VinFast said it was going to introduce an electric vehicle for the U.S. in the past, and today looks like its shining day. The Vietnamese company dropped not one, but two electric crossovers today that it says will be eligible for sales in America. They’re dubbed the VF32 and VF33. Both are meant to be available for pre-ordering in November this year and delivery in June 2022, according to VinFast’s current plans.

We’ll start with the VF33, since it’s the biggest and most attractive of the pair. Its footprint is nearly identical to that of a Chevrolet Traverse, so it’s big, but not Chevy Tahoe big. Overall, it’s an attractively styled vehicle. The rear three-quarter angle brings the Lincoln Aviator to mind, but it’s not a blatant ripoff or copy of any one vehicle.

Specifics are hard to come by, but VinFast did give a brief powertrain overview. It’ll be powered by two electric motors (one in front and one in back), each outputting 201 horsepower for a combined 402 horses. VinFast doesn’t say what test it’s using to measure range, but it claims up to 342 miles on a full charge from a 106-kilowatt-hour battery pack. We’ll have to wait for proper EPA testing to make any comparisons to other EVs.

VinFast says it will have a huge 15.4-inch infotainment touchscreen. Most of the roof is one big slate of glass. A suite of lidar sensors and cameras will enable advanced driver assistance technologies — VinFast claims Level 4 autonomy will be possible, but we suspect that won’t be happening any time soon. And lastly, VinFast makes it very clear that both this and the VF32 meet NHTSA’s safety standards for U.S. sale.



The aforementioned VF32 is a smaller (and much less attractive crossover). It’s exactly the same length as a Tesla Model Y, but the body’s shape is more traditional. There’s nothing particularly offensive about the design, but it’s very milquetoast. Both single- and dual-motor versions will be available. The motors appear to be the same as what’s in the VF33, so upwards of 402 horses will be on tap. VinFast says it’ll be equipped with a 90-kWh battery pack, but it makes no claims for range. Similar to the VF33, it’s going to get the 15.4-inch infotainment system and an array of driver assistance sensors.

We’ll be watching out to see if VinFast can stick to the timetable it laid out. If the company is able to live up to expectations, you’ll be able to see a VinFast on U.S. roads as soon next year.

Vietnamese automaker VinFast has been in the car business for four years, its first cars being a badge-engineered BMWs licensed from Munich and a re-badged Chevrolet Spark for VinFast's home market. Part of the VinGroup conglomerate founded by Vietnam's now-richest man, and now run by Run by ex-Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller, the upstart has huge plans for expanding globally. Those plans truly begin with the VinFast VF e35 and VF 36 battery-electric crossovers introduced at this year's LA Auto Show, both penned by the Pininfarina design firm, and the North American headquarters the company has invested $200 million in to build in Los Angeles.

The e35 is about an inch shorter in length than a Kia Niro. Other markets could get an even smaller e34, but the U.S. backstop will be the e35. VinFast said the standard battery pack will provide a usable 86 kWh, without mentioning the pack's actual kilowatt-hours, but a larger pack will be an option. The smaller pack is claimed to be good for about 285 miles on a charge, the larger pack extending that to roughly 310 miles, although it's not clear if those are European WLTP or U.S. EPA ratings.

We're not sure which powertrain specification the U.S. will get, either, but globally the model will be offered in single-motor form with 201 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, a dual-motor version doubling those figures. The dual-motor powertrains should get the e35 to 62 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds, the e36 to the mark in 6.5 seconds.

The e35 and e36 are handsome if unassuming crossovers, known by their "V" motifs in the grille and taillight signature, and the Venturi-like C-pillar on the e36. The e35 on the LA show floor was fitted with a finished interior sporting a 15.4 inch touchscreen and no gauge cluster. VinFast design chief David Lyon explained the lack of instrumentation with, "Our vehicles all have a full-color, windshield-projection head-up display. It's a very open, spacious interior. You interface with the steering-wheel controls to operate the vehicle, your hands are on the wheel, and your eyes are on the road." While drivers are watching the road, the e35 will be watching everything, said to be equipped with 14 cameras, LIDAR, and 19 360-degree sensors.

The three-row e36 extends 201 inches, about three inches longer than a Ford Explorer. The show model didn't have an interior, but it seems likely the e36 will follow the lead of the e35. The same general battery arrangement goes for the e36, a smaller standard 90-kWh pack claimed to be good for 301 miles, a larger pack pushing that to 423 miles. Fast-charging will restore 70 percent of a pack's juice in 15 minutes.

