Illa asks to make the leap to the electric vehicle: "If they are made at home, better"

BarcelonaAs Pedro Sánchez announced at the end of last year, the Spanish government has set the goal that, by 2035, no more combustion vehicles will be sold. To achieve this, the head of the executive presented the Auto Spain 2030 Plan, also called the Auto+ plan, which, through 25 measures comprised in five pillars, aims to boost innovation in the automotive industry in Spanish territory. This Thursday, at an event held at Casa Seat in Barcelona, the sector presented the opportunities that the plan can create in Catalonia. "We have a historic opportunity to lead the new era of mobility," assured the CEO of Seat and Cupra, Markus Haupt.

During the event, which was attended by the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, vehicle manufacturers, represented by the employers' association Anfac, celebrated the administration's efforts to move the plan forward. For his part, Illa advocated for the need to move towards electrification in order to gain "strategic autonomy": "If we can avoid depending on oil and gas imports, all the better." He also pointed to the environmental benefits of switching to electric vehicles. For these reasons, the President of the Generalitat asked Catalans that, "if you buy a car, make it electric," adding that, "if it's made at home, even better."

A new aid of €5 million

On this line, Illa announced a new line of aid worth 5 million euros, driven by Acció to encourage automotive innovation. "We want to reiterate Catalonia's commitment to green transformation," the president said at the event. "The two major levers that had to be achieved, good prices and charging points, have been activated in the last two years, and the results are starting to be seen," he added.

On the other hand, the Secretary of State for Industry, Jordi Garcia Brustenga, assured that the aid system of the Auto+ plan, the continuation of the Moves program, will be operational "before summer". Brustenga also highlighted that before the resource system has been launched, a leap has already been made in sales of pure and electrified electric vehicles, which have gone from 10% to 20% of the market. "We are achieving the objective that demand drives supply and helps in decision-making," highlighted the Secretary of State for Industry, who downplayed the reduction in production in April and assured that it is due to the general transformation of the sector.

Haupt highlighted the launch of the Cupra Raval. "It is the demonstration that Spain can set the direction for electrification," said the CEO of Seat and Cupra, who added that they intend to "put the world on electrified wheels". Thus, he vindicated the role of the Martorell plant in driving non-combustion vehicles: "It must be the epicenter of the new era," he assured during his speech.

During the presentation of the plan, the need to transform the industry while maintaining jobs has been emphasized. However, in a round table after the institutional interventions, the president of the Automotive Industry Cluster of Catalonia (CIAC), Josep Maria Vall, referred to labor adjustments as a "lesser evil" as long as they are necessary to "be better". Specifically, Vall explained that currently "the most vulnerable point" is the component industry, as it has been undergoing a transformation process for years and at this moment "faces very important challenges".

He said this precisely alongside Javier Pujol, CEO of Ficosa, a company specializing in components that is in negotiations with workers for a collective dismissal at its Viladecavalls (Vallès Occidental) plant. In fact, this Thursday, in a meeting between union representatives and the company, a reduction in the impact on its production staff to 113 workers has been achieved, although until now it was planned to reduce 125 jobs.