Hungarian Conservative

The European Union’s industrial strategy prioritizes the green and digital transformation of the automotive industry, with a strong focus on promoting electromobility. Hungarian State Secretary for Industrial Policy and Technology Gergely Fábián highlighted at a recent event in Brussels that Hungary is at the forefront of this effort, viewing the automotive industry and battery production as strategic sectors. Hungary was also one of the first member states to call for an EU-level action plan to promote electromobility.

During his recent visit to China Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy highlighted the importance and role of establishing contact with companies that, beyond battery recycling, actively support the implementation of sustainable and environmentally friendly recycling technologies, as well as the increasing of the proportion of recyclable materials in batteries.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, BMW is building a solar power plant in Debrecen, Hungary, spanning an area equivalent to 71 football fields. It will be the largest within the BMW Group, and the largest industrial solar power plant in Hungary. further affirming Hungary’s position as a global leader in the green economy.

The new regulation does not apply to all electric scooters: scooters weighing more than 25 kilograms require insurance if their design speed exceeds 14 km/h, and all scooters require insurance if their design speed exceeds 25 km/h, regardless of weight. It is not yet clear how authorities will determine the design speed of a given vehicle on the spot.

The programme includes the installation of charging stations with a total capacity of 600 kilowatts at ten locations, each equipped with at least 150-kilowatt charging heads, thus enabling faster and more convenient charging for customers.

Chery Automotive, the fifth-largest automotive company in China and the largest Chinese exporter, is arriving in Hungary with the Omoda series. The car will be on Hungarian roads from September, with Omoda showrooms also opening in the same month at eight locations across the country.

On Thursday Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy held a special meeting with representatives from SK ON Hungary and CATL Debrecen, two of the largest and most influential high-tech battery industry companies. The parties reviewed the international situation of the battery industry related to the electric vehicle sector, with particular emphasis on its European context, as well as the challenges facing the sector and the opportunities within the green transition.

Examining the performance of the first five months of 2024, Hungary also ranks among the top in the spread of clean and quiet vehicles. From January to May, nearly one and a half times more purely electric cars were registered in Hungary compared to the same period last year.

‘Within a few years, Hungary will be among the five countries in the world capable of manufacturing over one million cars annually,’ Péter Szijjártó stated, announcing a new investment in Zalaegerszeg by US Flex.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade described the Chinese President’s three-day visit with a 400-member delegation as historically significant. He explained that it has been twenty years since a Chinese President last visited Hungary; moreover, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Among other agreements, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced preparations for the joint development of a high-speed railway connection, aimed at enabling swift and comfortable travel from the Liszt Ferenc Airport to the centre of Budapest. In addition, the possibility of building an oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia will be explored with Chinese and Serbian partners, as well as the expanding of Sino-Hungarian cooperation to nuclear energy initiatives.

Last year, 22,651 vehicles with official green markings were registered domestically, making 2023 another record year, surpassing the nearly 21,000-unit expansion peak in 2022.

According to the Ministry of Energy’s plans, domestic enterprises can apply for non-refundable state support from a budget of 30 billion HUF for the purchase of purely electric cars, light trucks, or minibuses.

According to Mercedes-Benz Chairman Ola Källenius, the company’s Kecskemét plant is a crucial part of their global production network. He stated that the future is being built in Kecskemét, and this is not mere flattery, especially after the first EQB compact SUV model rolled off the production line in the plant in the autumn of 2021.

By replacing diesel-powered vehicles, Volánbusz’s electric fleet eliminates approximately 5,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 2,000 passenger cars.

Carsharing is a simple, user-friendly and cost-effective alternative to owning a personal vehicle. All it requires is a smartphone and a credit or debit card.

‘If in the coming years, the world cannot transition to electric-based transportation, then all environmental goals, climate goals, and green objectives will remain naïve illusions,’ Péter Szijjártó explained at the groundbreaking ceremony of the new factory of the South Korean EcoPro company.

Péter Szijjártó visited the construction of Mercedes-Benz’s new plant and later presented the company’s CEO, Christian Wolff with the Hungarian Cross of Merit.

The expert speakers at the event expressed confidence that the much-talked-about plant will not be a major pollution source in the area, as there are legally mandated limits to harmful material emissions for every industrial facility. These regulations are stricter in Hungary than what’s required by the EU, as one of the panellists pointed out.

The European Commission and Germany announced a deal that will permit the sale of combustion-engine cars running solely on synthetic e-fuels beyond 2035. The final vote of the EU Council on the regulation took place on 28 March.

The European Parliament has approved new legislation that sets the path towards zero CO2 emissions for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by 2035.