VinFast is a company with ambitious plans. The Vietnamese automaker has developed a line of electric vehicles and has plans to export around 5,000 of them across North America and Europe as early as next month. And now, it’s taken a major step in entering the Canadian market with the opening of its first ‘VinFast Store’ here, at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto.
The VinFast Store in Yorkdale Mall in Toronto
Sales of the VF 8 five-passenger SUV and the three-row VF 9 SUV are still being handled online, through the VinFast website. But VinFast Yorkdale – along with seven other stores opening across Canada, including two locations at CF Carrefour Laval in Quebec and Park Royal Shopping Centre in Vancouver – will give prospective customers a chance to experience both vehicles in person. Test drives of the VF 8 are also available at the Yorkdale store.
Read more: Here’s why VinFast leasing its batteries is a good idea
“The opening of the first store in Canada marks the next milestone in VinFast’s global expansion journey,” says Huynh Du An, CEO of VinFast Canada. “Our network of stores will be key in interacting with our customers, ensuring quality service, and strong relationships in Canada on our journey towards a sustainable future.”
VinFast is unique in the EV industry in that it offers a battery leasing program, where owners pay a monthly subscription for the vehicle’s battery. This means the company assumes all the risk related to the battery, and is responsible for the recycling costs at the battery’s end-of-life. The VF 8 starts at $54,990 in Canada, while the larger VF 9 starts at $79,990. Battery subscriptions start at $39 per month for the VF 8 and $59 per month for the VF 9.
