BMW is significantly widening its high-voltage battery supply base on both sides of the Atlantic. In Europe, the automaker will now source cells from CATL, EVE Energy and Samsung SDI, while LG Energy Solution joins the North American supply chain. The move is underpinned by five new high-voltage battery assembly facilities being established at sites including Germany, Hungary and China. BMW's announcement does not name the cell chemistry or format for the new agreements.
For Central and Eastern Europe, the significance is clear: one of those five assembly facilities is being established in Hungary, reinforcing the country's status as the region's battery manufacturing heartland. The continued reliance on CATL as a European cell source is also notable, coming after Hungarian authorities halted the supplier's tank-park expansion following a permit pause, as EastAutoNews recently reported. BMW's latest network announcement suggests that setback has not shaken CATL's place in the carmaker's European supply chain.
Upstream, the chain is deepening as well. Korean materials specialist EcoPro BM is aiming for full operation of its Hungarian cathode plant from 2028, putting a core battery component into production on Hungarian soil and shortening the distance between raw material and finished cell for manufacturers across the region.
The industrial build-out carries diplomatic weight, too. South Korea's trade minister met Hungary's deputy prime minister to address concerns raised by battery firms, with the talks underscoring the case that, by utilising the production facilities of Korean companies, Hungary can expand its role as a manufacturing and supply hub within Europe. For Korean suppliers invested in the country, the meeting signalled political backing on both sides.
Hungary's supplier story does not end with batteries. MOL Group, the country's oil and gas major, has posted a profit surge on bumper refining margins, with fuel sales volumes up on the same period last year, driven by price controls and a low-margin environment across Central and Eastern Europe — even as unit margins declined year-on-year.
For the region's dealers and buyers, a broader and increasingly localised battery supply chain points to steadier availability of electrified models in the years ahead. Readers looking for their next vehicle can find sensational cars at sensational conditions at WorldTrader24, Europe's marketplace with over 70,000 vehicles, including a wide selection of electrified models ready to compare.
