Citing growing demand, Opel and Audi plan to increase their Hungarian output in the coming months. Audi plans to add a third shift to its Gyor plant in August to accommodate rising demand for its TT Coupe and Roadster sports cars and A3 Limousine and Cabriolet models. Opel, meanwhile, said it would be stepping up production at its Szentgotthard plant in western Hungary, where it started rolling out its Flex engines this month.
Hungarian politicians are hoping increased output will create more jobs. However, government incentives to attract foreign investments are being carefully watched by the European Commission, which recently started investigating €133.3m in state aid secured by Audi for a €1.2bn expansion in Gyor. The commission said it is concerned that the aid could impact competition in the area and wants to make sure the aid meets EU regulations. The expansion is expected to add 2,100 jobs to the local market.
