Vietnamese firm exports first electric cars to the US

VinFast today shipped the first batch of 999 VF 8 electric cars to the US in the attendance of Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper. 

An overview of the opening ceremony. Photos: qdnd.vn

Speaking at the ceremony, Chinh highlighted the significance of the export which marks the first Vietnamese electric vehicles (EV) available in the global market.

He hailed VinFast for its quick adaption to the latest technologies to offer customers products in a different approach. 

Sharing at the event, Ambassador Knapper said it's a very special day for him because the first VinFast cars will be shipped to Los Angeles, California – his hometown. He also thanked VinFast for building a factory in the US which is expected to create jobs for thousands of workers. 

The US is known for being a market of technical barriers and too many choices for customers. Recently, many Chinese car makers have entered this market but faced difficulties. 

The cars, which are shipped from MPC Port, Haiphong City, are scheduled to be handed over to customers by the end of December, according to the company. 

This is also the first batch out of 65,000 VF 8 and VF 9 electric cars to be exported to the global market. VinFast plans to export the next batch of VF 8 cars to Canada and European markets in 2023.

VF 9 model will be delivered to Vietnamese and international customers in the first quarter of 2023.

Delegates attend the event.

Two models are also on display at Los Angeles Auto Show 2022 (LA Auto Show 2022), which is running between November 18 and 28. The company will be showcasing its four EV models in the B-C-D-E segments soon. 

In July 2022, the first six VinFast stores were opened in California. This year, VinFast will continue to open 30 more units in this US state, while exploring expansion to other states across the US.

The EV maker is in the process of building a North Carolina EV plant, which is expected to reach an annual production capacity of 150,000 units when it becomes operational in 2024.