BYD Announces New European HQ and R&D Hub in Hungary
BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles, has confirmed plans to base its European business headquarters in Budapest, Hungary, supported by a new European research and development center.
Under the agreement, BYD will promote training and chances for higher education by collaborating with at least three Hungarian universities, in addition to generating thousands of high-value employments in the capital. The new headquarters, which will be located in Budapest’s 11th district, will be BYD’s fifth facility in Hungary, after the bus factory in Komárom, other facilities in Fót and Páty, and Szeged, where its next passenger-car manufacturing plant will be located.
The R&D element of the commitment will start with two specific projects, supported by significant investment. The first project will focus on the further integration of intelligence into modern mobility, while the second will help to develop advanced next-generation electrification technologies.
As evidence of BYD’s stated policy of localisation in Europe, it has committed to produce patents based on development at the Hungarian centre, and to cooperate with Hungarian start-ups and domestic suppliers. The proportion of higher-education employees at the centre is expected to be at least 90 per cent.
Commenting on the announcement, BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu said: “Establishing BYD’s European headquarters in Hungary is a natural progression. As the core hub for BYD’s European operations, the headquarters will focus on three key functions: sales and after-sales services, vehicle certification and testing, and localised vehicle design and feature development. Through these synergies, we aim to deepen integration with local markets, enhance our localisation capabilities and brand influence, and ensure sustainable growth in Europe.”
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán commented: “Our goal is for foreign investors to bring development capacities to Hungary. Not only manufacturing, but also development capacities. Our idea has always been that the factories arrive first, then the factories’ development centres arrive, and finally the research centers arrive. It doesn’t work the other way around. First production, then development, and then research. That is why today’s meeting and agreement are of great importance, because now BYD is opening a new era – the company is also bringing its development center to Hungary.”
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