BMW opted for Hungary, not Košice

German car maker BMW announced it will build a new €1bn car plant in Hungary. The Slovak Economy Ministry confirmed that Košice was shortlisted for the investment. At the end, though, BMW opted for Debrecen, 170 km south of Košice. The plant will employ 1,000 people and will make 150,000 cars annually, with internal combustion, hybrid, and electric engines. Car makers Audi and Mercedes-Benz already have car plants in Hungary.

The government has reserved 900 ha for a potential industrial park near Košice. Other investors may yet come there. One of them is the Chinese maker of electric cars Zhi Dou, part of the largest Chinese automotive group Geely (the owner of Volvo brand). Besides Košice, the Chinese also shortlisted Romania.

(HN/1)