Unveiling Vietnam’s First Skoda Auto Manufacturing Plant: A Milestone for the Thanh Cong Group

Completed within 25 months, the Thanh Cong Viet Hung (TCVH) automobile factory spans an area of 36.5 hectares and boasts an annual production capacity of 120,000 vehicles. The welding, painting, and assembly lines are equipped with modern, highly automated systems that meet stringent international standards, including those of Skoda Auto Global. Intelligent robots are integrated into every workshop, optimizing accuracy, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring the highest product quality. The factory is designed to produce energy-efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles while providing a safe, civilized, and healthy working environment for its employees.

On March 26th, the TCVH factory officially rolled out its first automobile, the Skoda Kushaq, a model certified by Skoda to meet global quality standards. The car is now ready for commercial production and will be launched in the market in Q2 2025. This significant milestone in the collaboration between TC Group and Skoda Auto, a 130-year-old European automotive brand from the Czech Republic, aims to bring European-quality vehicles at reasonable prices to Vietnamese consumers. TC Group envisions the first Skoda automobile factory in Southeast Asia as a hub for supplying Skoda vehicles to the regional market.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thanh Cong Group, shared: “The Thanh Cong Viet Hung automobile factory is a significant investment within the Thanh Cong Viet Hung Automobile and Auxiliary Industry Complex. Our group has meticulously planned and invested in multiple projects to expand our cooperation in European automotive technology, enhance our production and technological capabilities, and diversify our product range to include green cars, electric vehicles, internal combustion engines, special-purpose vehicles, and specialized cars in the future.”

Mr. Pham Duc An, Vice Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee of Quang Ninh, remarked: “The Thanh Cong Viet Hung automobile factory is a key project and a driving force for Quang Ninh’s development in the coming years. In the future, the factory will contribute to increased budget revenues, job creation, and the training of high-quality human resources for the province.”

Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Skoda Auto, expressed his delight: “We are thrilled to be here today to witness the inauguration of the Thanh Cong Viet Hung automobile factory, invested by TC Group. The launch of the factory and the production of the first Skoda Kushaq car mark a significant milestone in the collaboration between TC Group and Skoda in expanding the European car market in Vietnam and spreading the Skoda brand in the ASEAN region. We are confident that this partnership will bring mutual success to both Skoda and TC Group. I look forward to seeing the first Skoda standard-quality cars from the Thanh Cong Viet Hung automobile factory being distributed to customers.”

In addition to completing the investment in the Skoda automobile assembly and manufacturing factory within the Thanh Cong Viet Hung Automobile and Auxiliary Industry Complex on a total area of 301 hectares, Thanh Cong Group has also invested significantly in infrastructure and auxiliary projects such as logistics warehouses, test tracks, fuel stations, welding and stamping mechanical workshops, and automobile accessory factories. These investments aim to create a robust and reliable infrastructure to attract domestic investors in automobile parts localization, contributing to the supply chain of high-quality automobile parts for the Vietnamese and international markets. Thanh Cong Group’s orientation aligns with the government’s direction and realizes the vision of a large-scale, modern automobile industry complex in Quang Ninh and Vietnam. The inauguration of the TCVH factory is a step forward in the group’s commitment to diversifying European car models produced and assembled in Vietnam, with the Skoda Kushaq being the first in this portfolio.

The high-quality products from the factory will contribute to providing the market with safe, powerful, and reasonably priced automobiles, catering to the needs of domestic and regional customers. This project also demonstrates the leading enterprise’s responsibility in Vietnam’s automotive industry for the country’s automotive industry development and its commitment to the socio-economic development of the localities.

Furthermore, the project represents international cooperation, not only between two enterprises from two countries but also contributing to the promotion of relations between Vietnam – representing Southeast Asian countries, and the Czech Republic – representing the European Union, with its foundation in mechanical and high-tech industries. Beyond collaborating on a few product lines of one brand, the investment in Phase 2 of the project and other component projects, such as stamping and welding factories, engine factories, and auxiliary factories in the coming years, will transform the Thanh Cong Viet Hung Automobile and Auxiliary Industry Complex into a complete automobile production complex with high production capacity. It will generate numerous jobs and significantly contribute to the development of Quang Ninh Province in particular and Vietnam’s economy in general.

Thanh Cong Group: Established in 1999, Thanh Cong Group is a leading private economic group in Vietnam with a diverse range of businesses, including four main sectors: Automotive Industry, Real Estate, Finance, and Medical Equipment. The automotive industry is the group’s core business, and it holds a leading position in the Vietnamese automotive market. For many years, the group has been the only partner in Vietnam for some global automotive brands, such as Hyundai and Skoda Auto, and has established extensive relationships with numerous partners in the automotive and auxiliary industries worldwide. Currently, the group’s automobile and auxiliary industry complex in Gian Khau Industrial Park, Ninh Binh, consists of three factories that produce and distribute Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles nationwide and have successfully exported to several countries worldwide. The Thanh Cong Viet Hung automobile factory is the group’s fourth automobile manufacturing facility, showcasing its proactive approach in anticipating the future development of Vietnam’s automotive industry and its commitment to infrastructure and capacity building for global production and supply chain participation.

Skoda in Vietnam: In 2022, TC Motor, a member of TC Group, officially signed a cooperation agreement with Skoda Auto (a brand from the Czech Republic with over 130 years of history and a member of the Volkswagen Group) to develop the brand, transfer production technology, and handle the business and distribution of Skoda vehicles in the Vietnamese market. Just one year after the signing, the Skoda brand officially debuted in Vietnam in September 2023 through the distributor TC Motor, and now, with the inauguration of the first Skoda automobile factory in Southeast Asia, invested by TC Group. Skoda Auto considers its partnership with Thanh Cong Group as a pivotal step in conquering the Southeast Asian market and expanding its global reach. This relationship also strengthens the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the Czech Republic, particularly in promoting collaboration in the automotive industry, foundational industries, transportation, and energy, thereby revitalizing traditional growth drivers and fostering new ones.

TT (Tuoitrethudo)