President Marcelo visited Volkswagon’s Autoeuropa car plant in Palmela this morning, accompanied by the minister for the economy and territorial cohesion, to attend the signing of a series of declarations of intent between the car giant and the government for the production of the ID.EVERY1 electric car.
He described the venture as a “huge step”, a “ “qualitative leap” in a decades-long national strategy, leading to growth, innovation, exports, energy transition, decarbonisation and competitiveness”.
“All challenges at the same time and all inevitably destined to be winners,” said the head of state.
In front of representatives of the German group, Marcelo praised “the vision” that the former prime minister and president of the Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, had when, between 1989 and 1991, he negotiated the construction of the Autoeuropa plant.
This vision has been “systematically supported by all governments, right-wing and left-wing, and by all presidents, left-wing and right-wing”.
“In other words, for once, and it wasn’t the only time, but it was perhaps one of the most important, there was a national strategy pursued over decades,” he said, adding that this government understands “the strategic significance of the step taken by (VW) to build a Portugal with more growth, more competitiveness, more exports and, therefore, more economic and social success”.
“Without this vision and this commitment, the Portuguese economy and society would be very different,” he said, in what smacked very much of a PR effort to sing the government’s praises at a point where its popularity has hit the buffers.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also left a word of “enormous recognition” for Autoeuropa workers, considering that without them the plant “wouldn’t be what it is today”.
“They have managed to overcome differences, tensions, conflicts and periods of crisis, whether internal, in Portugal, or in the world, while at the same time making a significant journey of qualification and valorisation of their skills,” he praised.
VW’s managing director Thomas Hegel Gunther also had some words for the occasion, stressing that “the new T-ROC and the commitment to the ID.EVERY1 symbolise much more than just two new models, they represent the confidence of the Volkswagen Group in Portugal. They also represent the support and strategic vision of the Portuguese government and, above all, they represent the outstanding work that this team here [in Palmela] has done.”
The beauty of the ID.EVERY1 is that it is setting out to become ‘the affordable electric model… for everyone’.
With an estimated price tag of €20,000 (roughly half what an electric Tesla, and even Chinese electric vehicles sold in Europe, cost), it is due to start rolling off production lines in 2027.
For more on the model, see our story here.
Source material: LUSA
