T-Mobile and VinFast - Vietnam’s Tesla - announced an agreement Friday for the American giant to be the exclusive provider of connectivity for the latter's smart electric vehicles in North America and Europe.
This long-term, multi-million-dollar deal will deliver more personalized in-car experiences and the ability to leverage near real-time telemetry data for more informed and timely maintenance and service decisions.
The two sides did not disclose the deal’s value. However, under the agreement, T-Mobile will provide connectivity for VinFast’s EVs in North America and Europe, including VF 6, VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9.
These vehicles will come with built-in capabilities that power connected services such as remote vehicle services; streaming media and gaming on-the-go; safety features, including live traffic information; Wi-Fi hotspot data on select models, to help passengers stay connected.
By leveraging T-Mobile’s Internet of Things platform, VinFast will connect and manage the service and maintenance of its EVs worldwide, based on near real-time data, performance monitoring and remote notifications.
"VinFast's goal is to turn our smart electric vehicles into a platform that connects every aspect of life,” said Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of Vingroup and chairwoman of VinFast.
“Through our partnerships with world-leading partners like T-Mobile, we’re delivering advanced features and functionality designed to make the journey safe, efficient and more enjoyable,” said VinFast chairwoman Le Thi Thu Thuy.
Callie Field, president, T-Mobile Business Group, said, “Electric vehicles are rapidly evolving from a mere mode of transportation to a companion that offers productivity, entertainment and safety features throughout the journey, and we can’t wait to help VinFast customers experience this.”
VinFast, the car unit of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, is building a strong global foothold with its EV lineup, including VF 6, VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9. It has set up a U.S headquarters in Los Angeles, launched retail stores across California, and announced plans to build an EV and battery manufacturing complex in North Carolina.
In late November, the firm exported its first batch of VF 8s to the U.S. and will continue to ship more to Canada and Europe. It has just launched its first two stores in Europe, following its first showrooms in the U.S. and Canada.
VinFast said Wednesday that it had filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to the proposed initial public offering of its ordinary shares. It intends to list its ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market as VFS.
T-Mobile is a giant American wireless network operator headquartered in Kansas and Bellevue, Washington.