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Carsales Staff19 Jun 2020
NEWS

VinFast progress is "breathtaking"

Vietnamese start-up operating without "safety nets", says Aussie boss

The Australian in charge of VinFast’s new Melbourne engineering centre says the Vietnamese automotive start-up is progressing at “breathtaking” speed.

Kevin Yardley, a 25-year Holden and General Motors veteran who joined VinFast last December, was speaking in the wake of the official opening of VinFast Australia – or Technology Institute 2, as it is known internally – this week in Port Melbourne <<< >>>.

Almost 100 engineers and other staff have already been drawn from the local car industry to work at TI2 and more recruitment is underway. Many of them are ex-Holden employees who moved straight from the GM division that is in the process of being shut down.

“At VinFast, decisions are made very quickly. Everyone has a high level of responsibility and there are no ‘safety nets’ to catch you if you make an error,” Yardley told carsales.

“But the speed of strategic moves is breathtaking. I can’t imagine a more exciting place to be.”

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VinFast LLC is the brainchild of Vietnam’s richest man, Pham Nhat Vuong, who has invested billions in his dream of developing a global car company based in Vietnam.

He has recruited an international team from established automotive brands to develop the business led by ex-GM heavyweight Jim De Luca.

VinFast has already built a new assembly plant near the port city of Hai Phong capable of producing 250,000 vehicles a year.

It paid David Beckham a ‘squillion’ to launch its first two models – the Lux A2.0 sedan and Lux SA2.0 SUV – at the 2018 Paris motor show. Both vehicles are based on BMW architectures and are now on sale in Vietnam.

VinFast also retails its own version of the Opel Karl mini-car in Vietnam called the Fadil.

It has revealed the new battery-electric vehicle it is developing, which it ambitiously plans to have on sale in the USA in 2021. Yardley confirmed EV development was TI2’s current focus.

VinFast has also signalled its interest in purchasing Holden’s Lang Lang proving ground, which is now up for sale, and says Australia is a future export market, although no timing has been confirmed.

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Yardley acknowledged the establishment of TI2 was a much needed boost for Australia’s automotive industry, which has been battered by the shutdown of Ford, Holden and Toyota’s manufacturing plants in 2016-17 and GM’s subsequent axing of the Holden brand.

“Australia offers huge opportunity and potential for the development of automotive products,” Yardley said. “For us it is a fantastic opportunity to be able to work and contribute to the automotive industry.

“On the other hand, it’s particularly significant to us, as we know we are not the cheapest place in the world to set up an engineering technical centre. So this is a bold, exciting plan by VinFast and we are absolutely committed to making it successful.”

As the traditional home of Australia’s automotive industry, Yardley said Melbourne offered significant attributes for VinFast to exploit.

“Currently all the talent, expertise and facilities are still intact in Melbourne … to develop vehicles from the ground up,” he said. “Local engineers have developed cars for all markets around the world including Europe, US, Middle East and Asia.

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“This area is also being developed as an innovation hub for Australia. Local universities are setting up very significant research facilities in Port Melbourne enabling cutting edge development. A full size wind tunnel is already available for aerodynamic work.

“In addition, Port Melbourne is also right on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, making it an ideal location for all possible amenities. Several proving grounds are within easy reach of Port Melbourne, enabling full vehicle testing and development.”

On a personal level, Yardley expressed his enthusiasm for being involved in such an ambitious project.

“How often does anyone get a chance to be part of an automotive start-up?” he said.

“When I first heard about VinFast, I was impressed and somewhat sceptical of their bold plans.

“But then I visited their plant in Hai Phong and I was truly amazed. I made a joke to a colleague that I reckon I could fly a Cessna inside the press shop because it was vast. The engine shop is highly professional and has the most advanced manufacturing processes that I have seen anywhere.

“All this had been done on a site that had been little more than wet swamp land only a year earlier. Once I witnessed all of this, I instantly thought I was more than ready for this project.”

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Written byCarsales Staff
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