At the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show, Vietnamese automaker VinFast told CarBuzz it would officially start selling cars in the United States.

VinFast will follow through on that promise, as the first batch of vehicles is currently on a ship heading toward a port in California. The first 999 units of the 2023 VinFast VF 8 electric crossover were loaded onto the Silver Queen charter ship and will arrive in the US 20 days after leaving the MPC Port in Haiphong, Vietnam.

This shipment is the first step to fulfill 65,000 global orders for the VF 8 and larger VF 9 EVs. 999 is a small number, but VinFast says it will export more vehicles to the US, Canada, and Europe in early 2023.

"The export of the first 999 VF 8s is a significant event for VinFast and Vingroup and a proud historical milestone for the Vietnamese automotive industry," said Nguyen Viet Quang, Vice Chairman and CEO of Vingroup. "It affirms that Vietnam has successfully produced high-quality standards electric vehicles that are ready to compete in the international market. We hope that, when VinFast's smart electric vehicles roll out on the streets around the world, it will help promote the image of a new, dynamic and progressive Vietnam to the global audience."

The VF 8 will arrive in the US starting at $42,200, putting it in the same category as options like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4. That's the price with VinFast's Battery Subscription Program, though, and the VF 8 will cost $57,000 with the battery. The VF 8 offers up to 292 miles on a charge and up to 402 horsepower.

After the VF 8 goes on sale this year, the VF 9 will arrive in early 2023.

As for the VF 6 and VF 7 revealed in LA, they should arrive later next year, but VinFast did not provide a more concrete timeframe. VinFast says it will open a new assembly plant in North Carolina in July 2024, where it plans to build all four electric crossovers.

Should the Vietnamese automaker have strong sales by then, it may be able to qualify for the federal tax credit of $7,500 by producing vehicles locally. Vinfast's battery leasing program is also a unique selling point and renders one of the main criticisms against EVs moot. There's a general (somewhat unsubstantiated) belief that batteries only last for eight years, after which the entire car has to be scrapped. With Vinfast's battery leasing scheme, owners no longer have to worry about the high cost of replacing an EV or PHEV battery.