From producing half a million vehicles to fueling billions in exports, Romania's automotive industry isn't just driving the economy—it's putting the country firmly on the map as a European manufacturing powerhouse.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Romania's automotive industry produced 495,895 vehicles, marking a 5.6% increase from 2021 and positioning it as the 7th largest producer in the EU.
- Dacia Mioveni plant output reached 318,000 units in 2022, accounting for 64% of national production with models like Sandero and Logan.
- Ford Romania's Craiova facility manufactured 166,895 vehicles in 2022, primarily Puma SUVs, up 12% year-over-year.
- Romania's automotive employment stood at 236,000 direct jobs in 2022, 10% of manufacturing workforce.
- Dacia employed 18,500 workers at Mioveni in 2022, with 15% female representation.
- Ford Romania Craiova had 2,100 direct employees in 2022, plus 5,000 indirect via suppliers.
- Romania's auto exports totaled €18.7 billion in 2022, 45% of total exports.
- Dacia vehicles exported 410,000 units in 2022 to 45 countries, mainly France and Germany.
- Ford Craiova exports: €3.8 billion value in 2022, 98% of production shipped abroad.
- FDI in Romania's auto industry totaled €1.2 billion in 2022, mainly from Renault and Ford.
- Renault Group's cumulative investment in Dacia: €10 billion by 2022.
- Ford invested €1.3 billion in Craiova plant since 2008, including €200 million in 2022 for Puma hybrid.
- Auto industry sales in Romania reached 120,450 new vehicles in 2022, up 18%.
- Dacia market share in Romania: 29.5% in 2022 with Sandero leading.
- Total auto market volume: 4.2% of EU average penetration in 2022.
Romania's thriving auto industry produces nearly half a million vehicles annually, primarily for export.
Employment Figures
- Romania's automotive employment stood at 236,000 direct jobs in 2022, 10% of manufacturing workforce.
- Dacia employed 18,500 workers at Mioveni in 2022, with 15% female representation.
- Ford Romania Craiova had 2,100 direct employees in 2022, plus 5,000 indirect via suppliers.
- Automotive suppliers in Romania employed 130,000 people in 2022, concentrated in 6 counties.
- Average wage in Romanian auto sector: €1,200 gross monthly in 2022, 25% above national average.
- 45,000 engineers and technicians worked in Romania's auto industry in 2022.
- Unemployment rate in auto-dependent regions like Argeș county was 2.8% in 2022.
- Training programs reached 12,000 auto workers via UPGRM in 2022.
- Women comprised 28% of Romania's auto workforce in 2022, up from 22% in 2018.
- Migrant workers in auto sector: 15,000 from Asia and Nepal in 2022.
- Automotive R&D staff in Romania: 25,000 in 2022, focused on EV tech.
- Turnover per employee in auto industry: €85,000 in 2022.
- Dacia apprenticeship programs trained 2,500 youths in 2022.
- Ford Romania added 400 jobs in 2022 for Puma production ramp-up.
- Supplier workforce growth: 8% in 2022, adding 10,000 jobs nationwide.
- Continental Timisoara: 7,200 employees in 2022, 20% in software roles.
- Bosch group in Romania: 9,000 staff across 5 plants in 2022.
- Auto industry contributed €4.2 billion in wages and salaries in 2022.
Employment Figures Interpretation
While Dacia may still be Romania's industrial sweetheart, the real engine of progress is now a high-tech, high-wage ecosystem where engineers, software developers, and a growing legion of women are steering the sector far beyond its assembly-line roots.
Export Data
- Romania's auto exports totaled €18.7 billion in 2022, 45% of total exports.
- Dacia vehicles exported 410,000 units in 2022 to 45 countries, mainly France and Germany.
- Ford Craiova exports: €3.8 billion value in 2022, 98% of production shipped abroad.
- Auto parts exports from Romania reached €10.2 billion in 2022, to Germany (35%).
- Top export destination for Romanian cars: France with 28% share in 2022.
- Vehicle export growth: 7.1% in 2022, reaching 485,000 units.
- Wiring harness exports: €2.1 billion in 2022, 60% to Western Europe.
- Dacia Sandero was Romania's top exported model with 220,000 units in 2022.
- EU market share of Romanian-made cars: 4.2% in 2022.
- Exports to UK post-Brexit: 35,000 vehicles from Romania in 2022.
- Auto components to US: €450 million in 2022 via tier suppliers.
- Export surplus in auto sector: €14.5 billion in 2022.
- Germany imported €4.1 billion in Romanian auto products in 2022.
- Italy's imports from Romania auto: €2.3 billion in 2022.
- France received 120,000 Dacia vehicles from Romania in 2022.
- Spain imported €1.8 billion auto parts from Romania in 2022.
- Turkey as export market: 25,000 vehicles from Ford Romania in 2022.
Export Data Interpretation
While France may be the amorous destination for Dacia's charms, it is Germany that quietly finances the entire Romanian automotive affair, holding the purse strings as both the largest market for parts and the primary architect of its €14.5 billion export surplus.
Investment and FDI
- FDI in Romania's auto industry totaled €1.2 billion in 2022, mainly from Renault and Ford.
