Volkswagen has begun production of the Volkswagen ID. Cross at its historic Landaben plant in Navarra, completing the group’s electrification strategy for its Spanish factories. The launch backs a new target of more than one million vehicles a year across its Iberian facilities, as reported by El Periódico and El Comercio.
The change is backed by €4 billion in public-private investment, rising to €10 billion with the Sagunto gigafactory included. El Economista reported that the Sagunto battery plant had not fully started operations as of September 2026. The ID. Cross is now rolling off the lines in Pamplona, where the plant has produced more than 10 million vehicles over its 60-year history. The industrial rollout began nine months ago with the Cupra Raval; the Volkswagen ID. Polo and Skoda Epiq followed. All three are compact, affordable electric models based on the MEB+ platform, as Volkswagen España highlighted. El Comercio reports that the first ID. Cross vehicles produced in Navarra are destined for export to Germany and that the model will be sold in 34 countries.
Production at the Landaben and Martorell plants is set to reach record levels. The Catalan facility, with capacity for nearly 500,000 vehicles a year, produced 470,347 units in 2025. Volkswagen Navarra aims to beat its all-time high of 353,353 cars, set in 2011, with the addition of the ID. Cross and Skoda Epiq. Michael Hobusch, president of Volkswagen Navarra, expects higher output to strengthen the plant’s competitiveness and secure regional employment. Noticias de Navarra reports that 24,300 ID. Cross units are planned for production from September to the end of 2026.
André Kleb, Volkswagen’s head of production for the Iberian Peninsula, stressed Spain and Portugal’s growing strategic importance to the group. He confirmed that more than 800,000 of the projected million vehicles will come from Spanish plants, with the rest produced at Palmela in Portugal. The Palmela factory is scheduled to begin manufacturing the future Volkswagen ID. 1 in 2027 under a different commercial name. El Periódico has detailed the coordinated industrial change along the axis linking Landaben and Martorell with Palmela.
Electrification is only part of the story. Landaben continues to produce the Volkswagen T-Cross and Taigo, both set to adopt Volkswagen’s new mild hybrid technology in 2027 after its debut in the T-Roc. Martorell will also equip the next generations of the Seat Ibiza and Arona with the system. Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen and head of the group’s volume brands, noted that Navarra now produces four models for two brands using both combustion and electric technologies, a rare achievement globally. By mid-September 2026, pre-orders for the ID. Polo and its sister models had surpassed 100,000 units, reflecting strong demand for Volkswagen’s new generation of compact electric vehicles, Tagesspiegel/dpa reported.
Navarra’s president, María Chivite, called the launch of the ID. Cross a triumph for the region’s industry and workforce. She attributed its success to strong public-private collaboration, alongside continuous training and constructive labor relations.
Volkswagen’s rapid move into electrification and hybridization comes as the European market sharpens its focus on sustainable mobility. The group’s strategy reflects broader sector trends, including the rapid expansion of hybrid and electric models across Europe, as discussed in an earlier report.
With nearly 20,000 direct employees in Spain and a roadmap for future models, Volkswagen’s Spanish operations are basic to the group’s global ambitions. The scale of investment and pace of change put Spain in a basic position in the next era of European car production. For the Spanish workforce and the broader economy, the changes signal a commitment to long-term industrial relevance as the automotive sector evolves.
