Lightweight composite materials specialist Honsa Kft. will produce carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic parts next year at its plant in Pécs, Hungary, for the new BMW i8 concept model.
Honsa, a subsidiary of the Oberbürg, Germany-based automotive components supplier Koller Group, has invested to expand its plant to enable it to take on series manufacture of body parts for BMW's small electric vehicle.
It has been constructing an additional 5,000 square meter production hall and plans to create up 80 new jobs to handle the contract from the Munich-based car manufacturer.
BMW is reported to be planning to launch the lightweight i8 model on the market in August 2014.
Honsa, formed in 1999, has made a name manufacturing polyurethane honeycomb sandwich automotive moldings and component assembly for a number of global vehicle manufacturers including Volkswagen AG.
Family-owned Koller has expanded production at Pécs steadily with earlier construction of additional manufacturing halls completed in 2001, 2004 and 2007.
The Bavarian group, which operates from three sites in Germany, develops and manufactures injection and compression moulds, PUR sandwich panels, pre-finished components and injection molded parts.