Changan to Build Vehicles at Texas Plant

Changan Automobile Group will see its vehicles built at a new plant in Jasper, TX, local officials announce today.

Tiger Truck LLC, a privately held maker of off-road trucks since 1999, says it will begin building vehicles by Changan, China’s third largest auto maker and a joint venture partner with Ford Motor Co. in China, by early next year.

Tiger Truck also has exclusive rights to import and distribute Changan models, it says.

“While others are trying to buy cheap parts from China, we are seeking important OEM and sourcing agreements with key U.S. suppliers,” Mike Ward, Tiger Truck CEO and founder says in a statement. “I couldn’t be more pleased with our long-standing partnership with Changan that leads to this historic first.”

Tiger Truck says it will build two trucks on one platform: the fullsize Champ, a 2-door and 4-door Crew Cab for the U.S. and Canadian off-road market, and the Leopard, an export version of the Champ with a diesel engine and dual rear wheels. Initially, some 80% of the trucks built for Changan in Texas will be exported, Tiger Truck says.

A medium-duty truck built on a second platform with a gross vehicle weight of 14,000 lbs. (6,350 kg), 17,000 lbs. (7,711 kg) and 21,000 lbs. (9,525 kg) will be sold worldwide, including in the U.S., for on-road use. Tiger Truck says it will have a diesel engine meeting U.S. emissions standards.

The location where Tiger Truck will be building the Changan models has 250,000 sq.-ft. (23,226 sq.-m) of manufacturing space, as well as a rail spur in the building. The truck maker says it will be able to produce 7,500 vehicles annually on one shift, employing 100 workers.

Furthermore, Tiger Truck says it has “abundant expansion capacity” and the ability to mix configurations of models, such as right-hand- and left-hand-drive versions, on the same line.