Vietnamese EV Brand VinFast Ships Its First 999 Vehicles to the US

Vietnam is set to make its US car debut next month when the first shipment of nearly 1,000 cars made by EV company VinFast arrive on US soil.

A Panamanian cargo ship called the Silver Queen is currently transporting the cars to a port in California, where they will arrive in mid-December.

“This event is a remarkable milestone in the history of Vietnam’s automotive industry as Vietnamese-branded electric cars have officially entered the global market,” says(Opens in a new window) VinFast. “The major export actualizes the country’s passion for mastering automotive production held by many generations and contributes to raising the country’s position on the global stage.”

VinFast EVs at port.

VinFast VF8 electric SUVs at port.
(Credit: VinFast)

Customers should receive their vehicles by the end of December. The current shipment contains 999 VF8 models, although VinFast also makes a VF9, which it will begin exporting in 2023. Next year, 65,000 VF8 and VF9 vehicles are set to ship to customers in the US, Canada, and Europe.

VinFast is looking to differentiate itself from more established auto brands via a unique payment model, which allows for a lower upfront cost for the vehicle, paired with a separate “battery subscription(Opens in a new window).” The VF8 costs $42,200, plus $169/month for the battery. The VF9 goes for $57,500 with a battery subscription of $219/month.

VinFast VF8

VinFast VF8
(Credit: VinFast)

This approach may alleviate buyer concerns about battery longevity and maintenance. With the subscription, “VinFast bears responsibility for battery repairs, maintenance, and replacement costs to provide a worry-free experience for the life of the vehicle,” the company’s website says.

The VF8 has a range of 292 miles, and the VF9 will last for 369 miles. This is comparable to other electric SUVs on the road today, like the Volkswagen ID.4 (275 miles, $37,500 starting price) or the Tesla Model Y (330 miles on the Long Range model, $65,000 starting price). Those vehicles both have eight-year battery warranties, a standard warranty structure built on the legacy auto warranty model. VinFast is the first battery subscription model we’ve seen.

VinFast also recently announced (Opens in a new window)the sale of 2,500 vehicles to short-term EV rental company Autonomy(Opens in a new window). Between the 999 vehicles going directly to customers, and 2,500 to Autonomy, which operates primarily in California, 3,500 VinFast vehicles will be on the road by next year.

VinFast VF9

VinFast VF9
(Credit: VinFast)

In 2024, VinFast plans to open a factory in North Carolina—the “first car factory and the largest economic development project in the state’s history to date,” VinFast says(Opens in a new window). US production will also help qualify the vehicles for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which requires US assembly (among other qualifications).

“North Carolina’s partnership with VinFast to bring good, clean energy jobs to North Carolina took an important step forward today with the signing of the budget,” says Governor Roy Cooper. “Electric vehicles, like the ones VinFast will produce in Chatham County, are a critical component of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build North Carolina into a hub for the clean energy economy.”

VinFast is currently taking US reservations(Opens in a new window) for the VF8 and VF9 with a $200 deposit. You can see VinFast vehicles in person at one of the company’s six new stores(Opens in a new window) in California. In 2024, VinFast will make two new models available to US customers, the VF6 and VF7(Opens in a new window).

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