- Renault Group's cumulative investment in Dacia: €10 billion by 2022.
- Ford invested €1.3 billion in Craiova plant since 2008, including €200 million in 2022 for Puma hybrid.
- Continental's Timisoara expansion: €250 million invested 2018-2022 for EV components.
- Bosch Blaj plant: €100 million greenfield investment in 2022 for sensors.
- Leoni AG invested €150 million in Arges county for wiring in 2021-2022.
- Takata (Joyson) €80 million in automotive safety systems in Pitesti 2022.
- Government incentives via PNCDI: €50 million for auto R&D in 2022.
- Draxlmaier Group €120 million for Targu-Mures interiors plant upgrade 2022.
- Michelin Romania tire plant: €70 million invested in 2022 for sustainability.
- Yazaki Romania €90 million for harness production expansion in 2022.
- Adient (Johnson Controls) €60 million in Oradea seats facility 2022.
- Total greenfield FDI in auto: 15 projects worth €800 million 2017-2022.
- EU funds allocated to auto cluster development: €300 million in 2022 POR program.
- Chinese investors like BAIC announced €200 million JV in 2022 for EVs.
- Schneider Electric €40 million for auto electronics in Cluj 2022.
- Faurecia €110 million interior systems expansion in 2022.
Investment and FDI Interpretation
Romania's auto industry is now so thoroughly turbocharged by foreign investment that it seems less like a national sector and more like a high-stakes, multi-billion euro group project where Renault and Ford are the team captains, everyone from Bosch to the government is chipping in for the electric upgrade, and even China just pulled up a chair to the table.
Production Volumes
- In 2022, Romania's automotive industry produced 495,895 vehicles, marking a 5.6% increase from 2021 and positioning it as the 7th largest producer in the EU.
- Dacia Mioveni plant output reached 318,000 units in 2022, accounting for 64% of national production with models like Sandero and Logan.
- Ford Romania's Craiova facility manufactured 166,895 vehicles in 2022, primarily Puma SUVs, up 12% year-over-year.
- Romania's auto parts sector produced components worth €12.5 billion in 2022, supporting 500+ suppliers.
- In Q1 2023, total vehicle production in Romania was 124,500 units, a 3.2% rise driven by Dacia exports.
- Dacia's engine plant in Mioveni produced 1.2 million engines in 2022, mainly TCe and Blue dCi series.
- Ford Craiova exported 95% of its 2022 production, totaling 158,550 units to 45 European markets.
- Romania's commercial vehicle production hit 15,200 units in 2022, led by Dacia Dokker and Logan vans.
- Automotive cluster in Western Romania produced 2.5 million seats in 2022 for global OEMs.
- In 2021, national vehicle assembly lines operated at 85% capacity utilization, producing 469,000 cars.
- Dacia Spring electric vehicles production reached 50,000 units in 2022 at Mioveni.
- Romania's stamping and pressing output for auto bodies was 450,000 tons in 2022.
- Total passenger car production in Romania: 478,900 units in 2022, 98% for export.
- Ford's EcoSport production ended in 2022 with 12,000 units from Craiova.
- Automotive wiring harness production in Romania exceeded 45 million units in 2022.
- In 2023 H1, Dacia produced 200,000 Logan models, core to Romania's output.
- Romania's auto industry output value reached €20.3 billion in 2022.
- Continental Automotive Timisoara produced 10 million control units in 2022.
- Bosch Automotive Sibiu output: 8.5 million fuel injectors in 2022.
- Lear Corporation Arad seats production: 1.8 million units for EU markets in 2022.
Production Volumes Interpretation
Romania’s auto industry has solidly parked itself as Europe’s seventh-largest producer, with Dacia and Ford dutifully powering a remarkably self-sufficient export machine—now if only they’d keep a few more of those half-million cars for the local roads, the traffic might finally move.
Sales and Market Share
- Auto industry sales in Romania reached 120,450 new vehicles in 2022, up 18%.
- Dacia market share in Romania: 29.5% in 2022 with Sandero leading.
- Total auto market volume: 4.2% of EU average penetration in 2022.
- Used car sales: 450,000 units in 2022, 75% imported from Germany.
- EV sales in Romania: 12,000 units in 2022, 10% growth led by Dacia Spring.
- Commercial vehicles sales: 28,500 units in 2022, Dacia Dokker 15% share.
- Premium segment sales: 5,200 units in 2022, BMW and Audi leading.
- SUV sales dominance: 52% of total market in 2022.
- Diesel share in sales: 35% in 2022, down from 50% in 2019.
- Ford Puma sales in Romania: 8,500 units in 2022, top imported model.
- Leasing market: 45% of new car sales financed via leasing in 2022.
- Fleet sales: 35,000 vehicles to companies in 2022.
- Online sales share: 22% of new cars sold digitally in 2022.
- Q4 2022 sales peak: 38,000 units, boosted by year-end deals.
- Volkswagen Group share: 12.8% in Romanian market 2022.
Sales and Market Share Interpretation
Romania's auto market is a tale of robust growth dominated by homegrown Dacia, yet it's still playing catch-up with the EU, powered by a flood of used German imports, a thirst for SUVs and leasing, and an electric future still waiting for its moment to truly spring to life.
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