The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced these developments following a recent meeting involving DTI Secretary Cristina Roque, other government officials, and Vingroup Vice Chairman Nguyen Quoc Tuan. The Philippine plant will be the company’s third overseas production hub following those in Indonesia and India.
While DTI did not disclose the location of the planned EV manufacturing facility, Inquirer.net quoted Roque as saying Batangas was the “preferred” location. Batangas is a province in the southwestern part of Luzon, one of the country’s three major island groups, and Vingroup finds it attractive due to its proximity to ports. The company is reportedly searching for a site with an area of no less than 300 hectares.
Vingroup may need to finalise the location and secure a plot of land soon, as, according to DTI, it is aiming to start construction in the first quarter of 2027. The company expects to have the plant ready in one to one and a half years, which means it could be planning to start production by mid-2028. DTI says that the local manufacturing facility will offer an initial annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
VinFast sells five electric cars in the Philippines: VF 3, VF 5, VF 6, VF 7, and VF 9. The company forayed into electric two-wheelers in July, launching three scooters simultaneously: Evo, Feliz II, and Viper. The planned local manufacturing facility will roll out both cars and scooters, beginning with the former.
Commenting on Vingroup’s upcoming plant and the associated investment, Roque said, “Vingroup’s $500 million investment underscores the Philippines’ rising status as Southeast Asia’s destination of choice for advanced manufacturing and green technology. Under President Marcos Jr.’s administration, our mandate is clear: to translate investor confidence into immediate operational momentum.”
