Hungary auto industry could reach record output in 2017, says foreign minister in Győr

Győr, May 23 (MTI) – The value of Hungary’s auto industry output came to a record 7,874 billion forints (EUR 25.5bn) last year, and German carmaker Audi’s latest investments could further boost output, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign affairs and trade minister, said at Audi Hungaria’s plant in Győr, in north-western Hungary, on Tuesday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the minister, Audi Hungaria’s managing director Peter Koessler said the plant would begin production of electric powertrains and the Q3 compact crossover vehicle in two weeks. Mass production of the model will start next year and production of the new Q4 model will begin in 2019, he added.

He said traction technology for Audi’s first electric cars would be produced entirely in Hungary in the future.

Chassis parts for the new models will be manufactured in an 80,000 sqm production hall where the workforce will be assisted by 700 robots, he said. The company has also expanded its tool factory and higher education system, he added.

Szijjártó said Audi would spend the equivalent of 10 billion forints on training 1,000 new workers who will be assigned to the production of electric powertrains. Audi will invest the equivalent of 100 billion forints in the new chassis production hall, he added.

Audi manufactures TT Coupe models, TT Roadsters, Audi A3 Limousines and Audi A3 Cabriolets in Győr. The company announced last year that it would move the production of the Q3 model from Spain to Gyor. It announced in April this year that mass production of the Q4 would begin in 2019.

Photo: MTI