The VinFast VF 9 Owner Who’s a Self-Proclaimed ‘Proud VinFan’: Choosing Patriotism Over Luxury, He Believes It’s ‘Not Perfect But Worth It’

As the founder of the “VF9 Brothers Club,” Nguyen Duc Tuan, or Tora Nguyen as he is known, has had extensive experiences not only with the VF9 but also with many other VF9 users across Vietnam. Tuan, a 90’s-born businessman with almost 20 years of living, studying, and working experience in Europe, is one of the organizers of a cross-country trip with nine VF9s in July and is planning a grand event with the participation of 333 VF9s in Hanoi this August.

With a background of owning luxury cars and living in Europe for so long, we were curious about his reason for choosing VinFast as his first car in Vietnam instead of a luxury or European brand.

Hello, with that many years of living in Europe, why did you choose VinFast for your first car when you returned to Vietnam?

My family and I tend to favor Vietnamese products. During my time abroad, I always craved a bowl of Vietnamese pho, local food, or a cup of G7 coffee. When I returned to Vietnam, I wanted to support local products. For example, I wear Biti’s shoes, and I even hunted for the Biti’s Hunter shoes endorsed by Son Tung.

When VinFast first unveiled their Lux concept cars, I was still riding a motorcycle. However, I knew that if I ever had the means to buy a car for myself, I would choose a Lux. Later, I purchased the Lux SA2.0 as my first car, and I still own it today. My second car is this VF9.

If we only consider the aspect of supporting Vietnamese products, it’s understandable to buy a shirt or a pair of shoes to show your patriotism. However, with a high-value vehicle like the VF9, there must be more to the story than just patriotism, right?

I often joke with other VF9 owners that VF9 owners must have an extremely stable mentality. The decision to buy a Vietnamese car in this price range goes against social prejudices and even family objections.

If we only consider the price and specifications on paper, the VF9 is undoubtedly attractive. The Lux SA2.0 is also a great car because it shares the same platform as BMW vehicles. After experiencing the Lux SA2.0 for some time, I gained confidence in the quality of VinFast cars and their after-sales service, so I wanted to continue using their products.

Personally, I’m a car enthusiast, so I did thorough research on VinFast electric vehicles through the VF e34 model. I felt that I had enough knowledge to use a new electric car like the VF9, so I was ready to be a pioneer and placed an order.

There is a segment of people on social media who believe that early adopters are like “guinea pigs.” What do you think about this opinion?

In addition to the term “guinea pig,” I’ve also seen people use the term “Vin slave.”

In our group, there is a successful businessman named Hai who owns several VinFast cars—if I remember correctly, he has four. I really like what he said: “Don’t call me a Vin slave because I am much more than that.”

I feel the same way. Currently, my two children attend VinSchool, my parents are regular customers of Vinmec, and our family lives in Vinhomes. When choosing products from a local brand, I carefully consider whether the money I spend is worth the quality I receive. So far, I believe these decisions have been right.

They may call early adopters like me “guinea pigs” or “Vin slaves,” but it’s clear that what we get as pioneers cannot be found in any other car brand. For example, at the time I purchased the VF9, VinFast offered two vouchers for luxury resorts worth up to hundreds of millions of VND. My family has used one, and we were very satisfied. Soon, we will be visiting Vinpearl Nam Hoi An.

No other car brand would “pamper” their customers as much as VinFast does, offering free 24/7 roadside assistance. Recently, VinFast even provided VF9 owners with two years of free charging. These customer appreciation policies are unique to VinFast. I am pleased to be a pioneer.

Regarding the experience of being a pioneer, some people believe that VinFast electric vehicles initially had many issues, and the charging infrastructure was not as convenient as it is now. Is that the case for you?

In terms of charging infrastructure, it’s very convenient for me. I live in Vinhomes Ocean Park, an urban area with a well-invested charging system. There are plenty of 250 kW, 60 kW, and 11 kW charging stations. I have three options for daily charging: fast, normal, and slow charging, so I can choose whatever suits my needs.

Even when traveling long distances, there’s nothing to worry about. Not long after receiving my car, I joined a cross-country trip with a group of VF5 Plus and VF8 owners. More recently, nine of us VF9 owners traveled across the country, covering approximately 5,500 km in 14 days, without any charging issues. Many people wonder about charging times. My rule is to charge the car during “dead time,” so using an electric car is as convenient as using a gasoline car.

As for issues, I believe many people confuse virtual and real problems. A virtual problem occurs when you turn off the car completely and then turn it back on, after which the problem disappears. A real problem persists even after turning the car back on. Most of the issues people encounter are virtual.

Virtual problems can result from a weak battery, which can be due to how the owner uses the car. In the previous software version, if you kept the habit of engaging the fake seatbelt lock, the car would detect a person sitting inside and remain active, with some power-consuming features remaining on for safety reasons, leading to a drained battery and an inability to start the car.

Additionally, I often charge at 11 kW stations instead of only using high-power stations. This charges not only the battery but also the car’s battery. When the battery is fully charged, you won’t encounter certain virtual problems, and the 360-degree camera also works faster when the battery is sufficiently charged.

When I use the VF9 with the mindset of an electric car user, not carrying over habits from gasoline cars, I never encounter virtual problems.

In the past, we used to advise each other to keep a 10mm wrench in the car. I also have one in my car, but I’ve never had to use it, and the plastic wrap is still intact. The important thing is to understand how to use the car as I mentioned to avoid virtual problems and not have to disconnect the battery with a wrench.

Because many people misunderstand, I created the “VF9 Brothers Club” as a platform for experienced owners like myself to share and support new owners. When people understand how to use electric cars, they will overcome the initial barriers of getting used to an electric car and realize that the VF9 is extremely reasonable for its price. We even joke that the VF9 offers “lots of meat for little money.” In fact, I find the VF9 to be a bargain considering its equipment and experience.

I also appreciate VinFast’s continuous software updates to improve the car. The recent 8.7.1 update is quite complete, in my opinion, not only fixing some minor issues but also improving the audio and air conditioning systems. VinFast even facilitated an upgrade of the heat exchanger in my car, making it cooler than some gasoline cars I’ve test-driven.

When my fellow VF9 owners and I discover a software issue, we compile them and report them to VinFast’s customer care center. Their programming team immediately addresses them. The software updates have completely resolved the issues we’ve encountered.

After more than a year of use, especially with the recent 5,500 km cross-country trip, how would you evaluate your experience with the VF9? Compared to gasoline or luxury cars you’ve driven, what sets the VF9 apart?

I often joke with my friends that if someone complains about the VF9 after a long-distance trip, they probably really dislike VinFast. When traveling long distances, the VF9 is an extremely stable car.

The VF9’s power, compared to gasoline cars, is probably comparable to V8 engines like the President. I don’t own a President, but I’ve had the opportunity to drive one. With such powerful engines, it’s challenging to control the speed, and the car tends to lunge forward. With the VF9, it’s powerful yet easy to control, and it’s lighter to drive. If you set it to Eco, the car drives calmly. Switch to Sport mode, and a gentle pedal will already give you a