Hyundai to launch production in early November

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor is planning to launch production at its new Czech plant in early November, according to the AFP news agency. The plant has not yet received all the permits it needs, but the local building office says everything should be settled on time. Hyundai expects to employ a total of 2,000 staff in the Czech plant by the end of the year and to produce 200,000 Hyundai i30 cars a year for European markets in the first phase, with an increase to 300,000 units by 2011. It will be the third largest car factory in the Czech Republic, a country where car production makes up 18 percent of GDP, after Škoda Auto and TPCA, a joint venture of Toyota and PSA Peugeot Citroen.