VinFast has had several early bumps in the road, but the Vietnamese automaker appears to be hitting its stride in at least one area. The company recently announced an expansion to its U.S. dealer network, giving it stores in several new areas and growing its footprint to 18 dealerships in seven states.
VinFast added 12 stores, with new dealerships in Connecticut and Kentucky, five new locations in Florida, and four in Texas. With 18 stores in seven states and its corporate dealers in California, VinFast now has a surprisingly robust U.S. retail footprint, though it’s still unclear how the early reviews will affect sales of its EVs at the new locations.
Though the automaker has a range of vehicle offerings in Vietnam, its only model on sale in the U.S. is the VF 8 SUV. Deliveries have been slow to start in 2024, with only 448 new registrations in the first two months of the year. It only managed 265 in all of 2023, though that was likely due to delays in the rollout and early hiccups with the vehicle’s tech.
VinFast’s North Carolina factory will be up and running by next year and is expected to start production by the end of 2025. If the automaker meets other requirements for federal tax incentives, the domestic output would qualify its vehicles for up to $7,500 in credits at the time of sale.
The VF 8 has struggled to break ground in the increasingly crowded EV market, as spotty reviews have highlighted deficiencies with its tech, ride quality, and driver assistance features. That said, the price isn’t terrible by current EV standards, starting at $47,200 with leases at $429 monthly. Leasing EVs can also be a loophole in the federal tax credit rules, making the VF 8 slightly more attractive for buyers.
[Image: VinFast]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
