A little more than a month after its announcement, VinFast Indonesia launched its first model in the archipelago. The VinFast VF e34 is the Vietnamese automaker’s first battery electric vehicle (BEV) and Indonesia marks the right-hand drive debut of this young 6-year-old company.

The VF e34 starts from IDR 315 million (~RM 94k) but this price does not include the battery. Just like in its home market as well as overseas like North America and Europe, VinFast employs a unique battery subscription policy for customers.

The idea is to help reduce upfront purchase costs as battery replacement is the most expensive part of BEV ownership. VinFast’s solution removes the customer’s concern over battery costs and they would simply swap the old battery for a new one when its performance drops.

Also read: Vietnam’s first EV – VinFast VF e34 goes on sale, RM 125k but batteries not included

VinFast Indonesia offers two subscription plans for customers:

• IDR 1.5 million (RM 446) per month for up to 3,000 km
• IDR 2.6 million (RM 773) per month for distances over 3,000 km

The Vietnamese carmaker claims that the combined cost of the battery subscription and charging remains significantly lower than operating a petrol-powered car in the same segment.

As part of the subscription, VinFast will maintain and replace the battery free of charge if the capacity falls below 70%. The VF e34 also comes with the company’s standard 10-year vehicle warranty.

In the Indonesian press release, the VinFast VF e34 is described as a “C-segment” but based on dimensions, it is closer to the Proton X50 in the B-segment. The electric SUV has a front-mounted electric motor (150 PS/242 Nm) that is juiced up by a 42-kWh battery pack and has a range of 318.6 km (NEDC).

VinFast Indonesia claims that it takes 27 minutes to charge from 10% to 70% but there is no mention of the DC fast charging output.

The Indo-spec VF e34 comes standard with a 10-inch portrait-style touchscreen infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay, a rotary-style gear selector, and 6 airbags. The first batch of the VF e34 is expected to be delivered to Indonesian customers in the second quarter of this year.

Also read: Vinfast expands into Indonesia with 6 models - first RHD market, CKD with plans to export to Malaysia ongoing

2024 is expected to be an ambitious year for this young Vietnamese automaker with 50 countries targeted for expansion within this year. Besides Indonesia, VinFast is looking to launch in India, Thailand, and the Philippines as well as the Middle East and Africa.

The Vietnamese BEV maker is looking to set up a plant in Indonesia which will serve as a production hub for right-hand drive markets in Southeast Asia. VinFast is also looking to enter Malaysia though a definite timeline has not been outlined just yet.

Also read: Vietnam's Vinfast EVs on their way to Malaysia, set to be imported from carmaker's upcoming Indonesian plant