Hungarian automotive industry: week 22 2022

The foundation stone of BMW’s new plant in Debrecen was laid on June 1st. Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs and trade (pictured above centre right in the company of BMW executives), said at the ceremony that the HUF 400 billion investment is a token of the success of Hungary’s economic policy. The plant is scheduled to launch production in 2025.

BMW unveiled a new model last week: for the first time in the model’s history, the X1 will receive a fully electric variant.

Bosch has announced a major development project in Maklár, where it will manufacture 3 million complete steering gears and parts annually thanks to a new investment at its plant near Eger.

Due to supply shortages caused by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Škoda is forced to manufacture wire harnesses in its home country, the Czech Republic, while supplies are still arriving from Ukraine – albeit to a limited extent. Škoda management have expressed their gratitude for the availability of the Ukrainian partner despite hardships.

In Romania, 47,645 new cars were registered in the first five months of the year, 33 percent more than in the same period the year before. To no surprise, Renault’s local subsidiary Dacia is still leading sales in the country.

Stadler, a railway systems manufacturer present at three locations in Hungary, could deliver up to 510 Flirt motor trains to Switzerland according to a new agreement. Initially the company will deliver 286 vehicles, with an option to expand orders to 510 units.