Vietnamese automaker VinFast has delivered its first electric vehicles (EVs) to customers. To mark the occasion, a special ceremony was held at the company’s manufacturing complex in Hai Phong, Vietnam on Christmas day.
The first EV off the production line is the VF e34, a 690 million VND (~$38,700 CAD) electric compact crossover equipped with a 42kWh battery pack capable of providing up to 300km (186 miles) on a full charge.
What makes the EV unique is that it is the first in which the battery pack is not included in the price.
Instead, customers rent them for as little as 657,500 VND per month (approximately $37 CAD/$30 USD) for a maximum distance of 500km (310 miles) per month.
Travel more than that, and you will have to pay an extra 5 cents per kilometer.
The company will also replace the battery for free if it drops below 70% of its original capacity.
VinFast began taking orders for the VF e34 in March, and have amassed more than 25,000 since then.
As a show of thanks, all of them will get a free battery rental for the first 12 months.
The company expects to deliver about 100 VF e34s the end of the year, and another 2,000 in January.
VinFast is planning to expand to North America and Europe in 2022, and will introduce a lineup of 5 EVs at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from January 5-8 in Las Vegas.
Vietnam’s Vinfast to launch their electric vehicles (EVs) in U.S., Canada and Europe in 2022
