Steel from Linz for BYD

Steel from Linz for BYD

The agreement, which was officially announced by BYD Vice President Stella Li in Vienna together with voestalpine CEO Herbert Eibensteiner, covers steel sheets and makes voestalpine AG one of the first confirmed supply partners for the Szeged plant. The company was chosen by BYD due to its geographical proximity to the factory in Hungary as well as the high quality and excellent reputation of Austrian steel. The agreement is an important step in BYD's localization strategy as the brand continues to expand its operations across Europe. By the end of 2025, BYD will be present in 29 European countries and have a sales network with more than 1,000 showrooms. In addition, BYD recently decided to build a new European headquarters in Budapest, along with its first bespoke European research and development center, which will also be built in Hungary.

Opportunities for suppliers

The announcement of voestalpine AG as a supplier shows how much BYD relies on competitive local suppliers. Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD: “BYD has always made it clear that we came to Europe to stay here – and to produce here.” The factory in Hungary is at the center of this process. Herbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine AG, said: "With its high-quality steel products, voestalpine is an important partner for the global automotive industry. Our products are present in almost all automotive assemblies - from the body to the drive to safety-relevant parts. Starting in the fall, we will now be supplying BYD from our location in Linz, a technology company from China that produces in Europe. We are confident that this is the first order for the production of high-quality flat steel for car bodies and outer skin forms the basis for long-term cooperation.”