- Mini (a BMW branch) plans to start production of some models in Nedcar factory in Born (Netherlands) in the

  second semester of 2014.

- The Born site that belonged to Daf, Volvo and Mitsubishi will be taken over by the Dutch VDL in the coming weeks.

  Mini models will be assembled under contract. Mitsubishi has decided to withdraw from the site that it had formerly bought to Volvo and which is no longer profitable: Born production has continuously declined since 2000.

- Mini will sign with VDL the same type of contract he had signed with Magna Steyr in Graz (Austria), which

   already produces and will continue to produce Countryman and Paceman models. The Mini pilot plant is located in

   Oxford, England.

- Mini did not specify the expected production volumes in the Nedcar factory. In consideration of the success of the

   Mini on all continents, a boost of the production in Born is to be expected.

- If we consider the Chevrolet Volt as classified as an electric vehicle (in spite of being equipped also of a gasoline

   engine providing a range extender function), USA and more particularly Chevrolet appear at the top position

   of electric vehicles, just ahead of Japan and its Nissan Leaf.

- On 27th November, Chevrolet introduced the Electric Spark ahead of the Los Angeles International Auto Show.

   This model is planned to be put on the market on next summer.

   According to GM, it is expected to have among the best EV battery range in its segment and be the first electric

   vehicle to offer SAE Combo DC Fast Charging capability, enabling the Spark EV to reach 80-percent battery charge

   in just 20 minutes. It will be priced under $25 000 with tax incentives. There is no information so far about

   the location where the Spark will be assembled. The petrol version is built in South Korea. 

   The drive unit and motor will be assembled of U.S. and globally sourced parts at GM’s White Marsh, Md., 

   manufacturing facility, and the first time a U.S. automaker has built both a complete electric motor and drive unit

   for a modern electric vehicle in the United States.

- Renault is considering a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor to produce cars in China.

- The two partners would invest about 6.5 billion yuan (800 million euros) in the construction of a plant with a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year in the central province of Hubei.

- The joint venture could use the license which had been granted to Renault when the company had briefly produced vehicles (Traffic) with a Chinese partner in the mid-1990s.

- The first model produced by Renault and Dongfeng Motor in China could be the SUV Koleos (designed by Samsung), whose 22,417 units were sold last year in the country under the Renault brand name (best sales of Renault in China).

- The Renault models which should be manufactured in China  after Koleos are also designed by Samsung (SM3, SM5, SM7).

- Iran Khodro aims to produce the Peugeot 206 Sedan completely autonomously, without the need for importing parts from foreign countries. In this way the current embargo on parts that disrupts automobile production Iranian would become inoperative.

- The first step is to manufacture in Iran the necessary electronic equipment. An agreement to this effect was signed with OEMs owning property rights related to these components.

- The Iranian manufacturer would so be capable of producing all equipment of TU3 and TU5 PSA engines.

- Currently, 90% of the necessary parts are already produced in the country.