US service firm Autonomy orders 2,500 EVs from Vietnam’s VinFast

VinFast has received an order for more than 2,500 units from American electric vehicle subscription firm Autonomy, its largest corporate order to date, the Vietnamese carmaker said Friday.

The major U.S. order, which came while VinFast is expanding its global markets, is for electric SUVs VF 8 and VF 9.

Autonomy, in a joint release with VinFast from the Los Angeles Auto Show 2022 this week, said it was one of the U.S. firm’s largest electric vehicle orders, affirming the reception of the international market for the Vietnamese automaker, which stopped production of gasoline-powered cars this August.

Autonomy added it had planned to order 400 VF 8 and VF9 models in August, and now made the total at more than 2,500.

VinFast, an EV startup of Vietnam's biggest private conglomerate Vingroup, said it planned to deliver its first batch of 5,000 all-electric SUVs to foreign markets this December and would start to hand over vehicles to Autonomy over the next 12 months.

For buyers in Vietnam, it will deliver more than 1,000 VF 8 cars between November 20 and December 5, 2022.

Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of Vingroup and chairwoman of VinFast, said: "Collaborating with Autonomy will help us quickly achieve our goal of accelerating the electrified mobility revolution and building a sustainable future for everyone."

Autonomy says it allows users to subscribe to the use of one of their EVs, rather than having to buy or lease a car. Autonomy's monthly payment covers the traditional costs of ownership, including routine maintenance, roadside assistance (limitations apply), and standard wear and tear on tires.

The California-based company is currently offering subscriptions for Tesla and is planning to add models from several brands like Rivian, Kia, Mercedes Benz, and VinFast, according to Autonomy’s website.

VinFast is showcasing four models VF 6, VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9 at the Los Angeles auto show this week. According to the manufacturer, it has so far recorded around 65,000 reservations globally, and it expects to sell 750,000 EVs per year by 2026.

The firm opened six stores in California this July and launched its first one in Canada on Wednesday while planning to open seven more in the Canadian market before the year-end.

At the Paris Motor Show 2022 on October 17-23, VinFast announced it would open three headquarters in Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam to deepen its global footprint. However, it has so far not disclosed the timeline for its three European headquarters.

VinFast said this July it had secured about $1.2 billion in incentives for its planned EV U.S. factory in North Carolina, at the Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham County, where it plans to start production in 2024. Later the same month, the firm added it had signed agreements with banks to raise at least $4 billion for the U.S. EV and battery manufacturing complex.