VinFast may launch an electric pickup truck and if it does so, it would join a quickly growing segment with models like the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T, and more.
VinFast is gearing up to launch the VF 8 and VF 9 SUV models in the United States and while it remains focused on these two models, VinFast’s U.S. chief service officer Craig Westbrook noted the company’s EV platform allows for different body types and that a pickup could be possible.
Read More: VinFast Launches Usage-Based Battery Leasing For VF 8 And VF 9 Models
“We want to serve the needs of the market,” he said when asked about an electric pickup truck. “If we decide that’s what the market needs and that fits our brand especially, and I think it absolutely could, yeah. It’s something we should consider.”
Reuters notes that VinFast started building its new EV models in Vietnam last year and that it is planning to shift to production of nothing but EVs by 2023. It is also working on a vehicle production site in North Carolina that should start operations in July 2024. If VinFast does decide to produce an electric pickup, the U.S. would likely be the biggest market for it and it could make sense to manufacture it locally.
VinFast has more than 8,000 preorders for the VF 8 and VF 9 in the United States and confirmed pricing and battery leasing details in April.
Kicking off the range is the VF 8 Eco, available from $40,700 for the SUV itself plus an additional $35 monthly battery leasing fee, that allows for up to 310 miles of travel each month. If customers exceed that number, they will be charged $0.11 per mile for the VF 8 and $0.15 for the VF 9. An unlimited range plan costs $110 for the VF 8 and $160 for the VF 9.
While the entry-level VF 8 starts at a touch over $40,000, the entry-level VF 9 Eco starts at $55,500. VinFast’s U.S. range tops out with the VF 9 Plus, which is priced from $60,500.
