Playa Vista-based VinFast said it selected Electrify America as one of its charging partners. The Virginia-based company operates a network of 800 EV charging stations with some 3,500 individual chargers.
“Our goal is to reduce range and charging anxiety and help the world switch to cleaner, more sustainable transportation,” VinFast’s Chief Service Officer Craig Westbrook said in a statement. “We’re excited to work with Electrify America on this shared goal of future electric mobility.”
VinFast’s lineup of vehicles includes three crossovers — the subcompact VF5, compact VF6 and small VF7 introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, along with the mid-size VF8 and full-size VF9, which the company unveiled last November at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show.
VinFast outsourced vehicle design to Pininfarina and Torino Design in Italy, while the engineering work was done in-house. VF8 and VF 9 are expected to be available in the second half of this year. Timing for the other vehicles has not been announced.
The VF8 pricing will range from $40,700 to $48,000 and the VF9 from $55,500 to $61,000. The vehicle price does not include the cost of the battery, which can only be leased. VinFast will offer two leasing plans: Flexible plan that limits usage to 300 miles per month before an extra cost for additional miles driven is tacked on, and a Fixed plan that provides unlimited range. The plans will include free battery maintenance and the price will equal monthly gasoline costs in each market, according to the company. Rates for the monthly fixed subscription, which allows unlimited range, are $110 for the VF 8 and $160 for the VF 9.
The charging partnership, announced during the New York International Auto Show, follows a factory deal the company struck with the government of North Carolina. VinFast, a subsidiary of VinFast Trading and Service Co. in Vietnam, said it plans to invest up to $2 billion to construct a manufacturing center in Chatham County, which will include electric car and bus assembly, EV battery production and ancillary industries for suppliers. Phase 1 of production is expected to start in July 2024, making 150,000 vehicles per year.
“Having a production facility right in the market will help VinFast to proactively manage its supply chain, maintain stabilized prices and shorten product supply time,” VinFast Trading and Service Co.’s Chief Executive Le Thi Thu Thuy said in a statement.
