Vietnamese carmaker VinFast has announced a bold move away from internal combustion engine cars by year-end - to build a pure electric line-up covering five segments, Kallanish reports.

The company unveiled its new development strategy last week during the CES 2022 event in Las Vegas, following its US debut at the 2021 LA Auto Show last November. It claims to be one of the world’s first automotive companies to completely switch to all-electric, “affirming its position as a leader in the global EV revolution.”

At its VinFast Global EV Day, the company revealed three new BEVs in segments A, B and C: VF 5, VF 6 and VF 7, respectively. The two previous models VF e35 and VF e36, unveiled in November 2021, have now been renamed to VF 8 and VF 9, respectively.

The VF 8 and VF 9 models will be equipped with level 2+ autonomous driving features for the Eco and Plus versions; and levels 3-4 for Premium versions. The smart BEVs will also have features such as in-car shopping, in-car entertainment, smart home and mobile office.

The carmaker has now disclosed base prices for these two models in the US, European and Vietnamese markets. The VF 8 starts at $41,000 in the US, €36,133 ($40,906) in Europe and VND 961 million ($42,322). The VF 9 starts at $56,000 in the US, €49,280 in Europe and VND 1.31 billion in its home country.

VinFast wants to reward early-bird reservation holders with a programme running from 5 January till 5 April. The three-month scheme will cover “various rewards and benefits” to customers, the carmaker says.

Additionally, the company is also developing a battery lease programme with two subscription options – a flexible and a fixed plan. The first covers a minimum subscription fee for 300 miles/500 kilometres per month, with customers incurring extra costs beyond that. The latter offer unlimited range, with VinFast saying the total monthly cost for driving its EVs will be roughly the same as gasoline costs in each market. Subscribers to the programme will also have full maintenance expenses covered, with VinFast replacing used batteries for free when charging and discharging capacity falls below 70%.

Company’s global ceo Le Thi Thu Thuy says a sustainable future will be built on intelligent services, outstanding customer experience and a deep care for the plant and future generations.

“VinFast is committed to innovative vehicle design, quality, and technology, along with excellent customer service,” she adds.

The executive has previously vowed to make VinFast a leader in the EV race, offering “high-class vehicles at reasonable costs.”