Spanish car factories are adding jobs as production shifts toward electric and hybrid models, even as total vehicle output remains below last year’s level. Figures from Anfac, the Spanish car and truck makers’ group, show electrified vehicles claiming a growing share of production.
From January to August, Spanish plants built 1,452,791 vehicles, down 1.8% from the same period in 2025. The shift is gathering pace: pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles reached 154,797 units in those eight months, up 6.6% from last year, and accounted for 10.7% of total output. In August, almost one in five cars made in Spain was electrified. Anfac reported that production of fully electric vehicles (BEV) rose 28.8% in the first eight months of the year, while plug-in hybrids fell by 13.5%.
July stood out. Factories turned out 193,806 vehicles, up 3.3% from July last year. Electrified models jumped 46% to 30,067 units, accounting for 15.5% of production that month. In August, the usual summer break cut total output by 15.5%, but electrified models surged 71.1% to 11,586 units, reaching a record 19.5% share of monthly production.
The shift extends beyond electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Cars running on natural gas or LPG, along with regular hybrids, reached 643,130 units by August, up 14.5%. They accounted for 44.3% of all vehicles built in Spain. Output of these alternative-fuel cars rose 31.3% in July. In August, they held steady at 45% of the total.
Exports remain a problem. Spain sent 1,235,865 vehicles abroad in the first eight months, down 2.8% from last year. July brought a modest improvement, with exports up 3.2% to 162,958 units. More than 90% went to Europe. Sales of Spanish cars rose in Italy and the Netherlands, but fell sharply in Turkey and Belgium, with the UK hit especially hard. In August, exports fell again, by 15.3%, while the UK market plunged by 64.2%.
September industry reports said employment at Spanish car plants was rising even as total output fell. The trend reflects a shift toward more technologically advanced models and away from production driven by volume.
José López-Tafall, Anfac’s director general, says the wave of electrified models is a good sign. But he warns that Spanish output remains well below the peaks of 2019 and even 2023. He says the government needs to keep supporting buyers and carmakers. The Plan Auto+ and purchase incentives, he argues, should remain in place and be strengthened if Spain wants to consolidate these gains.
Spain’s auto sector is following moves by major manufacturers such as Volkswagen, which recently chose Navarra for electric SUV production, as reported earlier. With almost half of all cars now running on alternative fuels, Spanish factories are counting on electrification to lead growth as traditional export markets weaken.
If policymakers maintain support, Spain could become a European leader in the shift to electric vehicles. For now, the industry is holding up, but its prospects depend on whether this momentum can offset falling exports and global uncertainty.
