A different perspective on Vietnam’s economy and doing business in Vietnam. Make sure to  subscribe.

Category: Cars

Vietnam’s Automotive Industry: Industry Overview 2024

Vietnam’s automotive industry has come a long way as middle-class incomes have grown facilitating a shift from motorcycles to cars. However, the automotive industry in Vietnam can be complex, governed by a patchwork of local regulations and free trade agreements. In light of this, this cheat sheet provides a brief overview of Vietnam’s automotive industry touching on the key points foreign firms should be aware of.

Read More »

VinFast is set to start work on a new 300,000 unit capacity factory in Ha Tinh

This will effectively double VinFast’s production capacity in Vietnam to 600,000 units with its Hai Phong factory reportedly capable of producing 300,000 units a year too. Notably, year-to-date VinFast has sold just 51,000 units, many of which it sold to affiliated company, Xanh GSM. With this in mind, it’s not clear what the business case for a new factory in Ha Tinh might be.

Read More »

Vietnam car sales up 7 percent year-on-year by end October

Passenger cars led the market, with October sales hitting 26,453 units—up 4 percent from the same month last year. This category remains the backbone of Vietnam’s automotive industry, with year-to-date sales reaching 169,363 units. The steady growth highlights a consistent demand for personal vehicles among Vietnamese consumers…

Read More »

Vietnam Car Sales Tracker: October Update [data]

The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association–the VAMA–October sales report has found that vehicle sales of the group’s members jumped about 7 percent compared to September. The jump was across the board with all key segments recording higher sales.

Read More »

Vietnam Mercedes-Benz plant lease extended after months of uncertainty

The joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and local firm SAMCO had requested an extension of its land lease as far back as 2021, however, the request was never actioned due to the aforementioned regulatory challenges (the can was kicked down the road). This came to a head earlier this year, however, when the company said it was considering shutting down its operations in Vietnam altogether as a result of the lolly-gagging…

Read More »

Skoda assembly plant in northern Vietnam almost ready-to-go

A new assembly plant for the Czech Republic’s Skoda vehicles is set to go into operation later this year in northern Vietnam, The Investor is reporting. The plant in Quang Ninh province is 90 percent complete, according to the firm, and began a trial run back in May. Set on 36.5 hectares the factory will add a capacity of 120,000 vehicles a year to Vietnam’s automotive industry…

Read More »

Key Vietnam car maker reports profit fall of 6 percent in first half 2024

From a peak in 2022 of VND 7.4 trillion or US$298.3 million, Thaco has seen its profits continue to fall. This has been attributed to a decline in car sales on the back of broader economic challenges in Vietnam. This is, however, only one part of much bigger changes in Vietnam’s car market as new trade agreements pull down tariffs on imports and trade remedies against cars imported from China into the US and EU see Chinese car makers search for new markets…

Read More »

Vietnam EV maker VinFast delays Thailand dealership launch

Of note, VinFast’s expansion outside of Vietnam has been rife with big announcements that have failed to materialise. Most recently, a factory in North Carolina announced back in 2022 was put on ice this year after the company failed to meet sales targets in the North American market. This fits with a largely rocky market entry in the US, at least partly due to the vastly different auto-market dynamics in Vietnam versus in the United States.

Read More »

Vietnam Mercedes-Benz factory could close altogether on licence extension delays

This challenge looks to stem from regulations that require the Ho Chi Minh City government to reclaim the land at the end of the lease and reassess its use case. Reportedly there is no way around this with the Ho Chi Minh City government asking the national government for assistance. What is perhaps most concerning, however, is that it has been suggested that if the factory were to close it is unlikely to reopen with Mercedes-Benz to be imported instead.

Read More »

What’s Going On with Vietnam’s Car Market in 2024?

Last week, it was announced that Vietnam would once again cut registration fees for locally assembled cars. This is on the back of slower sales of Vietnam-made vehicles which is the result of a much broader rejig of Vietnam’s car market. This article looks at how Vietnam’s car market is changing, what’s making it change, and what might come next.

Read More »

Mercedes Benz plant in Vietnam’s HCMC future uncertain, on extension approval delays

The project was originally approved in 1995 and given a 30 year lifespan. The operators of the plant, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Saigon Transport Mechanical Corporation have requested a five-year extension, however, current regulations dictate that at the end of the licence the land must be reclaimed by the city. There does not appear to be regulatory provisions for an extension without interruption.

Read More »

data sets