CATL has officially begun trial production at its newly built battery cell factory in Debrecen, Hungary, marking a major milestone for the company’s European manufacturing expansion.
The trial run started on September 22, 2026, after CATL completed all the required conditions and obtained the necessary permits to begin operations. The initial trial production covers the first two cell manufacturing lines at the facility.
The purpose of the trial phase is to set up, optimize and validate the factory’s production equipment and manufacturing processes before series production begins.
CATL said it will continue working closely with the Hungarian government and local authorities throughout the trial period, with particular attention to environmental protection, employee health and workplace safety.
CATL announced plans for its second European battery plant in Debrecen in August 2022. The facility was designed to strengthen the company’s position in Europe’s automotive and electric mobility supply chain while allowing it to better serve major European automakers.
Construction of the first cell manufacturing building began in summer 2023. By spring 2026, the building had been equipped with what CATL describes as advanced manufacturing technology.
The company received the facility’s occupancy permit in August 2026 and subsequently completed the remaining requirements associated with its Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit.
Those steps cleared the way for trial operations to begin on September 22.
Before the occupancy permit was issued, the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office carried out regular inspections at CATL’s facilities. The inspections followed earlier concerns raised during the permitting process. According to the authorities, CATL had addressed the deficiencies previously identified.
Once fully operational, the Debrecen facility is expected to become CATL’s largest manufacturing site outside China, with planned annual battery cell production capacity of 100 GWh.
The factory is strategically located within Hungary’s growing automotive manufacturing network. Several major automakers have established significant electric vehicle production capacity in the country, creating increasing demand for locally produced batteries.
CATL says the Debrecen plant uses flexible production lines designed to accommodate the requirements of its automotive customers.
The company has already been producing battery modules at the Debrecen site since autumn 2024. CATL says the facility has produced approximately 537,000 battery modules to date.
The transition to cell production represents the next major stage in the development of the Hungarian factory and could further integrate CATL into Europe’s rapidly expanding EV battery supply chain.
CATL says environmental protection, employee health and workplace safety will remain key priorities during the trial production phase.
The company plans to closely monitor health, safety and environmental factors throughout the initial operations and proactively submit the results to the relevant authorities.
CATL also said it remains committed to transparency and welcomes inspections by government and regulatory authorities at the Debrecen site.
The start of trial production represents an important step toward full-scale battery cell manufacturing in Hungary. For CATL, the Debrecen facility is intended to strengthen its European production footprint, while for Hungary it further expands the country’s role in the continent’s electric vehicle and battery manufacturing ecosystem.
[source: CATL]
