Haiphong, Sept. 10 (BUS): Vietnamese automaker VinFast on Saturday began delivering the first batch of 100 all-electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to local customers, with deliveries set to begin in the United States as soon as December.
According to Reuters, VinFast, which began operations in 2019, is preparing to expand into the US market, where it hopes to compete with legacy automakers and start-ups with its two all-electric SUVs, the VF8 and VF9, including battery leasing to curb that. Purchasing price.
“The first batch of 5,000 VF8 units will be for the US and North American markets. Mass production will start from next week,” VinFast Global CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy told Reuters on the sidelines of a handover ceremony at its plant in Haiphong province, northern Vietnam.
Thuy said VinFast, part of Vingroup JSC (VIC.HM), will start shipping cars overseas in November, and customers will have cars as soon as December.
The company has recorded nearly 65,000 reservations globally, and expects to sell 750,000 electric vehicles annually by 2026, starting with the VF8 and VF9 for all-electric SUVs.
In March, VinFast said it would build a production plant in North Carolina with a projected initial capacity of 150,000 EVs per year. It enlisted banks in July to raise at least $4 billion to finance the project.
Nguyen Khac Chung was among the first local customers to have their cars delivered at Saturday’s event.
“I thought I should wait until November to deliver my car, but I was surprised how short the waiting time is,” said Chung, who ordered his electric car in January, just two months after the model was released.
“Battery rental is an advantage for customers,” he added. “Why should we buy the battery?”
Pricing for the VF8 and VF9 will start at $42,200 and $57,500, respectively, for US customers, excluding the electric battery rental cost. From September, the company will also offer customers options that include batteries.
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