Hungarian automotive industry: week 41 2021
Fotó: Metálplaszt Kft.
Metálplaszt expands Jásztelek site, ZalaZone-developed technology makes international début, OEMs faced with shortage-induced challenges. Let’s recap what last week brought in Hungary’s automotive sector. Clicking on the highlighted items will open the full stories.
Metálplaszt Fém-és Műanyagfeldolgozó Kft. built a new manufacturing facility at its Jásztelek site with a HUF 652 million investment. The project allowed the company, a specialist in tool design and production, to expand its production capacity by 10-15 percent.
ITS World Congress, an international conference on intelligent transport systems and services, featured a Hungarian exhibitor stand for the first time. It showcased a development project created in collaboration with ZalaZone, which allows the duplication of traffic situations in a digital environment.
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess has reportedly warned about the termination of 30,000 jobs at the company due to its electrification plans. OEMs are forced to electrify their model portfolios just like the German giant, which has announced plans to build multiple battery cell plants. One of these units could potentially be built in Hungary, the decision is expected to be made over the course of next year.
In the short term, automotive OEMs are facing significant challenges due to the ongoing microchip shortage. Audi was forced to halt production at two of its manufacturing plants on October 11 due to a shortage of essential components.
The chip shortage is causing significant production outages at all manufacturers, including Stellantis, which is expected to have an even more substantial effect on the car maker’s Italian production than last year’s Coronavirus pandemic.
Continental Group continues restructuring programme. Tires and ContiTech will resume operation as independent group sectors, while its Automovie Technologies brand will undergo comprehensive restructuring.
17 Credobus solo buses have been delivered to Tolna County as part of the fleet rejuvenation programme of Volánbusz. The vehicles, valued at a total of more than HUF 1 billion, will transport 900,000 passengers every year.
An electric bus began its test run last week in Veszprém, where the local fleet will gradually be replaced by energy-efficient and climate-friendly models by next spring.
New car registrations decreased in September for the third consecutive month in the European Union. The most significant decline, 32.7 percent, was registered in Italy.
Although in the first nine months of the year, Romania’s vehicle manufacturing showed a 3.3 percent growth compared to the same period in the previous year, it still fell significantly short of pre-pandemic volumes.
