Connected future

When you visit VinFast’s massive manufacturing complex in Hai Phong, you immediately see Vietnam’s future taking shape. Built in just 21 months, the 335-hectare facility on Cat Hai Island runs with coordination and automation. Aluminum sheets are pressed into panels by high-speed robots, while welding bays glow with precision work. Each part of production is digitally monitored through systems from Siemens and SAP.

Inside this vast space are the VF 3, VF 6 and VF 9 cars we drove later that day. The VF 3 felt light and easy to handle, while the VF 6 has a smooth and balanced drive. The VF 9, a full-size SUV, felt stable and comfortable. 

VinFast belongs to Vingroup, a network that reaches into many parts of Vietnamese life. Its reach includes housing, education, healthcare, energy, and heavy manufacturing through its new business, VinMetal. VinUniversity trains engineers, doctors, and other professionals. Vinmec runs hospitals. Vinhomes builds communities. Vinpearl handles resorts. VinEnergo supplies power. VinBus operates public transport, and VinMetal produces steel components that support the group’s real-estate and automotive ventures.

That broad structure gives VinFast a clear advantage. The company operates not only as a car manufacturer but also as the mobility arm of a larger system that already supports millions of people in Vietnam. During the factory tour, we see the connection between engineering and environmental goals working side by side.

Equipment from leading European manufacturers ensures accuracy at every stage of production, including Schuler and Dürr, ABB robots, and Atlas Copco tools, among others. Every process is built to detect errors early and correct them quickly.

During the conference, I asked Toti Zara, ceo of VinFast Philippines, how the company plans to address the hesitation of Filipino buyers toward fully electric cars. “From January to August this year, around 18,000 electrified vehicles were sold in the Philippines, and most of them were hybrids,” I said. “How do you bridge that gap, or more particularly, how do you persuade Filipino car buyers to go all in on EVs?”

“Accessibility and reassurance,” he said. “We will make EV ownership simpler so buyers do not have to worry about long-term battery costs. We will also work with third-party accredited workshops to make the service more convenient. These steps help reduce risks and clear the doubts that people have about EVs.”

He added that after-sales convenience will play a major role and that financing programs will be introduced to make EV ownership more attainable. 

VinFast’s growth mirrors Vietnam’s determination to build its own mobility industry. Within the Vingroup ecosystem, transportation connects with education and clean energy in a single, organized system. Progress here comes from coordination rather than expansion alone.

Vietnam has built its own path toward sustainable mobility. VinFast has shown that when vision and persistence align, real change can follow. Its story, as it reaches the Philippines, may also influence how our own roads and technology evolve in the years ahead.

Somewhere between Hai Phong’s factories and Philippine roads, the bond between our two nations comes from shared purpose and respect.

The future is electric and connected.