SEAT will invest 5 billion euros in new research and development projects to electrify their range of vehicles, as well as equipment and facilities in its production plants.
This new cross-sectoral alliance with Iberdrola is another step that shows the firm commitment of the automotive industry towards making the electric future a reality in Spain.
Source: Company Press Release