Car manufacturer
Seat boss wants to maintain the brand with an inexpensive electric car
So far, the Spanish VW subsidiary has only offered electric cars under the Cupra subsidiary brand, which was launched in 2018 – the price is significantly higher than Seat. photo
© Alex Blanco/Cupra/dpa-tmn
The Spanish VW subsidiary Seat has so far had a clear division of labor: electric cars bear the logo of the new Cupra offshoot, while Seat itself continues to build combustion engines. That could change.
This also applies after the foreseeable end of the combustion engines previously built by Seat, adds Griffiths. “What happens to Seat in the long term depends, of course, on electrification.”
The Spanish brand, traditionally positioned below Volkswagen in the VW Group, could also take on the role of the affordable entry-level brand for electric cars in the future, said the British-born, who has been at the helm of the Spanish VW subsidiary since 2020. “At least that would be my goal.”
Check “Small Seat model as an electric car”.
So far, the Spanish VW subsidiary has only offered electric cars such as the Born compact car under the Cupra subsidiary brand, which was launched in 2018 and is priced well above Seat. “To this day it is simply not possible to really make money with a small electric car in the classic Seat segment,” says Griffiths, explaining the reluctance of his parent brand. “For this we need a different electric platform and also cheaper batteries.” And that will take some time.
“Then I would like to investigate whether a small Seat model as an electric car also makes sense in the group’s portfolio alongside VW and Skoda.”
Until then, Seat will continue to concentrate on the existing models with combustion engines. “And we will need them for many years to come,” says Griffiths. Electric replacements will only be needed when combustion engines are phased out after 2030.
“We definitely have until 2035 before we can no longer sell vehicles with emissions. And there will be a lot of development going on between now and 2035.”