VinFast reveals Ford Ranger-sized VF Wild electric ute concept, Aussie DNA included
Vietnamese EV startup VinFast has revealed its VF Wild mid-sized ute concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The Ford Ranger-sized pickup features a ‘midgate design’ tray where the back of the cabin opens up and rear seats fold to allow additional cargo carrying space.
At the reveal no details were shared about battery size, powertrain, range, cost or potential production timing. We can assume it’d be a dual motor all-wheel-drive to live up to its muscular exterior.
READ MORE: VinFast’s VF Wild electric pickup was designed in Melbourne
The rugged-looking and edgily styled VF Wild features strip LED lighting, rear hinge (suicide) doors, all seats on runners, giant flared wheel arches, panoramic sunroof and monitors in the back of highly sculpted front chairs.
Australian designed but is it Australia bound?
The VF Wild was penned by GoMotiv, an independent design studio in Melbourne. Such Australian input gives hope a production version could one day hit our shores to feed a market hungry for electric utes.
The VF Wild’s size makes it ideal for Australians, where our top three best-selling vehicles are all medium utes.
Reports suggest the VF Wild is 5300mm long and 2000mm wide. A Toyota HiLux dual-cab GR Sport 4×4 is near identical at 5320mm x 2020mm, and a Ford Ranger Wildtrak 5370mm x 1918mm.
Such a vehicle would enter a mid-size electric ute playground likely to rapidly expand in coming years.
BYD has already tested its electric ute in Australia, last year Toyota evaluated its HiLux REVO BEV concept on our shores, while Kia’s confirmed an all-electric pickup.
At present, the only full electric mid-size electric ute on sale in Australia is the overpriced, under-gunned LDV e60.
For most Australians, a mid-size electric ute would be more relevant and affordable than full-size electric pickups like the Tesla Cybertruck and Ford F-150 Lightning.
What is VinFast?
VinFast was established in 2017 by Vietnam’s richest man, Pham Nhat Vuong, who is head of the giant VinGroup.
Heard of them before? VinFast created and then shut an engineering outpost in Port Melbourne between 2019 and 2021, but not before buying the former Holden Lang Lang proving ground in 2020. Less than a year later Lang Lang was back on-sale, although it has yet to find a buyer.
VinFast launched into California in 2023 with the large VF 8, using a Tesla-like direct to customer retail model. However, the VF 8 has not been well received in American reviews.
The brand’s VF 7 mid-size SUV (think Toyota RAV4 dimensions) went on sale in Vietnam last year.
At CES 2024, VinFast announced its titchy 3175mm (shorter than a Mitsubishi i-MiEV) VF 3 electric SUV would go on sale in America.
Sadly, like the VF Wild, no details on pricing, battery, powertrain or range, but orders books will apparently open this year.
VinFast is publicly traded on the US NASDAQ and has plans for an assembly plant in North Carolina to open in 2025.
According to a Reuters report, VinFast sold around 13,000 units globally in the second and third quarter of 2023, more than half of them to an affiliate company owned by its founder.
No announcement has been made about potential VinFast sales in Australia.
