BMW had Slovakia on shortlist for new vehicle plant

Slovakia was on the shortlist for a new BMW plant, said Economy Ministry spokesman Maroš Stano in connection with the carmaker's announcement that it will build a new plant near the city of Debrecen in Hungary. "We can confirm that Slovakia made it onto the shortlist of countries for a new BMW plant. The Economy Ministry won't comment on the carmaker's decision before official information is available to it. However, negotiations with other companies interested in investing in the locality continue," stressed Stano. BMW will build its new plant for €1 billion, employing more than 1,000 people, producing up to 150,000 vehicles per year with internal combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains, the German plant announced earlier on Tuesday. BMW cited good infrastructure, proximity to a supply chain and qualified labour among the reasons for its decision to choose Debrecen.