Vietnamese car company VinFast is partnering with worldwide automotive companies to design, engineer and manufacture its first two cars – a sedan and a SUV – which made their global debuts at the Paris Motor Show on October 2.
VinFast and its partners are undertaking the two development programs in parallel, while also constructing a production facility, and are aiming to do so in just half the usual period taken to develop a new car.
More than 400 engineers from Magna Steyr are working on the project. The Austrian consultancy is responsible for integrating the newly-developed vehicle systems, the Bosch ECU technologies, and new electric and electronics architecture.
AVL meanwhile is engineering the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine, which will be available in 130kW and 170kW outputs and will be one of the first on sale in Southeast Asia to comply with Euro 5 emissions regulations.
Based in part on licenced patents and know-how, the new platforms incorporate extensive use of aluminum and the latest generation of hot-stamped ultra-high strength steels.
Testing is being undertaken using 300 prototypes in Vietnam and in Europe.
Further partnerships are being progressed, in particular with a view to supporting suppliers to locate facilities at the production complex’s dedicated supplier park. This space will enable VinFast to support the ongoing development of the automotive supply chain in Vietnam and increase the locally-supplied content to its factory. Several major global Tier 1 suppliers have already committed to the supplier park, including ZF Group, Lear Corporation, and AAPICO.
Beyond partnerships in technology and production processes, VinFast is also working with Eckhert Schulen to train 200 apprentices each year at a purpose-built on-site training center. With courses in industrial mechanics and mechatronics delivered to German standards, graduates will receive a certificate issued by the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
