The Vietnam-based automaker technically can’t be called a startup, but it has been producing cars in its home market only for the past couple of years. VinFast’s initial plans for North America call for 30 company stores (not dealerships) to be up and running in California by December, with vehicle deliveries and expansion to other states following shortly after. In Canada, a limited number of VinFast stores will open in major cities in early 2023. The first VinFast to arrive will be the five-passenger VF 8 utility-style vehicle with a base price of $40,700, plus a $110/month subscription fee for the battery pack. It will be followed in 2024 by the larger seven-passenger VF 9. Plans also call for production to begin at a new factory near Raleigh-Durham, N.C., sometime in 2024.
The first VinFast model to arrive here will be the VF 8 utility-style vehicle, followed by the larger VF 9. What’s most interesting is that customers will lease the battery pack from the company. PHOTO: VINFAST
