Vietnam’s largest, and still growing, conglomerate is VinGroup. It is headed by Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, a man who made his money selling dehydrated food products including noodles. He parlayed his fortune into an umbrella organization that's comprised of many individual companies. It ranges from VinPearl resorts and VinWonders theme parks to VinUniversity and VinHomes. The latter is in the process of completing a 35,000-residence complex in Ocean Park, a suburb of Hanoi.
The latest addition to VinGroup is Vietnam’s first automobile company, VinFast. While …
Vietnam’s largest, and still growing, conglomerate is VinGroup. It is headed by Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, a man who made his money selling dehydrated food products including noodles. He parlayed his fortune into an umbrella organization that's comprised of many individual companies. It ranges from VinPearl resorts and VinWonders theme parks to VinUniversity and VinHomes. The latter is in the process of completing a 35,000-residence complex in Ocean Park, a suburb of Hanoi.
The latest addition to VinGroup is Vietnam’s first automobile company, VinFast. While it started life producing gas-powered automobiles under licence from BMW, it has since transitioned in to an all-electric car company. The automotive start-up opened in 2017 and took just 21 months to take a muddy field and turn it into a vast production complex that builds electric cars, e-scooters and electric busses. To expand it production footprint, VinFast intends to build a second manufacturing complex in Chatham County, North Carolina.
Originally, VinFast targeted the U.S., Canada and Europe as its key markets and set up operations to support them in each region. Sadly, the company has announced the consolidation of its Canadian and U.S. operations into a single entity called VinFast North America. It will be run out of California.
VinFast launched with the VF 8 and will follow up with VF 9 following shortly. The five-seat VF 8 arrives with an 87.7-kWh battery and two trim choices. The 349 hp Eco has a driving range of 471-km; the 402 hp Plus has a range of 447-km. The three-row VF 9 is offered in the same Eco and Plus trims, but with a much larger 123-kWh battery. Both models deliver the 402 hp and have driving ranges of 594-km and 580-km, respectively.
The portfolio will grow to include the five-seat VF 6 and VF 7. These two are slated to arrive in Canada late 2023 or early 2024.
The VF 6 features a 59.6-kWh battery that drives a front-mounted electric motor. In the 174 hp Eco it delivers 399-kilomtres of range and 381-km when teamed with the 201 hp motor in the Plus. The VF 7 earns a larger 75.3-kWh battery with a 201 hp front-drive model and an all-wheel-drive unit rated 348 hp. The VF 7 ranges are rated at 450-km and 431-km, respectively. It should be noted that all the driving range numbers quoted are from VinFast and based on the European WLTP test cycle. The official Canadian driving range, when it's announced, will likely be lower.
Inside, the VF 6 and VF 7 follow the VF 8’s lead and feature a large centrally-mounted unit that combines the instrumentation and multimedia functions into a single touchscreen. In the both VF 6 models and the VF 7 Eco it measures a 12.9-inches; the VF 7 Plus earns a 15.0-inch unit. All VinFast models get a full suite of safety aids, including blind spot monitoring, highway drive assist, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
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