Daniel Morello
Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast has launched operations in Canada with a strategic plan that begins in Toronto and will continue soon in Greater Montreal and Vancouver.
VinFast officially celebrated the launch this week with a grand party in an inflatable bubble on the parking lot of Yorkdale Shopping Centre, where earlier this year it opened its first Canadian store.
Daniel Morello, VinFast’s Canadian Director of Customer Commitment, said the company will open a Quebec store in the CF Carrefour Laval Shopping Mall by the end of the month. The B.C. store will open in mid-December at the Park Royal Shopping Centre in Vancouver. The plan will include opening up service centres toward the end of the year at offsite locations. The company is projecting to open eight stores by the end of the year with further expansion in 2023.
“We want to hit our target markets first, which is where the infrastructure is and where a lot of EV buyers are,” Morello told Canadian auto dealer. “We’re aware there is interest around Canada and we’re looking to expand, but we don’t have any specifics yet.”
The company is taking reservations for its VF 8, a mid-size, five-seat SUV, and the VF 9, a seven-seat SUV. It is expected the VF 8 will debut early in 2023 and the VF 9 shortly afterward. The VF 8 will begin with a starting price of $54,990, the VF 9 at $79,990. The cars will come with a 10-year, 200,000-kilometre warranty, 24-hour roadside assistance and mobile service.
“We’re offering something that is different,” said Morello. “We have a unique strategy. We’re focusing on the quality of our vehicle, our excellent customer service and our competitive pricing. We’re trying to have a high-quality product, but a more achievable price point versus other competitors.”
VinFast began selling vehicles in North America in the summer at six outlets in California.
