Vietnamese electronic vehicle (EV) manufacturer VinFast is reportedly planning to ship thousands of its VF8 crossovers to Europe later this year.
Revealing the plan: A person claiming to be familiar with VinFast’s plan for the European market allegedly told Reuters on Thursday that the Vietnamese EV maker is looking to send around 3,000 VF8 crossovers to France, Germany and the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of this year. The person also claimed that some of those cars, which will come from the company’s factory in northern Vietnam, will be sent to Israel.
If VinFast proceeds with this plan, which has yet to be officially announced, Europe could potentially become VinFast’s largest overseas market to date.
What models to expect: Besides the VF8, VinFast Chief Executive Le Thi Thu Thuy said that the company is also looking to send its other models — the VF6, VF7 and VF9 — to the European market next year.
Later this year, VinFast will ship its three-row VF9 to the U.S., followed by the compact VF7 and the subcompact VF6 next year.
According to Thuy, a European regulator recently approved VinFast’s VF8 models and declared them to be compliant with EU standards, Reuters reported.
Tariffs on Chinese brands: The report comes amid news that the EU is considering imposing tariffs on imported EVs made in China, regardless of whether a Chinese or European company manufactured it. The European Commission reportedly launched a probe into the matter after gathering what it thought was sufficient evidence of alleged subsidies for EVs.
