The center will have nearly 100 staff and initially focus on developing both gasoline-driven and electric cars, VinFast, a unit of Vietnam’s largest conglomerate Vingroup JSC, said in a press statement Friday.

The launch of VinFast's research and development center in Australia on Thursday aims to expand opportunities to access international markets, connect with leading suppliers and catch up with new technologies and trends, the car maker stated.

VinFast last month tested its first electric car model in Hanoi with plans to introduce it at a U.S. auto show later this year. The company said late last month it would start mass production of its first electric models from July next year to target the U.S. market.

The automaker has a plant with a production capacity of 250,000 cars and 250,000 electric bikes a year in the northern port city of Hai Phong.

It delivered its first cars in June last year. Though the company does not release sales figures, official data shows 5,124 VinFast cars were registered in the first quarter of this year, putting it in fifth place in sales, behind Hyundai, Toyota, Kia and Honda.