VinFast rolls out first set of cars in US

Photo credit: VinFast

VinFast has made its official entry in the North American market by delivering its first 45 VF 8 City Edition models to customers in California.

The VF 8 City Edition comprises 999 vehicles imported to the US in December 2022. VinFast got approval to sell electric vehicles in the US in the same month, securing green lights from the US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board.

Shipments of these cars were slated to begin in January but were pushed back to February after the vehicles were held up at a US port awaiting software updates.

While it’s been slowly expanding in the US, the company recently cut its headcount in the country as part of a restructuring.

Bloomberg also recently reported that Pham Nhat Vuong, chair of parent firm Vingroup, does not intend to pump more cash into VinFast, which lost US$1.5 billion from the start of 2022 through September 30 last year.

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VinFast, a member of Vingroup, was established in 2017. VinFast owns an automotive manufacturing complex in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

In the US, it has 10 VinFast stores listed on its website. It also recently received a US$1.2 billion incentive package from the state of North Carolina to build a manufacturing facility.