Vietnamese electric car manufacturer VinFast has started exporting its electric cars. The first batch of 999 VF 8s was shipped to the USA, where they are to be delivered this year. The first VF 9s will then follow in early 2023 – in Vietnam, as well as internationally.
After this first batch of cars for the US market, VinFast will export more VF 8s to Canada and Europe for delivery to customers there from early 2023. This has now been announced by the US offshoot of the Vietnamese carmaker. A small ceremony was held especially for the shipment, as it is a “remarkable milestone in the history of the Vietnamese automotive industry” when electric cars from its own production are offered and delivered on the world market.
The vehicles were brought on board the transporter ship ‘Silver Queen’ at the port of Hai Phang. The journey across the Pacific is expected to take about 20 days, so the Silver Queen would arrive in California on or around 15 December. Therefore, the first US customers (presumably on the West Coast) should be able to expect delivery before the end of this year.
In its home market of Vietnam, VinFast handed over the first vehicles to customers in September. In Europe, VinFast is currently offering the VF8 and VF9 on a reservation basis, as reported, and deliveries here are scheduled to begin with the VF8 in early 2023, as mentioned above. By the end of 2022, VinFast plans to open over 50 stores in France, Germany and the Netherlands.
In the US, the car subscription service Autonomy had recently increased its order with VinFast to more than 2,500 electric cars. It is not known whether the first 999 examples already include vehicles for Autonomy or exclusively for private customers.
“The export of the first 999 VF 8s is a significant event for VinFast and Vingroup and a proud historical milestone for the Vietnamese automotive industry,” said Nguyen Viet Quang, deputy chairman and CEO of Vingroup. “It affirms that Vietnam has successfully produced high-quality standards electric vehicles that are ready to compete in the international market.”
Following the VF8, deliveries of the VF9 are expected to start soon. The first units of VinFast’s larger electric SUV are expected to be “handed over to customers in Vietnam and international markets in the first quarter of 2023”.
