BYD’s Hungary factory to start production in Q4 this year
According to Reuters, BYD Vice President Li Ke stated in an interview on June 9 that the company’s new factory in Hungary will begin vehicle assembly and production in the fourth quarter of this year. She added, “The Hungary project is the company’s top priority at present. BYD’s next focus will be on identifying a second vehicle production base in Europe.”
The production timeline for BYD’s Hungary factory has been delayed by about a year compared to the original plan. Li Ke stated last September that BYD’s first European factory—located in Szeged, southern Hungary—was originally scheduled to begin production of the Dolphin Surf compact electric vehicle by the end of 2025. Li Ke revealed that the Hungary factory is still undergoing equipment installation.
Li Ke also said that BYD has suspended its factory project in Turkey to focus on advancing its local vehicle manufacturing operations in Europe. BYD announced in 2024 that it planned to invest $1 billion to build a new factory in Turkey, with production set to begin this year. However, Li Ke noted that the Turkey factory has not yet broken ground and the project is currently on hold, with no confirmed timeline for its start of production.
Chinese automakers like BYD are typically efficient in building factories domestically, but both BYD and Chery have faced construction delays in Europe. Chery’s factory in Barcelona, Spain, has seen its production timeline postponed multiple times. However, Chery stated that its joint venture factory with Spanish automaker Ebro will begin vehicle production in 2026.
Producing electric vehicles locally in Europe helps automakers like BYD avoid tariffs imposed by the EU on Chinese-made EVs. BYD’s sales in Europe surged 270% last year, reaching nearly 188,000 units. The world’s largest pure electric vehicle manufacturer saw its cumulative sales in the European market from January to May this year rise 144% year-on-year, exceeding 100,000 units.
