VinFast’s bold European strategy sparks European EV adoption
HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 31 May 2024 - A crucial aspect of inspiring confidence in a new brand and in a still-emerging form of propulsion is letting customers know that they are not embarking on the journey alone.
European governments may operate initiatives that range from reducing taxation for EV drivers to providing money-off buying incentives, but offering assurance, guidance, support and peace-of-mind might just become the most important battleground for start-up EV brands seeking to convince conventional motorists to go electric.
New Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, VinFast understands human compulsion and has empathy, sustainability and truly exceptional customer service at its heart. It believes that a competitive advantage lies in its customer-centric philosophy, which successfully runs through every venture operated by parent company, Vingroup. Great pride is taken in the group's ability to continually evolve a five-star service ecosystem as a point of differentiation in the fiercely competitive markets of tourism and real estate.
Naturally, exceptional customer service is at the core of VinFast's European vehicle sales and aftersales support operations, which are based around three pillars: premium quality, competitive pricing and exceptional aftersales. In the German, French and Dutch markets initially, VinFast achieves this through comprehensive in-house competencies as a rapidly-emerging manufacturing hub and a number of carefully-formed strategic alliances with established, household name brands.
The European new car market has evolved rapidly, and VinFast believes, by wrapping customers in a comforting blanket of 360-degree aftersales support, it can offer new car buyers a unique proposition. Through diligent research, thoughtful recruitment and the carefully planned rollout of a comprehensive network, it provides new car-buyers with a worry-free experience.
Recent partnership announcements have supported this ethos and provide weight to VinFast's ambitious goal of adding sustainable fuel to an EV revolution.
For example, VinFast recently partnered with Bosch for the provision of access to over 700,000 charge points across Europe, ensuring that its customers feel clear, confident and robustly supported when considering public charging.
A cooperation with Mobivia, one of Europe's leading automotive repair and maintenance brands, has also been recently announced. This tie-up provides access to a network of 1,200 aftersales service centres across Germany and France, successfully illuminating the path towards zero emissions vehicles.
As a further differentiator, VinFast is also working with DHL in the Netherlands, to ensure spare parts are distributed across Europe within 48 hours. This initiative sets VinFast apart from competitors, with many yet to establish an effective logistics supply chain for their European customers. In a short amount of time, the company has developed a robust supporting infrastructure typically associated with long-established, homegrown automakers.
The partnerships complement VinFast's commitment to easing the process of EV adoption by providing drivers of the VF 8, its first production car to be sold in Europe, with absolute peace of mind. This includes the provision of a market-leading 10-year, 200,000 km bumper-to-bumper warranty, which even covers the 87.7 kWh battery – the unit would be replaced free of charge in the unlikely event that its charge capacity ever dips below 70%.
Charging ahead with a seamless electrification experience
VinFast builds on its successes to establish optimised purchase and aftersales services. For example, the network of charge points available through the Bosch partnership spans 30 European countries and builds on a similar agreement in North America. Bosch aims to have over 850,000 European charge points accessible by the end of 2024.
Ease of access has been carefully considered to meet the varied requirements of every VinFast driver. Customers can locate, connect and pay either through the VinFast smartphone app or via the 15.6-inch HD in-car screen using a simple and intuitive process that has been designed with transparency in mind. In-app easy-to-navigate management options map out charging behaviour so that charge times can be optimised for minimal disruption and cost. If a customer gets stuck, help is only a few taps of a touchscreen away.
VinFast views the partnership as a uniquely best-of-both-worlds scenario: customers can benefit from the innovation of a vibrant, ambitious new vehicle manufacturer with zero ties to legacy technologies, while also leveraging Bosch's established infrastructure and reputation for technology advancement. With the EV charging landscape rapidly evolving, this collaboration ensures that customers remain at the forefront of cutting-edge developments.
To service and protect
VinFast has sought partners who best complement its own competencies and mirror its dedication to customer service in each launch market. Mobivia is another established name that that has been selected to help inspire confidence in VinFast's aftersales support network. The collaboration currently provides customers in Germany and France with a robust repair and maintenance network, while an agreement has been made with leading digital car repair management platform FIXICO to support customers in the Netherlands.
With over 50 years' experience, Mobivia shares VinFast's commitment to placing customers at the forefront and is continually investing in expanding its network and upskilling its technicians. VinFast drivers can access 1,200 Mobivia centres, covering the Norauto, Midas, ATU, Auto 5 and Carter-Cash brands, which when combined with VinFast's own mobile service network and in-store options ensures that a convenient repair or service is always available and nearby. The offering is designed to provide a flexible safety net that is perfectly aligned with each customer's varied requirements.
FIXICO is another organisation that aligns seamlessly with VinFast's dedication to creating a smarter, more efficient and straightforward customer support network, significantly enhancing the body repair process. With a network of over 3,000 repair shops across 10 countries, FIXICO perfectly complements VinFast's robust customer support strategy and ensures that they can quickly find a repair shop when needed.
The importance of customer guidance, nurturing and support is at the heart of VinFast's European arrival. As part of Vingroup, one of the leading private conglomerates in Southeast Asia, which runs schools and universities within its portfolio of properties in Vietnam, it understands that education is a key driver of positive change. VinFast aims to inspire confidence in its brand and in the advanced technology of EVs to accelerate society's transition to zero emissions and to a sustainable mobility revolution.
With that, VinFast has differentiated itself from the more established car makers and from other new brands, and the VF 8 is set to become the forward-thinking driver's first and smarter choice.
Hashtag: #VinFast
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