Vinfast has received its first EV vehicle in the United States.

Vietnamese EV brand VinFast delivered its first vehicle in the United States on Wednesday

A total of 45 VF 8 midsize electric SUVs were delivered to customers at nine stores in California. More vehicles will be delivered in the future through a delivery service operated by Binfast.

These vehicles are part of an initial batch of 999 VF 8s that arrived at California ports last December. They were originally scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2022.

Vinfast said it has received more than 65,000 orders from customers outside Vietnam. Exports to other markets, including Canada and Europe, are expected to begin in late 2023. This is also when VinFast will begin exporting its full-size electric SUV, the VF 9.

VinFast's entry into the U.S. market was surprisingly quick. The company essentially unveiled its first vehicle, a reskinned BMW 5 Series, in 2018, but less than five years later it had already made the switch to electric vehicles, and the new VF 8 arrived in the US at a time when interest in electric SUVs and crossovers was surging. [Prices start at $60,200 for the VF 8 and $84,200 for the VF 9, both including a $1,200 destination fee. The company plans to offer a battery subscription option at a later date, which will lower the price but require owners to sign up for a subscription. The company previously stated that the subscription would last for the life of the vehicle.

The VF 8 is available in Eco and Plus grades, each with 348 hp and 402 hp; the VF 9 has only 402 hp; the VF 8 has an EPA-rated range of 207 miles for the Eco grade and 191 miles for the Plus.

In addition to the VF 8 and VF 9, VinFast plans to add smaller VF 5, VF 6, and VF 7 crossovers. These five models were presented together for the first time at the 2022 CES in Las Vegas.

Vinfast's main plant is in Haiphong, Vietnam, but last year the company announced plans to build a plant in Chatham County, North Carolina. The U.S. plant is scheduled to be operational in 2024, with an initial annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, for both vehicle and battery production. The first vehicles will be the VF 8 and VF 9, which will qualify for government tax credits due to local production. Vinfast also plans to go public through an IPO.

Unlike other startups that are promising to bring EVs to market, Vinfast has deep pockets. It is part of the Vinh Group, a Vietnamese conglomerate specializing in construction and real estate development, but also involved in agriculture, healthcare, retail, tourism, and many other sectors. Pham Nhat Vuong, founder of Vinh Group, has pledged $2 billion of his fortune to make Vinh Fast a globally recognized company.