As Shen explained to Hungarian media, module assembly in Debrecen started in 2024 and 30,000 modules for electric cars have already been produced in the local factory.
However, these modules still include cells supplied from other CATL factories, as the company's own cell production in Hungary is not yet running - but is "on the home straight".
The production lines are being installed continuously so that series production can begin as soon as possible, said Shen. To this end, the current workforce of 1,000 employees will be increased to 1,500 in the first quarter of next year.
In Debrecen, CATL $3750 (+0,36%) plans to produce a "battery designed for the European market" in Debrecen, which should enable a range of more than 750 kilometers, according to Shen. The customers to whom the Chinese manufacturer will supply these cells are not specified.
The Hungarian CATL factory will go into operation in spring.
As Shen explained to Hungarian media, module assembly in Debrecen started in 2024 and 30,000 modules for electric cars have already been produced in the local factory. However, these modules still include cells supplied from other CATL factories, as the company's own cell production in Hungary is not yet running - but is "on the home straight".
The production lines are being installed continuously so that series production can begin as soon as possible, said Shen. To this end, the current workforce of 1,000 employees will be increased to 1,500 in the first quarter of next year.
According to Shen, CATL wants to produce a "battery designed for the European market" in Debrecen, which should enable a range of more than 750 kilometers.
The customers to whom the Chinese manufacturer will supply these cells are not specified.
The outstanding approvals also include environmental approval. CATL submitted a third version for the Debrecen plant this year, as Balázs Szilágyi, Head of Public Affairs at CATL Hungary, explained at the press conference. "Compared to the previous application, the total amount of substances emitted was reduced by 43 percent, drinking water consumption for production was cut by a third and the specific energy requirement for production was also reduced by a third," said Szilágyi.
The plant is not yet connected to the local water supply network, but this is due to be done in the spring. Until then, a mixture of rainwater and water from the Tisza, a tributary of the Danube, will be used - later a mixture of exactly this "surface water" and purified wastewater will be used.
