Audi is again significantly increasing its involvement in Hungary. As announced today at the official laying of the foundation stone for the expanded automotive production plant in GyÅ‘r, Audi Hungaria’s location will see the creation of a new press shop, alongside plans for the body shop, paint shop and assembly line. The company is planning to invest a total of over € 900 million in expanding the plant. The car manufacturer is moreover creating an additional 300 jobs, bringing the total number of new hirings at Audi Hungaria in GyÅ‘r to 2,100 over the next few years.

“This decision adds the final link to the production chain at this location, and we will now be able to handle every stage in the building of an Audi model here, from sheet metal to finished car,” explained Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. Together with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, he gave the starting signal for the plant’s expansion at midday. Stadler also stressed: “This investment means we are stepping up our international competitiveness and securing jobs at all our locations – including in Germany.”

Audi Hungaria has already been making top-quality Audi products for 18 years. Alongside the existing engine plant and vehicle assembly line, a complete automotive production line is being created on the newly acquired 200-hectare site at the GyÅ‘r plant. “This combination is the only one of its kind in Hungary,” stressed Frank Dreves, Audi Board Member for Production and Chairman of the Supervisory Commission of AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. “And that is not all: Thanks to pioneering environmental technologies we will redefine the benchmark for the sustainable preservation of resources.” In the finish coat stage of the new paint shop, for instance, a dry separation system with air recirculation will reduce the amount of waste air. That means CO2 emissions from the process will be cut by up to 50 percent. There are also plans for an innovative wastewater treatment process. The biomembrane technology used markedly reduces the amount of fresh water needed, while minimizing levels of waste water and toxic waste.

The expansion of the GyÅ‘r plant will provide a huge development boost for the Hungarian economy and labor market. As the biggest and most attractive employer in the GyÅ‘r region, Audi will create 2,100 new jobs in the long term. Over 15,000 people throughout the region will benefit directly or indirectly from the operations of Audi Hungaria once the plant has been expanded. The recruitment of new employees has already started, and the first new workers have already been taken on. They are being trained in various areas and prepared for their future tasks in a practical environment, both on-site at GyÅ‘r and also at Audi’s Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm locations.

With its innovative, efficient engines, Audi Hungaria has been supplying an important element of all Audi models since 1993. It commenced assembly of the Audi TT five years later. At present, the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster, and the Audi A3 Cabriolet and RS 3 Sportback are built there jointly with the Ingolstadt plant. A further A3 derivative model will be joining them. From 2013 on, Audi Hungaria will be producing 125,000 cars each year.