BMW donates an electric MINI for educational use to BME’s Department of Automotive Technologies

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The BMW Group has donated a fully electric MINI Countryman SE All4 to the Department of Automotive Technologies at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). The vehicle was received by Dr. Zsolt Szalay, Head of Department, and Dr. Márk Lelkes, Head of the Innovative Vehicle Technologies Research Group, for educational purposes.

Thanks to the contribution of BMW Group Hungary, a brand-new fully electric MINI Countryman SE All4 has arrived at BME’s Department of Automotive Technologies. The vehicle is not road-legal and cannot be sold; it will exclusively serve educational and research purposes in laboratory environments, supporting hands-on learning for students.

The official handover ceremony took place on October 27 at Rack Autó, BMW’s dealership in Budaörs. The car was presented to the university representatives by Éva Csomor, Qualification & Retail HR Manager for Hungary and Romania, and Róbert Rák, Head of Customer Service at BMW Group Hungary.

“At BMW Group Hungary, we consider it a priority to support higher technical education and inspire the engineers of the future. Electromobility represents not only technological progress but also a change in mindset — one that requires the active involvement of young talent. With this initiative, we are strengthening our presence in higher education as well, contributing to the competitiveness of Hungarian engineering students and to shaping the future of the automotive industry,”

said Éva Csomor, Training and Retail HR Manager at BMW Group Hungary.

Róbert Rák, Head of Customer Service at BMW Group Hungary, emphasized the long-term goals of the initiative:

“This is a long-term program focused on developing the next generation of professionals — one of the biggest challenges in our industry today, especially on the service side. Collaborations like this ensure that future engineers can learn using state-of-the-art technology. Our technical trainers are also ready to support university instructors in gaining a deeper understanding of the vehicle’s diagnostic and drivetrain systems.”

Dr. Zsolt Szalay, Head of Department, expressed his appreciation:

“We are very pleased about this collaboration and grateful to BMW Group Hungary for this generous donation. The vehicle will play a significant role in both laboratory courses and research projects. We hope this handover will be the first milestone in a long-term partnership that creates new opportunities in automotive education and research.”

He added that the department has in recent years placed growing emphasis on inspiring young people and promoting engineering careers. Partnerships with industry leaders such as BMW Group Hungary are essential to ensure that students encounter real, cutting-edge technologies during their university studies.

The donated MINI Countryman SE All4 is the brand’s largest model — the flagship of the Countryman range. The fully electric, all-wheel-drive vehicle incorporates BMW Group’s latest technologies. It will serve as a valuable educational tool for teaching electric mobility, powertrain diagnostics, and energy management.

The collaboration between BMW Group Hungary and BME’s Department of Automotive Technologies represents an exemplary step in bridging academic knowledge and practical industry experience — and a strong signal of the automotive industry’s commitment to supporting the next generation of engineers.
As Éva Csomor concluded, “this cooperation is part of BMW Group Hungary’s long-term strategy, built on the three pillars of innovation, sustainability, and education.”