- BYD will open a (very small) assembly plant in Breznik, Bulgaria. Chinese automaker founded a joint venture with the Bulgarian energy company Bulmineral for this operation.

- The site will produce electric cars and buses. The first vehicles will be produced in February 2013. When the plant will operate at full capacity, it will produce 40 to 60 vehicles per month, or 480 to 720 units per year.

- In addition, the site will eventually be expanded to accommodate the production of batteries and LEDs. The establishment of this joint venture in Bulgaria allow BYD to develop its sales and influence in Europe.

- Fiat has announced the suppression of 1,500 jobs at the site of Polish Tichy plant (1,500 jobs is a third of the plant’s staff), because of the difficulties on the European market, where a large part of its production is sold.

- "The situation is very negative on the automotive market and obliges the company to launch today a layoff procedure” said the manufacturer. Production plant Tichy decreased from 600 000 units in 2009 to less than 350,000 units in 2012 and could fall below 300,000 units in 2013.

-This result is actually a consequence of the group’s decision to relocate in Italy the Panda’s production. Polish site is gradually decreasing the Panda’s production and transferring it to Pomiglianoin Italy (near Napoli). This plant will therefore be in position to  continue its activity

  while Fiat has conversely  just closed (in 2011) the Sicilian Termini plant .

- The manufacturer, however, will continue to produce at the Tichy plant the Fiat 500  the LanciaYpsilon and the Ford Ka, these three models sharing the same platform (one of the Panda).