BMW to hire 3,500 staffers in Debrecen - week 6 2020
Photo credit: BMW Group Pressroom | Fotó: BMW Group Pressroom
BMW makes steady progress in Debrecen, Audi model voted readers' favourite, Coronavirus poses a great threat to the auto industry. Let’s recap what last week brought in Hungary’s automotive sector. Clicking on the highlighted items will open the full stories.
Piling works on the new BMW site in Debrecen are scheduled to start on 13th February, and the company is also hard at work to prepare the plant for future production activities. So far, BMW has hired 10 people, expected to increase to 1,000 by the end of the year.
Slovenian supplier signs supplier contract with the Debrecen BMW plan: Hidria, a Slovenia-based company with presence in Hungary, has signed a 7-year supplier contract with BMW on the supply of aluminium steering gear components.
Bridgestone will outfit the Mercedes A-Class and B-Class models with newly developed, high-performance, 18” tyres featuring puncture proof technology. The new tyre was developed at Bridgestone’s Rome-based R&D base, while its test run took place in Rome and Tatabánya.
The Audi Q3 Sportback, the latest model manufactured at Audi Hungaria Zrt., prevailed in the compact SUV/cross-country category for the “Best Cars 2020” readers’ choice award by German automotive news site “auto motor und sport”.
Renault Hungária is using the competence of Hödlmayr in the field of new car logistics. Hödlmayr Hungária Logistics Kft. is responsible for the distribution of 7,000 new vehicles according to an agreement between the two companies. Nearly half of the vehicles are delivered directly from the plant, while the other half are temporarily stored at Hödlmayr’s logistics base in Győr before they are delivered to dealerships.
Fuvar.hu has received another HUF 150 million investment from Hiventures Capital Fund Management after an initial support under the framework of the Incubation investment programme. Fuvar.hu will use the investment to expand its existing services, mainly to expand its domestic shipping services and prepare an expansion on foreign markets as well.
If it remains unstopped, the coronavirus could wreak havoc in the auto industry. Several forecasts suggest supply chains could face severe difficulties by March.
The coronavirus is expected to have a significant effect on the global economy, City analysts suggest a substantial slowdown in China’s economic growth, the effects of which will spread to other regions not unlike the virus itself.
Hungary did not remain unaffected either, the country’s industrial output fell significantly in December due to a decline in automotive manufacturing volumes.
BMW will delay the development of the next generation of the iconic Mini. The car maker cited cost cutting measures and uncertainty around Brexit as the key reasons for the decision.
Last year, Kia sold over 500,000 cars in Europe, continuing its 11-year growth course on the continent, reaching a 3.2 percent market share in the EU and EFTA states.
At 5 percent, the Korean car maker boasts an even greater market share in Hungary.
