Hyundai's Chinese capacity to hit 1M units
Beijing-Hyundai Motor Co. CEO Jae-Man Noh said Hyundai's production capacity in China will reach 1 million units a year by the second half of 2012.
Noh spoke at a Thursday briefing in Beijing.
In 2010, Beijing Hyundai Motor Corp. -- a joint venture between Hyundai and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. -- sold 703,000 passenger cars. That placed Beijing Hyundai fourth behind Shanghai GM, Shanghai Volkswagen and FAW Volkswagen.
Last December, Hyundai broke ground on its third Chinese assembly plant, a 300,000-unit facility near Beijing that will bring its China capacity to 1 million units when it is fully operational.
Originally, the third plant was supposed to be fully operational in 2013. Noh's comments on Thursday suggest that Hyundai may be ahead of schedule.
The Korean automaker has not indicated which models might be produced in its new plant.
During the Shanghai auto show last April, Noh speculated that Hyundai might need a fourth assembly plant. However, the company has not yet made a decision.
