By Tessa R. Salazar
VinFast Southeast Asia’s Filipino CEO, Toti Zara, made it clear to the media in late 2025 that the real disruption in market forces is happening, with or without an invitation. With a proven playbook from Vietnam, unstoppable regional market forces, and an aggressive, consumer-focused business model designed to break every local industry “rule,” battery electric vehicle (BEV) maker VinFast isn’t just asking to join the Philippine market. It’s planning to rewrite it.
This is highly plausible and a logical conclusion. Aside from the fact that Zara is an auto industry veteran with years of experience handling legacy car marques on the international scene, the Philippines has been importing its vehicles from Thailand, Indonesia, and China, among others—all of which are rapidly electrifying. Naturally, the available vehicle supply for the Philippine market will inevitably and aggressively shift to EVs.
The 8 drivers for this “unsettling” trend in the auto industry that favors VinFast are the following:
1) VinFast guarantees 90% residual value in first 6 months. VinFast calls it the Resale Value Guarantee (RVG). To combat the “what’s it worth in 3 years?” anxiety, VinFast offers the RVG program. The claim of guaranteeing “up to 90%” of the car’s value within 6 months is a bold, confidence-building move that effectively removes short-term buyer’s remorse. The RVG program was introduced late last year. Included in the RVG is the offer that VinFast Philippines would buy back the vehicle at 70% of its value after 3 years, effectively eliminating the “zero resale value” stigma, the top argument against Chinese and new EV brands.
“In the industry, the rule was you don’t know the residual value,” quipped Zara during the Jan. 15 thanksgiving party with the media and key opinion leaders at the Palacio de Memoria in Parañaque City, and themed “The Road We Share.”
“At VinFast, we’re rewriting rules… guaranteeing up to 90% residual value for 6 months. And we think that’s a big decision to jump from an internal combustion engine to buy an EV. Is the EV really safe? Do you really save 70% on fuel? Do you really save 70% on maintenance? Is home charging convenient? At VinFast, our answer to that is a resounding yes. And we believe with our program, customers would clearly realize how EVs will be the future of mobility.”
2) More road visibility. As we see VinFast cars on the road (including the Green GSM taxi fleet), VinFast Philippines is scheduled to expand its vehicle portfolio further with larger SUVs (VF 6, VF 7, VF 9), electric scooters, and electric multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) to meet the diverse mobility needs of Filipinos. The VF 6, VF 7, and VF 9 are set to become the company’s core growth drivers in the Philippines, responding to rising demand for spacious, family-friendly electric SUVs designed for both daily commutes and long-distance travel. VinFast also plans to introduce electric scooters and MPVs, further broadening its portfolio to serve a wide range of mobility needs, from urban commuters to growing Filipino households.
3) VinFast expands its ecosystem with more dealerships and service workshops. Supporting this expanded lineup is a growing nationwide retail and service presence. VinFast currently operates 30 dealerships and 34 service workshops across the country and plans to scale this within the year, prioritizing major cities and high-potential regions to make sales and aftersales support more accessible and convenient for customers.
4) More charging infrastructure to support everyday EV ownership. VinFast is targeting to set up 15,000 charging stations in the Philippines.
Zara said: “I’m so excited about the opportunity we could bring to the market given the VinGroup ecosystem. I’m so excited how VinFast, an Asean brand and our own brand, has become number one in some markets and how we’ve surpassed legacy Japanese brands. I’m so excited how VinGroup is now the number one mobility provider in certain markets, surpassing the top brands in Southeast Asia. I’m so excited how V-Green has successfully developed an expansive network with EV charging stations that literally and virtually removed the notion of range anxiety.”
VinFast said that through V-Green, the company is steadily rolling out charging stations across key urban centers and major transport corridors, with further expansion planned for 2026 to support both electric cars and electric two-wheelers. This growing network is aimed at reducing range anxiety and strengthening long-term confidence in EV ownership, ensuring that customers are supported not just at the point of purchase, but throughout their transition to electric mobility.
5) The 10-year battery warranty. While the industry standard holds at 3 to 5 years, VinFast is offering a 6-year vehicle warranty and, more critically, a 10-year warranty for the battery. This is a direct shot at the number one consumer fear: Battery longevity and replacement cost.
6) The service revolution. Zara says VinFast is bypassing the traditional, and often slow, dealer-centric service model. By appointing up to 100 third-party workshops to handle not just periodic maintenance but also warranty repairs, VinFast is making serviceability accessible and convenient, solving a problem that has plagued new brands for decades.
“Aside from the dealerships, VinFast has appointed independent service workshops. Today, customers can go to these independent workshops for maintenance services and, of course, for warranty repairs. It provides unmatched flexibility for the customers. If you combine it with the expanding network of EV chargers, we now offer a 360-degree solution for our B2B clients,” Zara explained.
7) Battery subscription to make EV ownership more affordable. VinFast will unbundle the single most expensive part of the car—the battery. By offering a “battery subscription” program that would charge less than P2,000 a month, VinFast has single-handedly neutralized the high upfront cost of EVs. As Zara noted, this monthly fee is far less than the combined savings on fuel and maintenance. It transforms the EV from a high-capital purchase into a low-cost utility.
8) Vietnam’s national pride combined with Pinoy gung-ho attitude. The Vietnamese are said to be extremely proud of VinFast and view the brand as a symbol of national development and technological ambition, representing the country’s shift from a developing nation to an innovation hub. Being part of VinGroup most likely guarantees VinFast’s competitiveness in the global scene. Zara’s bold move to risk his reputation as a successful Filipino auto industry veteran—with his wealth of experience, confidence, and data-driven approach—will help boost VinFast’s growth in the region further.
“In 2025, we announced that VinFast as a group rolled out 200,000 units globally. All of these are BEVs, and we are now a relevant player in the global BEV market. In the Philippines, as we end the year, we are already selling up to 300 units per month. I can say that we have become a relevant player in the Philippines and amongst the top brands as far as BEVs are concerned,” Zara declared during the media thanksgiving event.
“We are entering 2026 with strong momentum, built on the trust and support we have earned in the Philippines over the past two years. This year is about accelerating, expanding access, strengthening our ecosystem, and making electric mobility a source of confidence and pride for Filipino drivers.”
To know more about VinFast Philippines and its roster of battery electric vehicles, visit its official website https://vinfastauto.ph/en.
Banner image shows, from left, Mr. Will and Ms. Jessica of VinFast Global and VinFast Southeast Asia CEO Antonio ‘Toti’ Zara for the ceremonial toast