I was lucky enough to go to Vietnam and drive a prototype of the Vinfast VF8, the first model coming to the US, as well as tour the factory complex where they'll be made (they're also building a US factory). I wrote up a piece for InsideEVs about the drive and I'll have another piece on the company and its prospects coming up. If you have any questions about the car or company, I'll do my best to answer. Not included in the article is this little bit of footage of the cars taking off. I realized afterward I should have taken more photos
Vinfast looks promising. The company has been building ICE powered cars for years. Vinfast should be able to build a decent EV. However, the official EPA range for the VF8 is rather disappointing. US News reported on 12/23/2022: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the newly arrived VF 8 City Editions made for the U.S. market, had a range of only 179 miles versus the 260 miles advertised on the Vinfast website." That range is much less than similarly priced competitors. At least there are a number of competitors. It is a sign that EVs are entering the mainstream and not just a niche.
They just opened up a shop where I live here in Langley, right between Tesla and Hyundai. This is the 3rd one in metro Vancouver and more elsewhere in Canada. Seems like they are serious about selling cars in Canada. https://vinfastauto.ca/en
