Thomas Schmall, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group Components: “The start of production of the new MQ281 reveals the advantages of our new Group Components unit. We use cross-brand hubs for the configuration of our plants and for production, creating the freedom and flexibility that we urgently need for the transformation to electric mobility”.

Dr Christian Vollmer, SEAT Vice President of Production and Logistics: “SEAT Componentes is a key plant for our company and, with the assignment of this project, for the Volkswagen Group as well. With these new gearboxes, we can increase maximum production to up to 3,500 units per day and use the facility as a reference centre for efficiency, productivity and quality”.

The production of the MQ281 gearbox is in El Prat de Llobregat, close to Barcelona airport, and stands apart for its high level of integration. All aluminium parts are produced there, as well as gear wheels and shafts for which the plant has a foundry, processing facilities, assembly and test bed facilities. In 2018, almost 700,000 MQ200 gearboxes were manufactured and 56 percent of the production exported.

SEAT Componentes is one of nine Group sites that manufactures gearboxes. In addition to Prat, gearboxes are produced in Kassel (Germany), Vrchlabi and Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic), Córdoba (Argentina) and Anting, Dalian, Tianjin and Changchun (China). SEAT Componentes employs over 1,000 people and boasts a size of 155,000 square metres. With its new optimised production line, the plant currently has a maximum production capacity of 3,500 gearboxes daily.