Nošovice - Hyundai has launched trial production of transmissions in its new plant in Nošovice, north Moravia.

The local building authority in Dobrá has authorised trial operation of the facility's energy centre and the transmission assembly hall.

The Korean carmaker is expected to request trial permits for the rest of the plant in the following days.

The transmissions manufactured in Nošovice will for now be supplied to a Kia factory in Žilina. After car assembly starts in Nošovice, part of the transmissions will be used there for Hyundai cars.

By the end of the year, 35,000 transmissions are expected to be made at the plant.

The company plans the launch ceremony for series production of the Hyundai i30 passenger model for 3 November. By the end of this year, the plant should ship 18,000 vehicles.

The capacity of the plant is scheduled to gradually increase to 300,000 passenger cars per year. There will be 2,750 staff working at Nošovice; by 2011 the number should increase to 3,400.

The total size of Hyundai's investment at Nošovice is EUR 1.12 billion.