Samsung SDI Completes EV Battery Plant Construction in Hungary ◇ Starts production of high-power and high-efficiency batteries designed using state-of-art technology… Early completion from second half to second quarter of 2018◇ Innovative construction methods used to build cutting-edge line and meet European customer needs betterSEOUL, South Korea–Samsung SDI (President: Jun Young-hyun) hosted a completion ceremony for the state-of-art electric vehicle (EV) battery plant scheduled to open in second quarter of 2018 in Hungary.Samsung SDI celebrated the completion of construction of its EV battery plant in Goed, 30 kilometers north of Budapest, Hungary, on May 29 (Hungarian time). The ceremony was attended by about 150 officials, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Samsung SDI President Jun Young-hyun, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto and Korean Ambassador to Hungary Yim Geun-hyeong. Sitting on a 330,000 square-meter site in Goed, the plant is capable of producing batteries for 50,000 electric vehicles annually with operations expected to begin in the second quarter of next year. The company will be able to not only save logistics costs, but also improve customer service in Europe. Samsung SDI’s former plasma display panel (PDP) plant has been transformed into a plant equipped with state-of-art technology of Samsung SDI to produce high-power and high-efficiency EV batteries. Through construction of Hungary plant, Samsung SDI sets up a global electric vehicle batteries production tripod with plants in Ulsan, South Korea and Xian, China.Europe is leading the global EV market with its environment-friendly policy. The market for batteries, one of core parts of electric vehicles, is expanding fast alongside the EV market. “For the first time, state-of-the-art technology of Samsung SDI will be applied to batteries to be made in this plant in Hungary. Batteries are one of the most important parts supplied to global car makers. I expect the plant to contribute much to the growth of the European electric vehicle market,” Samsung SDI President Jun Young-hyun said. 2017.05.30