Cornerstone laid for Hungary test track for self-driving cars

Zalaegerszeg, May 19 (MTI) – The cornerstone for a test track for both manned and driverless cars to be built in Zalaegerszeg, in western Hungary, was laid on Friday.

“The future has found Zalaegerszeg,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the ceremony, expressing hope that the track whose construction costs 40 billion forint (EUR 129.1m) would be unique not just in Hungary but in all of Europe.

With this investment, “Hungary will propel itself onto the world map of auto industry R+D and testing and we Hungarians will take a step towards becoming an auto industry hub of central Europe,” the prime minister said.

This will present opportunities to car companies present in Hungary, people working or looking to work in this field, research centres as well as suppliers, Orbán said.

“This project is proof that we don’t need crutches to walk, we do not need to stand on other people’s feet”, Orbán insisted, and argued that Hungary is capable of producing global quality using its own strength and resources.

Those present at the event included Economy Minister Mihály Varga as well as representatives of Bosch, Continental, Ericsson, General Electric, Flextronics, Huawei and Nokai as well as the Austrian, British, German and Japanese ambassadors to Hungary.

The track will be built on an area of nearly 250 hectares, to be completed by the end of 2019.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI