Volkswagen calls to defend the European industry

ParisThe Volkswagen Group – parent company of the Catalan brands Seat and Cupra – demanded this Sunday in Paris to "reward" the production of vehicles made in Europe to be able to compete on equal terms with Chinese manufacturers. Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume asserted that Europe "must continue to guarantee fair competitive conditions in its own markets." "Whoever sells here must compete under comparable conditions and also create jobs and value here, in Europe," the executive emphasized, at an event also attended by the CEO of Seat and Cupra, Markus Haupt.

Furthermore, Blume assured that they are "fully committed" to the decarbonization process in the sector, but requested that, in order to optimize it and be able to compete, energy prices must be adjusted across Europe. In this sense, he also highlighted the need for "clear regulation on CO₂ (emissions), with enough flexibility to adapt to market realities."

It must be remembered that the electrification process of European cars is complicated: manufacturers, unlike the Chinese competition, delayed their plans to electrify significantly, and this has created a competitive disadvantage that currently makes producing their models much more expensive. The Automotive Industry Cluster of Catalonia (CIAC) estimates the difference at up to 30% more to produce an electric battery. Sources from Martorell have confirmed to the ARA this difference with respect to the Chinese competition.

At an event held at the Palais de Tokyo, Volkswagen presented for the first time its next electric launch, the Volkswagen ID Tiguan. The group also boasted about the four urban electrified models it has recently launched, two of which are manufactured in Martorell: the Cupra Raval and the Volkswagen ID Polo. As quantified by the group's leadership during the presentation, during this last year, orders for these models have been very positive. According to the figures released by the company, about 50,000 users have ordered the ID Polo, while the sum of the remaining four models has exceeded 150,000 requests.