Vinfast might bring this affordable electric city car to Europe

Despite its unmet ambitions, Vinfast has not forgotten Europe. As such, it may not settle for offering only large SUVs. The compact VF2 could soon arrive at a competitive price point... but with certain constraints as well.

The grand launch with high ambitions in both Europe and North America did not yield the expected results. Therefore, Vinfast is now focusing its efforts on development in Asia, particularly in India.

It has not completely abandoned Europe, however, and still hopes to expand there. It might pursue a different approach—rather than bringing large SUVs from higher price segments, it could offer more affordable models instead.

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One of the vehicles Vinfast plans to offer in Europe is the VF2. It’s a small city car 3.09 meters long with 4 seats. It is designed based on Chinese electric mini-cars such as the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. In Vietnam, it is priced starting at 6,200 euros, equipped with a 30 kW engine and an 18.3 kWh battery, offering a NEDC range of 210 km.

However, to enter the European market, it will likely need to comply with the L7 quadricycle standard. This would require reducing its engine power and ensuring it weighs less than 450 kg (excluding the battery). It might also mean removing the two rear seats, as most Chinese small cars that make it to Europe do.

As for its price, it is estimated that it should remain below 10,000 euros, a threshold necessary to make such a vehicle attractive... which could therefore affect the size of the battery. The VF2 will need to compete against M1-class vehicles, and soon M1E vehicles, which are lowering their prices, as well as an increasing number of used vehicle options.