Hungarian automotive industry: week 12 2018 edition
Stricter German regulations on diesel cars could result in a mass import of old vehicles into Hungary. Last week we also reported on means of motivating employees with higher wages and a Mohács-based supplier of Harley-Davidson.
Manufacturers
The Suzuki management in Esztergom is hoping the Hungarian plant will become a leading example for Hungarian and international car manufacturing as a smart factory.
Peter Kössler, former CEO of Audi Hungaria, reassured workers at the Győr plant by saying that they should not be afraid of losing their jobs as a result of automation.
Opel removes any doubt: from 2020 onwards, the Szentgotthárd unit is set to supply Peugeot with several variations of the engine chosen as the engine of the year multiple times now.
Hungarian motor industry
Thyssenkrupp’s HUF 11 billion investment in Debrecen is already well under way, and is set to start serial production later this year.
Knorr-Bremse will introduce metal printing technology for the first time in Budapest. In the first phase, the company will print prototypes and spare parts with its new equipment.
Mol has inaugurated its synthetic rubber plant in Tiszaújváros, where it will manufacture base material for the production of 50 million tyres annually.
Ersblöh Hungária was in contention with German and Polish sites as a potential location for a new anodising plant. In the end, the Győr site was chosen as target of the investment.
A project training engineers at an external department of the University of Debrecen could begin already this year.
Gabriella Kiss, HR director of Győr-based Melecs, said last week that employees can be motivated with competitive wages. The company has introduced a 12 percent production supplement, essentially a wage increase, motivating employees for overtime work during periods when demand is the highest on their products. They have also introduced a single- and double-shift schedule during pregnancy.
Midland Manufaktur, a small Mohács-based business, is a supplier of Harley Davidson. They send designs to the Swiss parent, where the parts are printed and fitted on the motorcycle.
Diesels
Old, cheap diesel cars are expected to flood Hungary in the years to come: according to the Hungarian Vehicle Importers’ Association, we are in need of regulations preventing old diesel cars to be sold off to Hungarian motorists.
The Hungarian Leasing Association is also concerned about the mass import of old diesel cars.
Education
Students at a vocational secondary school in Győr will use programmable Lego robots to prepare for the the fourth industrial revolution.
The formula team of BME has closed its design phase of its latest single-seater formula car. The team of engineer students are currently stuck, they are in need of the support of more automotive companies.
The general assembly of Győr has awarded retired electrical engineer and university lecturer József Kuti with the Pro Urbe Prize.
