Hungarian automotive industry: week 25
The 25th week this year saw yet another round of recalls at GM, announcements by BKV to buy used buses and new trams, Hungarian-built Audis bought by the Bundestag and Hungary´s new State Secretary for Higher Education was also named.
Germany's Bundestag expanded its car fleet with 66 Audi A6 2.0 TDI cars. The story has a Hungarian connection as well: the cars' efficient and environment-friendly engines were all manufactured in Győr, Hungary.
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| The 2016 Audi TT Roadster in camouflage |
Good news for the global automotive industry: the German car market grew significantly in the last month. The Germans bought 5 percent more cars in May than in the same period the year before. Not just MPs like the models manufactured in Hungary...
We did not have to wait long to have a sneek peak at the next Audi model to be manufactured in Győr. The first camouflaged prototypes of the new Audi TT Roadster were photographed last week.
There seems to be no end to the recall scandal at General Motors. Last week, the American giant recalled yet another 3.4 million cars.
A book has been published about the everyday life of Ikarus. A new book has been published presenting the world's second largest bus exporter's Székesfehérvár-based plant, entitled "The Wings of Ikarus – The Everyday Life of the Ikarus Székesfehérvár Plant" (Ikarus szárnyai – Az Ikarus Székesfehérvári Gyárának mindennapjai).
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| Foundation stone of new Takata plant laid in the presence of PM Viktor Orbán (centre) |
Along with its new investment in Hungary, Takata wants to expand its global supplier base with local companies, asking the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency to help in the recruiting of potential partners.
The most significant innovation in the new Mini is the head-up display familiar from other BMW cars, which projects every useful piece of information onto the windscreen in the driver's field of view. The head-up display system is supplied by Bosch.
The dispute between Russia and Ukraine on gas prices could not be resolved, the negotiations ended unsuccessfully on June 16. Russia stuck to its previous decision to stop delivering gas to Ukraine unless it repays its nearly USD 2 billion debt.
From July 1, payment for parking and motorway tolls will be possible via a unified mobile network system nation-wide.
Tatabánya will have HUF 12 billion EU funds at its disposal until 2020 for town development. HUF 2 billion will be spent on the development of local public transport.
It was announced last week that Budapest transport company BKV will buy used low-floor Van Hool articulated buses. The new vehicles will start operation in Hungary's capital in the autumn.
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| New trams to arrive in Budapest |
In addition to the buses, BKV will purchase 47 new trams by next spring, which will start operation in the autumn of 2015.
KGF Hungary Kft. will build a rubber recycling plant at the industrial park near Bátonyterenye. The plant, to provide jobs for 24 people, will be finished by early-August, while production will begin after test production ends at the end of this year or early-2015.
In an analysis published last week we reported that besides China, India, Brazil and Russia, Mexico is also one of the most popular investment targets for car manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers.
It seems the Russian auto market is in trouble. Due to the crisis in 2008, the Russian car market saw a drastic fall, while growth started again in 2010 only to last until 2012, when sales reached their peak.
However, 2013 saw an unexpected turn: last year, sales dropped by over 5 percent in Russia. There were a few car makers who could still increase their sales, but several manufacturers have suffered great losses in the recent period.
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| Bosch Engineering Center Budapest director Oliver Schatz with BME FRT's new car for the season |
BME Formula Racing Team presented their new race car two weeks ago. Of the many sponsors of the team, Bosch also represented itself at the event. Oliver Schatz, director of the company's Budapest-based research centre gave an interview to our site.
As a new milestone of the cooperation between the University of Miskolc and oil firm Mol, the company's own Department was opened at the University on June 12.
On June 16, 130 apprentices started their practical training at Audi Hungaria. Two of them will be trained at Audi AG member MAN.
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| Audi Hungaria is a leading name in dual education |
The big question of the week was also answered: the Zoltán Balog, Minister of Human Resources, invited László Palkovics, head of department at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, for the position of Secretary of State for Higher Education. The announcement was made by the minister on June 19.
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| Rector János Fodor |
Engineering training will soon be restarted in Székesfehérvár, although it's not easy to introduce dual education due to the multitude of demands. We covered the issue in an interview with János Fodor, the new rector at Óbuda University.
