Vietnam’s EV aspirant is giving big Potemkin village vibes
Idle equipment, absent workers, deserted villages, an empty swimming pool. VinFast is Vietnam’s answer to Tesla, with the goal of making 1 million EVs in the next 5-6 years to sell to customers US, Canada and Europe. With these lofty goals, the company invited a bunch of social media influencers, as well as some auto journalists, on a “a four-day, multicity extravaganza” that seemed more weird than convincing, according to Bloomberg. Guests were treated to a champagne and lobster lunch, but also were left wondering why none of VinFast’s machinery was working. They even got to visit the company’s real estate holdings outside Hanoi, where they were greeted by empty swimming pools, dusty construction equipment, and a library devoid of books.
