Vietnamese electric vehicle maker ships first products to US

Vietnam’s electric vehicle maker VinFast on Friday shipped their first batch of 999 cars to the United States.

VinFast ships their first batch of 999 cars to the United States on November 25.

The cars were sent from MPC Port in the northern city of Hai Phong and are expected to arrive in California Port and be handed over to the first US customers by the end of December, the company said.

Speaking at the event this morning, vice chairman and CEO of Vingroup, Nguyen Viet Quang, said that this was a historic milestone for Vingroup as well as Vietnam's car industry, underlining how Vietnamese hi-tech products could compete in the world market.

“This was the first batch of 65,000 VinFast VF 8 and VF 9 cars to be exported globally,” Quang said. “The next batches will be sent to Europe next year.”

The company is currently offering subscriptions for Teslas and is planning to add models from several brands such as Rivian, Kia, Mercedes Benz, and VinFast according to its website.

Attending the event, PM Pham Minh Chinh called this an important and meaningful turning point as the first made-in-Vietnam vehicles joined the global market.

PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the event

“We're proud of this,” the PM said. “VinGroup and VinFast have made it from zero and surprised the car industry inside and outside the country. Their vehicles have received praise from customers. The government will continue to support and encourage firms to integrate into the international market and contribute to the industrialisation and modernisation of the country.”