Who is VinFast?
Founded in 2017 by Vingroup, VinFast is already making huge strides in the automotive industry. They aim to be the first Vietnamese automotive brand being distributed globally, focussing on a range of vehicles such as autonomous automobiles and electric motorcycles.
The clearest idea about who VinFast is as a company can be obtained from their mission statement: they are focussed on “relentless innovation” and “offering the best intelligent mobility experience.”
Indeed, this is something that VinFast’s brand ambassador is football superstar and confessed car fanatic David Beckham admires about the company, as he admires how the company has been able to transfer the beauty of Vietnam into the design of their innovative new cars.
A History of VinFast
After the success of other business ventures such as Vinmart supermarkets and Vinhomes real estate, multi-billion dollar company Vingroup set its eyes on success in the automotive industry, something that had not yet been realized in Vietnam. Vingroup created the company VinFast (an abbreviation of Vietnamese words meaning Vietnam, style, safety, creativeness, and pioneer) and opened their first facility in 2017, at a location on Cat Hai Island close to the city of Hai Phong. The VinFast automotive facility is the largest automated manufacturing facility in ASEAN and boasts up to 500,000 cars and 500,000 electric scooters per year.
VinFast worked with developers from Italian car design houses Pininfarina, Italdesign Giugiaro, Zagato, and Torino Design. Within a year, the company had already developed two vehicles: the VinFast Lux SA2.0 and the VinFast Lux A2.0. Both of these automobiles were featured at the Paris 2018 Motor Show, and both the vehicles and the VinFast company received considerable media attention as a result. The automotive world was interested in this new company and their new vehicles and what VinFast was going to do next.
Not long after the Paris Motor Show’s success, in 2019, the VinFast Lux SA2.0, the VinFast Lux A2.0, and the VinFast Fadil automobiles were launched in Vietnam. The VinFast Ludo, Impes, and Klara electric scooters were also launched in this market. These vehicles were launched with great success, as in 2020, VinFast was a best-selling automotive brand in Vietnam.
Global Manufacturing
The VinFast company’s success has continued overseas, as in 2018, VinFast announced they would be setting up offices in Germany, Shanghai, China, Seoul, South Korea, and Australia. VinFast’s operations in Germany, VinFast GmbH, will provide auto parts and services. VinFast’s Australian office, VinFast Engineering Australia, was opened in June 2020 and is staffed by many ex-Holden, Ford, and Toyota employees. VinFast’s export plans include distributing vehicles in key markets such as the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Another exciting opportunity for VinFast was being named the title sponsor of the 2020 Vietnamese Grand Prix. However, this event was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
VinFast plans to continue to develop and launch its range of quality vehicles. This year, in 2021, they plan to launch three new smart EVs (VF31, VF32, and VF33) along with two new electric scooters (the Theon and the Feliz) and an E-Bus. The VF32 and VF33 will also be available for pre-order in several key markets. The company also plans to launch an AR/VR experience within this year. Next year, in 2022, VinFast will launch showrooms globally and deliver the VF32 and VF33 vehicles. Just like the vehicles they manufacture, VinFast’s success has continued to accelerate them forwards into the future.
Awards and Achievements
Since its inception in 2017, the VinFast company has been steadily accumulating prestigious awards and achievements. Their first such award was received in 2018. The renowned global automotive jury AUTOBEST, a panel made up of leaders in the automotive journalism industry, awarded VinFast the brand new “A Star is Born” award. This award recognizes the best in new automotive ventures and start-ups, and VinFast was presented with this award due to not only the tremendous effort they had put in over the first year of the company’s existence to develop two brand new vehicles but also the fact that VinFast is working to make Vietnam a leader in the automotive industry.
Following the AUTOBEST achievement award, VinFast was awarded the “New Manufacturer Safety Commitment” by the ASEAN Grand Prix Awards in 2020. The award acknowledges VinFast’s higher safety ratings commitment in all of its new electric vehicles, as the vehicles all contain safety measures such as Electronic Stability Control, six airbags, and a Seatbelt Reminder System for both front and rear passengers. VinFast’s commitment to safety means their electric vehicles have received an ASEAN NCAP score of four stars, a Euro NCAP score of five stars, and another five-star score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States (NHTSA).
Vehicles in Development
VinFast has a range of vehicles in development. Their selection of automobiles includes the Lux A2.0, an executive sedan, the Lux SA2.0, a mid-size luxury crossover, a V8 version of the SA2.0 called the President, and the Fadil, a smaller city car. VinFast also produces a range of electric motorbikes, such as the Klara and Klara S, the Ludo, and the Impes.
The crown jewel of VinFast’s vehicle line-up is their two smart EVs, the VF32 and VF33. Both of these stylish vehicles will be released to the market globally in 2022.
Both vehicles are powered by highly advanced artificial intelligence technology, allowing for an autonomous driving experience. The more you drive, the better the autonomous experience gets, as the artificial intelligence continues to improve after each drive. The vehicles also contain all of the safety features awarded VinFast with their “New Manufacturer Safety Commitment Award” by ASEAN NCAP, Euro NCAP, and NHTSA.
Both vehicles will get you where you need to go easily, with the VF32 having a range of up to 500km and the VF32 550km, and have a power/torque of up to 300KW/640Nm.
It is clear that VinFast is doing exciting new things in the automotive industry and is definitely a company to watch in the future.
