Vietnamese automaker VinFast is taking pre-orders for its first electric vehicle (EV) model VF e34. — Photo courtesy of VinFast

Vietnamese automaker VinFast is taking pre-orders for its first electric vehicle (EV) model VF e34 priced at VND690 million (US$30,000), the company announced on Wednesday.

People making orders before June 30, 2021 can purchase the EV for just VND590 million and get a free-of-charge battery lease for one year. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in November 2021. There have been a large number of people sharing their pre-order forms on social media platforms. Many voiced their support for the Vietnamese automaker's environmentally-friendly initiative to introduce electric cars to Viet Nam, especially since air quality in large cities across the country has worsened in recent years.

Buyers can visit the website http://shop.vinfastauto.com or VinFast’s showrooms and merchants nationwide to make a refundable deposit, valued at VND10 million, for each pre-order. The deposit will be refunded if orders are cancelled.

VinFast is going ahead with its battery leasing plan which allows customers to rent out batteries separately from the EV. It is intended to reduce the initial cost of buying an EV for customers and let the automaker bear all the risks regarding the EV battery’s quality and lifespan.

The company has been working around the clock to build a network of about 40,000 charging stations across the nation by the end of this year.

VinFast, which is also producing electric motorbikes and buses this year, signed a contract to produce EV batteries with Taiwan’s ProLogium.

VinFast has just become the 57th automaker to receive a licence to test self-driving EVs in California, the US.

The launch of high-tech electric vehicles, including electric scooters, electric buses and personal electric cars, is part of VinFast's pre-defined roadmap since entering the automotive market three years ago. — VNS