One of these vehicles drives off the end of the assembly line every minute, flashing its headlights. This is the European factory of Korean car company Kia, just outside the city of Zilina in the north of Slovakia. Volvo is opening an electric car factory here in 2027. Kia assembly line worker Marcel Pukhon says he has his “dream job”Practically everyone who works at the Kia plant is Slovak. Car industry expert Peter Prokop says that back then the labour costs in Slovakia were 20% of those in Germany.

Source: Daily Nation January 22, 2026 06:16 UTC