Vinfast is ready to roll out its full range of EVs
As the motoring world shifts from cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV), incumbent carmakers have a choice: gradually change lanes away from fossil fuels, or quickly embrace EVs. For Vinfast Auto, Vietnam’s homegrown carmaker, there is only one direction: They are all-in on EVs. The shift from ICE to EV was accomplished in just two years, a lightning-fast change in the automobile world. Vinfast Auto started producing automobiles just five years ago, so legacy technology is not a burden in this case. 
Vinfast’s executives attribute the speed of decision-making to the vision and determination of its founder and CEO, Pham Nhat Vuong. The 55-year old, acknowledged as Vietnam’s richest man, has already invested $2 billion in Vinfast, and is ready to pump in even more money. Even as other car companies are rolling back plans to produce more EVs, Vinfast is going full speed ahead.
This was apparent after our visit to Vinfast’s manufacturing complex in Hai Phong, a two-hour drive east of Hanoi. The 300-hectare industrial park is home to several of Vinfast’s enormous factories, as well as a multitude of suppliers. The Vinfast plants are responsible for the stamping of vehicle body panels from steel and aluminum, to welding and painting, to the installation of seats and interior trim. The factories are 95-percent automated, with robots doing the welding, sealing, and painting of car bodies. One key process is the installation of the battery pack into a nearly-finished car body. It looks deceptively simple: One person uses a pneumatic lift to position the battery pack under the vehicle floor, secures it with a few bolts, and it’s done. The car will soon be ready to roll out after rigorous inspection.
On the company’s testing ground, we got to sample some of the vehicles that Vinfast will be selling in the Philippines:
VF e34. Power: 110kW / 242 Nm. Range: 318.6km
Vinfast’s subcompact crossover seats five. The VF e34 features a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and a large 10-inch touchscreen center panel. The rest of the controls such as “gearshift” controls and secondary switches are more traditional in design and location, making it easy to operate if you’re used to an ICE car. The VF e34 received a four-star overall safety rating in the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP), while rating five stars in adult occupant protection, child occupant protection and motorcyclist safety.
VF 5 Plus. Power: 100kW / 135Nm. Range: 326km
Within the sub-four meter length of the VF 5 Plus is a five-seat cabin. The driver faces a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and an 8-inch infotainment screen. Like the VF e34, the controls are classic in design, down to the manual handbrake. Active safety features like rear cross traffic alert, blind spot detection, rear parking assist and rear view camera are on board.
VF 7. Power: 150kW / 310 Nm, or 260kW / 500Nm for VF 7 Plus. Range: 450km
Suddenly, sparks fly when you turn your gaze to the VF 7. Thanks to its futuristic styling with neat attention to detail, this is one car worthy of desire. There’s more room inside the five-seat SUV. Seats are trimmed in upscale leather, and soft-touch surfaces abound. Dispensing with most switches, the VF 7 uses a 15.6-inch infotainment screen to control nearly all functions, including door mirrors. There’s no gauge cluster in front of the driver, but a head-up display shows speed and other necessary information on the windshield. The VF 7 is brisk, hitting 100kph in about six seconds. This could be an EV for enthusiasts.
VF 9. Power: 300kW. Range: 594km
The VF 9 is the luxury liner in the Vinfast fleet. All-wheel drive comes courtesy of two electric motors, combining for 300kW maximum power. Within its 5118-mm length, the VF9 contains three rows of seats. The second row is a pair of captain’s chairs with power actuation. The VF 9 also uses a 15.6-inch touchscreen for nearly all vehicle settings and functions. Auto emergency braking and blind spot detection are included among its safety features. Another Vinfast model, the VF 8, achieved a five-star rating in ASEAN NCAP and received multiple awards.
When Vinfast starts rolling out its cars in the Philippines, expect an interesting proposition: Vinfast will make its cars available for purchase without the battery. The battery will then be available as a subscription. This means a lower up-front cost, and Vinfast will replace the battery for free if its performance drops below 70%.
There’s a lot more to Vinfast’s plans for the Philippine market, including electric motorcycles and e-bikes. For now, the mission of Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, CEO of VinFast Philippines, is simple: Earn the trust of Philippine customers with the basics. “Good cars, good price, and great after-sales service. This will differentiate Vinfast from the competition,” she says.