As part of a larger tech conglomerate, VinFast will tap other arms in the VinGroup for features like VinAI, Vantix, and VinBigData for AI-enabled driver assistance features such as driver and traffic monitoring, fully automated parking, and vehicle summoning. VinGroup will tap its outside investments for additional capability in its offerings, like Singapore-based Temasek for the Autobrains self-learning AI for autonomous driving, and StoreDot, an Israeli battery developer working on extreme fast charging.

VinFast plans to open pre-orders for both in the first half of next year, focusing on California first, with first deliveries scheduled for Q4 2022. Initial production takes place at the automaker's plant in Hai Phong, Vietnam, but it has plans for a U.S. facility by the end of 2024. Between now and then, the company is working on setting up 60 company-owned showrooms across the country and more in Canada. Repairs will be handled via an at-home service, or VinFast will deliver a loaner car to customers when a car needs to come in for repairs. The company is also figuring out its strategy for setting up charging stations nationwide; the country is rolling out 40,000 stations in Vietnam, a country a little smaller than the state of Montana.

Other than intending premium offering with "attractive pricing," MSRPs haven't been mentioned. Lohscheller said the company wants to make sure it gets its brand positioned properly first. To help encourage adoption of an unknown brand from a country few could point out on a map, both models will come with a 10-year warranty that covers the battery as well. If buyers are worried about getting left behind by rapid advances in battery tech in the coming years, they can buy the vehicle but lease the battery, swapping for an upgraded pack when it is available.

VinFast will introduce a number of advanced driver assistance systems thanks to a newly-announced partnership with ZF.

​​​​​​​The Vietnamese automaker has confirmed that ZF will supply it with cameras, radars, and LiDAR sensors, all working within ZF’s central control unit. The systems will allow VinFast and ZF to achieve Level 2+ autonomy before work can begin to develop more advanced features including Traffic Jam Pilot, Highway Driving Chauffeur, and Automated Valet Parking.

“Our companies are an outstanding match as our goals for mobility are perfectly aligned,” VinFast global chief executive Le Thi Thu Thuy said in a statement. “The future is both electric and automated as we seek to help protect our environment while providing transportation that enhances safety, convenience and efficiency. We will work together to achieve this vision for VinFast customers as we expand our sales around the world.”

VinFast has been developing its automated driving systems alongside ZF in China, Germany, and throughout North America and is expected to launch them in the middle of 2022. ZF’s Automated Valet Parking system that will eventually be used will rely solely on the vehicle’s sensors set and does not require pre-mapped and instrumented parking structures to operate.

“We look forward to working with VinFast to bring higher levels of autonomy to their light passenger vehicles,” added ZF board of management member Martin Fischer. “Elevating the capabilities of all forms of mobility is our goal. The design and development of higher-level AD systems will assist drivers all over the world in enjoying enhanced degrees of safety, convenience and intelligence. This is our vision when we talk about The Next Generation of Mobility and one proof point of how we are making this a reality, now.”

Amid the many new vehicle debuts at the 2022 LA Auto Show are two small SUVs from VinFast. The Vietnam-based electric brand is showcasing its VF 6 and VF 7 alongside the larger VF 8 and three-row VF 9, both of which debuted in the US last year.

Technically speaking, the VF 6 and VF 7 also debuted previously, appearing this year at the Paris Motor Show. Their arrival this week in LA mark the pair's official reveal for North America, though VinFast doesn't say when they will be available. Pricing also isn't mentioned thus far, though presumably, they will slot below the VF 8 which starts at $42,200 plus a battery subscription, or $57,000 with the full battery price included. Don't worry, we'll explain that better in a minute.

.We do know the VF 6 is available with 176 horsepower (130 kilowatts) in Eco trim, or 201 hp (150 kW) in Plus trim. The VF 7 matches that with 201 hp in its base Eco trim, but jumps to 349 hp (260 kW) for the Plus. It's also the only trim of the bunch to offer all-wheel drive, with the others turning just the front wheels. Plus trim levels get vegan leather interior and panoramic glass roofs, and they all feature five-passenger seating. Whereas Pininfarina designed the VF 8 and VF 9, Torino Design is responsible for the smaller models. Range estimates or recharge speeds aren't yet available.

Now, about that pricing structure. VinFast offers buyers a choice of either purchasing the vehicle with the full cost of the battery included (the higher price) or with a monthly subscription for battery use (the lower price).

It's a novel approach to reducing the cost of an EV, though the subscription for the VF 8 still runs $169 per month. The VF 9 is even more at $219 per month, and that's for just the battery. However, the subscription covers all battery maintenance and provides a replacement once the charging capability drops below 70 percent.