The Spanish Volkswagen-Daughter Seat warns in connection with the EU special tariffs for in China Builded vehicles before the loss of 1,500 European jobs. The EU has been raising since October Additional tariffs on electric cars manufactured in China -For the tavascan electric model of the Seat sister brand Cupra manufactured in the Chinese VW plant, it is 20.7 percent.
With a sales price of 50,000 to 60,000 euros, his company will cost a three-digit million amount in the current year, said Seat boss Wayne Griffiths (59) of the Reuters news agency. As early as 2024, Seat missed his financial goals. “We don’t have much time,” said the manager. “We have to come to a solution within the first quarter.”
If the additional custom is not canceled or reduced, Seat will have to remove the loss loan from the model range. Griffiths emphasized the importance of the Seat second brand Cupra for the Spanish manufacturer, which is particularly successful among young customers: “If Cupra is in danger, Seat is in danger.”
Seat may have to “start releasing people”
However, the company would have a new problem without the electro-cupra: it would be more difficult to meet the EU limit values for CO₂ fleet emissions. To do this, carmakers can either buy emission loans from e-car manufacturers or shorten their own production of emission-rich combustion engines. “We can’t repair that overnight,” said Griffiths. “So what do you do? Fewer combustion engines produce and start releasing people. That will happen if we don’t find a solution. “
Seat and VW managers have been negotiating with EU representatives about the Tavascan for months. According to Seat, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (52) appealed directly to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (66) to solve the problem and massive job losses in Spain to avoid. The last meeting with the Commission took place “in a positive atmosphere”, but was not unified. The EU Commission did not want to comment on the subject.
The EU understands its additional tariffs in response to defense -by -competition subsidies for its manufacturers. In addition to the large Chinese e-car manufacturers, however, the taxes also make western corporations that produce models in China and introduce them to the EU. Tesla,, BMW and Mercedes Benz went to court against the tariffs on the side of Chinese manufacturers. However, such procedures can take years. Seat could also not rule out legal steps, said Griffiths.