HAIPHONG, Vietnam – Vietnamese carmaker VinFast on Saturday began handing over the first batch of 100 all-electric vehicles. sport utility vehicle (SUV) to local customers, with deliveries in the United States to begin as early as December.
VinFast, which started operations in 2019, is preparing to expand in the US market, where it hopes to compete with legacy automakers and startups with two all-electric SUVs: VF8 and VF9, including battery lease to reduce the purchase price.
“The first batch of 5,000 VF8 units will be for the US and North American markets. Mass production will begin next week,” Le Thi Thu Thuy, VinFast’s global CEO, told Reuters on the sidelines of the ceremony. delivery at the factory in the northern province of Vietnam. of Hai Phong.
VinFast, part of Vingroup, will start shipping cars abroad in November and customers will have their cars delivered in December, Ms. Thuy said.
The company has registered nearly 65,000 pre-orders globally and expects to sell 750,000 EVs annually by 2026, starting with the VF8 and VF9 all-electric SUVs.
In March, VinFast said it would build a manufacturing plant in North Carolina with an initial planned capacity of 150,000 EVs a year. It tapped banks in July to raise at least $4 billion in project funding. read more
Nguyen Khac Chung was one of the first local customers to have their cars delivered at Saturday’s event.
“I thought I’d have to wait until November to deliver the car, but to my surprise the waiting time was shortened,” said Chung, who ordered his EV in January, just two months after the prototype. This vehicle is introduced.
He added: “Battery rental is an advantage for customers. “Why should we buy the battery? “
The VF8 and VF9 vehicles will start at $42,200 and $57,500 respectively for US customers, excluding battery rental costs. From September, the company will also offer customers options that include batteries.
