The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Automaker unveils EV showrooms
Vietnamese company Vinfast opens 6 sites in state, including 2 in Southern California
Vinfast, a Vietnamese maker of electric cars and SUVS, made a splash Thursday with the unveiling of six California showrooms, including new dealerships in Santa Monica and Commerce.
The other California locations are in San Diego, San Mateo, Berkeley and Corte Madera. The company plans to eventually have 30 showrooms across the Golden State and a groundbreaking for Vinfast’s first North American factory in North Carolina will be held later this year.
Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman for parent company Vingroup and Global CEO for Vinfast, said Thursday’s openings mark an important milestone for the company.
“I believe that introducing Vinfast and interacting with customers one-on-one in our corporate-owned and operated stores is the best way to build relationships with customers and to ensure quality service,” Thuy said in a statement.
Vinfast gave Los Angeles car buyers a taste of its product lines when it showcased its full batteryelectric VF e35 and VF e36 SUV models at last year’s L.A. Auto
Show. The vehicles are equipped with a variety of smart features, including lane assist, collision warning, driver monitoring, fully automated parking, voice assist and e-commerce services.
Vinfast showrooms are designated as Vinfast 1S, 2S or 3S. Vinfast 1S locations are primarily located in high-visibility shopping centers and are focused on vehicle display and sales.
Vinfast 2S showrooms are located on major thoroughfares, offering parts and service, including support from nearby Vinfast 1S locations. Vinfast 3S showrooms, the largest in design, have full car and parts sales, as well as service centers.
The company’s Santa Monica location is at 395 Santa Monica Place and the Commerce dealership is at 100 Citadel Drive at the Citadel Outlets mall.
Lured by a $20.5 million state tax credit, Vinfast announced in November its U.S. headquarters would be located in Los Angeles — a move that builds on the company’s initial $200 million investment in California.
The 15,000-square-foot facility, at 12777 W. Jefferson Blvd. in Playa Vista, includes a management team with plans to hire more than 400 workers and at its regional office in L.A. over the next several years.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti welcomed the automaker following its announced move to the city, noting that L.A. is “a place where companies come to test, prove and launch new technologies.” “We are so proud to welcome Vinfast to our city as we continue leading the way to a betterconnected, cleaner and more sustainable transportation future,” Garcetti said in a statement.
Vinfast was one of the few foreign businesses awarded the California Competes Tax Credit given by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
The company’s $20.5 million tax credit is the largest Calcompetes tax credit ever awarded to an automomaker and one of the top 10 largest awards given to any company in the program’s nearly 10-year history.
Established in 2017, Vinfast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex that in Haiphong, Vietnam, that is 90% automated.
The company’s smart EVS are in tune with where the industry is headed.
In an executive order issued last year, President Joe Biden set a goal for half of all new auto sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. And California is mandating that all new vehicle sales be zero-emission by 2035.