HANOI, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast is planning to send its first EVs to Europe this year after receiving regulatory approval, according to the company’s CEO. This move comes as the European Union considers imposing tariffs on Chinese EV manufacturers. VinFast plans to deliver about 3,000 of its VF8 crossovers to France, Germany, and the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of this year from its factory in northern Vietnam. VinFast had originally aimed to deliver 700 cars by July, but this new plan represents a four-fold increase. If successful, Europe could become VinFast’s largest overseas market this year. The company had previously shipped about 2,100 EVs to the United States and plans to ship more VF9 models. VinFast’s CEO, Le Thi Thu Thuy, stated that they expect to deliver the first VF8 models to French, German, and Dutch customers in the fourth quarter of this year, with other models to be launched in the European market next year. The VF8 SUVs have already been approved by a European regulator as compliant with EU standards and can be sold within the EU. VinFast is also working on obtaining the voluntary Euro NCAP safety rating.
