Vinfast EVs: Pickup concept, $20,000 VF 3 mini-SUV, e-bike all bow at CES

Before the second effort from Vinfast, the larger three-row VF 9, has even gone on sale, the Vietnam-based automaker is already focusing toward an onslaught of future vehicles and concepts. 

Vinfast introduced a trio of future and potential products at CES in Las Vegas this week, including a fully electric pickup concept, a stylish electric bike, and a seriously small VF 3 electric SUV.

For all three of these models—especially the VF 3—there’s simply nothing like them on the market right now. And perhaps it’s a better bet to build a brand, rather than on the unfinished VF 8 electric crossover that has arrived to compete with a robust set of rivals from Tesla and legacy automakers alike. 

VF Wild: Tacoma-sized, but electric

The pickup concept, called VF Wild, is what the company describes as a “first attempt for a pickup truck,” aiming toward a wider product range for the company. 

VF Wild was developed in Australia—as a joint effort between Vinfast and the Australian design studio GoMotiv. The design boasts a “Fluid Dynamism” aesthetic that Viinfast claims is “inspired by the flowing motion of a superhero’s cape in the wind.”

By American standards, the VF Wild is neither a compact truck nor a full-size one, and it most closely compares to the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, or now-mothballed Lordstown Endurance. Its overall length is 209 inches, while it’s 79 inches wide, and a power-folding midgate system allows the rear seats to fold down automatically and essentially expand the usable bed length from 5 feet to 8 feet—providing what it says would be the largest bed in its segment. The cabin incorporates a panoramic glass roof, as well as a different layout and look versus the brand’s crossovers. 

Vinfast didn’t offer much detail yet about the truck in terms of propulsion or performance, but based on how open it was about showing off the functional interior and midgate, plus the company’s bullish approach and pickups as baseline for America, it looks likely.

Is there a market for a $20,000 electric SUV?

Take the VF Wild’s five feet of cargo bed and subtract it from its length and you still end up with a longer vehicle than the tiny VF 3 electric SUV that also bowed at CES. 

The VF 3 is the one of the three that isn’t actually a global debut at CES—it bowed six months ago in Vietnam—but it does kick off the global launch of the model. It’s very tiny by American standards, sized closely to the Suzuki Jimmy—the descendant of the original Suzuki Samurai—and it measures just 126 inches long, 66 inches wide, and 64 inches high.

The company hasn’t yet confirmed whether the VF 3 is U.S.-bound but hinted it may depend on safety regulations and performance. If it is offered Stateside, executives have pointed to a starting price under $20,000. The company will start accepting reservations for this model in 2024, but it notes that arrival timing, pricing, and more are yet to be disclosed. 

Vinfast wouldn’t yet let people sit in the prototype on display at CES, but it is a two-door four-seater with folding rear seats and an interior that follows a minimalist approach—although the rear seats do fold down to expand cargo capacity to 19.4 cubic feet. A 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The company claims a target estimate of more than 125 miles of range from a small lithium-ion battery pack—size yet undisclosed.

Vintage-themed, data-connected e-bike

The third new vehicle on display from Vinfast, an electric bike called the Drgnfly, seemingly fit right between the two as a lifestyle accessory. It was designed by the Danish design studio Eskild Hansen and is said to combine vintage influences from “the golden era of motorcycles” with a commitment to sustainability—and an elongated, V-shaped frame evocative of a dragon. The battery is integrated within the frame and allows up to 63 miles of range, and it’s supplemented by a 750-watt motor allowing up to 28 mph.

Very much pitched as a lifestyle model rather than basic mobility—in the same school as the Honda Motocompacto, perhaps—the Drgnfly will have its own 4G embedded data connection, GPS-based remote locking and locating, data and diagnostics features, over-the-air updates, and a coordinated smartphone app. is due to launch first in the U.S., prior to other global markets. These two smallest products are priced aggressively. The Drgnfly launches at a price of $2,800, including a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty. 

Vinfast confirmed last month that in the U.S. it plans to pivot to a dealer model, with franchise dealerships to be responsible for repairs, maintenance, and parts support for the vehicles it sells. With a wide range of models suggested by these debuts at CES, it appears there might soon be a lot more for them to get excited about.