Vietnamese automaker VinFast plans to launch new electric car models from 2023, and is ready to take the world by storm with its intelligent EV, which will be available in the North American market.

The fast-growing flagship Vietnamese car manufacturer says it will introduce its electric vehicles in five new markets in early 2022, another sign of the expanding range of available EV options for would-be buyers

The company is setting up a presence in the U.S. and hopes to start sales of its compact and mid-size EV crossovers in California in 2022.

There is also a new line of electric vehicles coming to market in Canada with the arrival of VinFast Auto Canada — a subsidiary of Vietnamese conglomerate, Vingroup, which is also the owner of the country’s first auto company, VinFast.

VinFast to launch three electric car models in 2023

VinFast became Vietnam’s first domestic carmaker in 2019, when it started selling two gasoline-powered vehicles, the Lux A2.0 sedan and the Lux SA2.0 crossover, in its home market. Now the fledgling company has announced plans to expand into North America and Europe, with the goal of starting sales in the United States in March 2022. The automaker's global lineup will be centered around electric crossovers.

VinFast plans to launch three new electric car models from 2023, including VF e32, VF e33 and VF e34P, corresponding to segments A, B and C, according to a published document for investors in the second quarter of this year on its official website.

VinFast also revealed that it will launch three new electric motorcycles in the future. One of them is the Vento model, and the other two are still unknown.

In the second quarter of this year, the Vietnamese automaker continued to hold the throne of the A-class hatchback, E-class sedan and E-class SUV segments. Specifically, VinFast Fadil held a market share of 62 percent while both Lux A2.0 and Lux SA2.0 accounted for 87 percent of the market share. All three models took the lead in their segments after only 18 months after being launched.

With an ambition to reach out to the world, VinFast has established branches in the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Its main product in the future will be electric cars.

Currently, VinFast builds five vehicles. The Lux A2.0 is based on the F10-generation BMW 5-series and the Lux SA2.0 is built on the bones of the F15 version of the BMW X5, with both cars penned by Italian design house Pininfarina. VinFast's first EV is the VFe34, a subcompact crossover built on a VinFast-exclusive platform, and there is also the compact Fadil, a reskinned Opel Karl city car. VinFast also made a 500-unit run of the President, a version of the Lux SA2.0 packing a 420 hp 6.2-liter GM V-8.

The Vietnamese brand's entry to the U.S. market will be based around the upcoming VFe35 and VFe36, a compact and mid-size electric crossover, respectively. Details for the U.S.-specific models have not yet been announced. VinFast had originally targeted sales of 56,000 EVs in 2022, but the global semiconductor chip shortage has forced VinFast to reduce that goal to 15,000 units.

On VinFast Canada’s social media accounts, the company said, “VinFast Auto Canada Inc. an OEM distribution company with a Direct-to-Consumer business model, has an ambitious growth strategy planning rapid retail and aftersales facility expansion in Canada over the next 12 months.”

The vehicles

In January 2021 VinFast introduced its first electric offering — the VF e34 — which will be followed in March 2022 by the VF e35 and VF e36. All of the models are SUVs.

The EVs will be available for preorder, with delivery expected to be completed later on next year. VinFast also expects to be able to showcase the new vehicles in global showrooms across their targeted markets.

VinFast received 25,000 domestic preorders for the e34, which retails for about US$29,000. The company indicates its vehicles will have a battery leasing scheme, which should offer some initial price relief. No other pricing details or other vehicle specifications are yet available.

The company is also working on a fleet of vehicles offering varying levels of autonomous driving capabilities. VinFast says the company received permission to test earlier this year in the state of California.

VinFast plans to have two of its three models offering levels of autonomous driving available for sale in both North America and Europe some time in 2022. The company’s autonomous vehicle research is conducted out of the VinFast R&D Institute offices in San Francisco, Australia and Vietnam.

Market giant

VinFast is a member of Vingroup, one of the largest private corporate entities in Vietnam. In addition to four-wheeled passenger vehicles, VinFast also manufactures electric motorbikes and buses, though these are not available outside of Vietnam. The company is also active in schools, housing, hospitals and real estate.

The company first launched car manufacturing operations in 2017 when it broke ground on its manufacturing complex near Hai Phong, Vietnam. The first VinFast car was sold in 2019. By 2020, VinFast was the bestseller in all three of its segments in Vietnam, including e-scooters.

