The battery-electric Altea XL Electric Ecomotive and plug-in hybrid Leon TwinDrive will be used by eight participating drivers, each for three months, with SEAT noting feedback to inform the development of a mass-production electric vehicles.

Employees test-driving the cars are required to have home charging equipment, and cover a minimum distance per day as well as replacing their own vehicle with the test model. Urban drivers must drive at least 400km (248 miles) per month, interurban drivers at least 600km (372 miles) and district drivers must cover 900km (560 miles) for each month of the test.

Ramón Paredes, the Vice-President for Governmental and Institutional Relations for SEAT and the Volkswagen Group in Spain, said: ‘SEAT and Endesa share a common objective of promoting electric vehicles; these tests signify another step towards achieving that objective. Working together will provide us with a professional point of view which will contribute to the better development of our models.’