Serial production start in Debrecen’s BMW plant announced

Serial production at German car maker BMW’s plant in Debrecen (E Hungary) will start in the autumn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday, after meeting with company executives.

Szijjártó said production of electric vehicles at the plant would give an “enormous boost” to the Hungarian economy, after meeting with Milan Nedeljkovic, BMW board member for production, and Hans-Peter Kemser, the director of the factory in Debrecen. He added that the base was of “critical importance” to the success of the entire BMW group.

BMW has more than 2,000 people on payroll in Hungary, and headcount will climb as production ramps up, he said. He added that the government had completed the infrastructure investments necessary for the plant, with construction of a container terminal set to finish by September. He said Hungary backed a legal challenge by car makers of the European Commission’s tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. “Hungary and BMW will cooperate closely during the coming period on all matters that affect the competitiveness of the European automotive industry,” he added.