While the company is still in the early days of organizing the launch of its EVs outside of Vietnam, VinFast looks to be able to provide yet another EV option for Canadians.

Further details on VinFast’s Canadian activities and sales plans have yet to be released, but a company spokesperson said that there will be plenty of information to share in the coming weeks.

A Detailed Look At The Vinfast VF e35

The VinFast E35, also dubbed as the V32, is a segment-D crossover, the perfect blend of safety and intelligent features, starting with its magnificent powertrain. Here’s a glimpse at the VinFast E35.

One of the most important features of the VinFast E35 is providing an easy and carefree experience. Designed by the extraordinary Italian firm Pininfarina, the E35 sports a comfortable and chic look. The car's overall length is 4,750 mm with a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, which is larger compared to Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3. The car's front end is adorned with 2 LED projectors and a V-shaped LED strip that gives the brand its distinct identity. Equipped with multi alloy wheels, the E35 is expected to be available in 19 and variants. VinFast E35 does not have a front grille since the heat dissipation mechanism does not require an internal combustion engine. The rear is similar to its predecessor, E34, and is designed with a cluster of LED lights, and the VinFast logo is inscribed in the middle.

The interior of the E35 resembles a Tesla with some minor tweaks. The E35 comes with a panoramic sunroof and a customizable 15.4-inch of infotainment screen. The Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive buttons are located in the center rather than the gear shift knob. With an SAE rating of 2-3, the intelligence features in the E35 are divided into seven groups - Driver assistance, lane control, speed control, driver monitoring, parking assistance, scene collision warning, and mitigation. For advanced options, VinFast will include lidars for high performance and fourteen cameras with the ability to detect objects that are up to 687 meters away. Additionally, nineteen 360-degree sensors will detect handling and warning at speeds above 62 MPH.

NVIDIA’s next-generation self-driving Orin X-chip processes 200 GB of data per second which allows controlled navigation eight times faster than the current hardware for the VinFast E35. The level-4 autopilot features include a wide array of features from auto-parking to summoning the electric car.

Building A Sustainable Drivetrain

To pave the way for a better future, VinFast has joined the electric revolution. For powerful operations, the VinFast E35 mounts two motors on the front and rear axles, respectively. The battery for the crossover is located under the roof. It is available in two options - a single motor with a capacity of 150 KW and 236 lb-ft of traction and a twin-motor with 300 KW capacity and 472 lb-ft tractions. Also, the E35 will provide an option of a 2.0-liter petrol engine that produces 189 HP and traction of 206 lb-ft.

The battery in the E35 can run for 250 miles on a full charge. Instead of selling batteries, VinFast offers an attractive incentive in the form of a battery rental service. Since the battery is the most expensive part of the car, this breakthrough offering is a game-changer. VinFast will take responsibility for the battery quality and life during its expectancy and offer the customers a battery exchange once the batteries receive a charging below 70%.

To complement the cost-effective battery rental, it is important to note that the VinFast E35 comes with the highest safety rating standards from the NHTSA and Euro NCAP. Engineered with automatic detection and warning notifications, the travelers will be redirected towards the nearest medical facility in case of an accident. The batteries under the car floor are heat resistant up to 400-800-degrees Celsius. Also, E35 will detect faults and notify about software updates.

Fundamentally Human At Heart

The entire design and engine build-up to a powerful electric car that is the VinFast E35. From the hand-cut sewn materials for detailing in the interior to the battery rental feature, the E35 is made purely by keeping the owner in mind. VinFast turned to its manufacturing and engineering facility in Hanoi, Australia, which was recently purchased from General Motors to build a state-of-the-art car.

VinFast had originally targeted a sale of 56,000 electric vehicles in 2022, although the global shortage of semiconductor chips reduced the target to 15,000 units. Due to its distinctive features, the VinFast E35 is slated to cost between $40,000 to $60,000 in the North American market.

The bookings for the VinFast E35 will commence from September 2021 in Vietnam, and the vehicle will be delivered by February 2022. On the other hand, in the United States and other major European countries, preorders will start from November 2021, with expected delivery in June 2022 to usher into the new era of electric vehicles.

Tarah Nguyen