VinFast could make an Australian return

Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast has announced Australia is still on its radar – despite packing up its local operations last year.

Even though the firm had taken on a raft of former Holden, Ford, Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover employees in 2019, as well as purchasing the ex-Holden Lang Lang test track in 2020 and establishing a local research and development facility in Port Melbourne, its Australian arm closed last year, citing the global COVID-19 pandemic as the driving factor.

However, Wheels now understands VinFast is keeping an eye on the local market, saying it "still considers Australia as one of its strategic markets".

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After establishing itself in its local Vietnam, VinFast has pinned its hopes of becoming a world-leading electric vehicle manufacturer in the North American market, announcing an aggressive launch later this year – which will include five SUVs for the US.

At present, VinFast only manufactures its EVs for left-hand-drive markets, ruling out countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom for its immediate expansion.

The manufacturer is expected to become one of the first EV-makers to adopt solid-state batteries, having announced an investment and partnership with ProLogium to develop and utilise the revolutionary battery tech in its models from 2024.

Stay tuned for updates from Wheels on what VinFast's future plans hold for Australia.