The leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles in the world has chosen the country for its first European plant. The facility will be built in Szeged, Hungary. The move will create thousands of jobs in the area.
The production center in Szeged, Hungary will be the first of its kind built by a Chinese automotive company on the territory of Europe. BYD will build the plant in phases.
BYD is planning to integrate the most advanced global technology and highly automated production processes into the manufacturing facility in order to turn it into one of the world’s leading centers of its kind and a green ‘ecosystem’ at the same time.
The construction of the plant in the Szeged area will create thousands of jobs and boost local economy, while supporting the local supply chains.
One of the reasons that BYD chose Hungary for its first European plant is the fact that Hungary is a significant transportation hub for the continent. The state also features an economy based on a solid infrastructure.
Meanwhile, BYD is making huge steps to establish its presence on the Old Continent. Within its first year on the European market, the Chinese have opened 230 retailer stores in 19 countries.
Photo: BYD
They are also selling five models: the BYD Hang, Tan, Atto 3, Seal, and Dolphin, models that slot in segments from C to E, ranging from hatchbacks to SUVs. The auto giant is planning to launch three new models within the upcoming 12 months.
BYD has started on an important mission with eh global brand vision to “Cool the Earth by 1°C,” targeting expansion into the European market. BYD has already stoped the production of fossil-fuelled vehicles in the attempt to switch to an entirely electric lineup. It has been, after all, at the top of new energy passenger cars sales in China for the past ten years in a row.
With the facility in Hungary, the company is expanding an already huge network, which integrates over 30 industrial parks in China, the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Hungary, and India.
Before choosing Hungary, BYD was originally targeting a facility that belongs to Ford. The Chinese were planning on purchasing the factory in Saarlouis, Germany, a current Blue Oval facility where the American carmaker was building the Ford Focus. But with the Focus dead, the carmaker has no use for the facility anymore.
Ford had announced the interest of an Asian investor, presumably BYD. But in October, the company also announced that the Asian investor was pulling out of the negotiations, leaving the center with approximately 4,600 employees, plunge back into uncertainty. Only 700 of them would remain in the plant producing components, according to a statement the automaker made to the union leaders.
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