Inside VinFast’s Hai Phong bus plant: European-spec EB8 and EB12 under development

VinFast is advancing the development of its European-specification electric buses while expanding production activities at its Hai Phong industrial complex in Vietnam.

Following our previous report on VinGroup ecosystem and VinBus operations in Vietnam, the attention now shifts to the manufacturer’s industrial and engineering operations behind the group’s bus business.

The Hai Phong complex, that we have been visiting last week within a media trip involving European trade outlets, combines passenger car, scooter and bus manufacturing within one of Southeast Asia’s largest automotive industrial sites. Alongside annual production capacity of 300,000 passenger cars and one million electric scooters, VinFast currently states annual bus production capacity at 3,000 units.

VinFast bus production in Hai Phong

Bus manufacturing activities are carried out in a dedicated 50,000-square-meter facility organized into construction, paint and final assembly shops.

Vehicle construction requires approximately seven days, followed by one day for painting and twelve days for final assembly, bringing the total production cycle to roughly 20 days. The plant operates on three shifts and employs around 500 blue-collar workers.

Production activities are distributed across four separate lines dedicated respectively to 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-meter buses. While the domestic Vietnamese product range currently extends up to 10 meters, the 12-meter platform is intended for the European market only. The 6-meter product is the latest added to the Vietnamite range, while development activities are also underway on a new 12-meter coach expected to be launched by the end of 2026, for the domestic market only.

One of the core industrial processes at the site is the cataphoresis treatment system, consisting of nine treatment pools. According to the manufacturer, the complete cataphoresis cycle takes approximately two hours.

VinFast also confirmed that additional manufacturing capacity for bus production is currently under evaluation in Hai Phong as part of the company’s medium-term industrial plans.

European-specification EB8 and EB12 under development

Alongside manufacturing activities, VinFast outlined several technical developments currently underway for the European version of its EB8 and for the EB12 model headed to Europe.

The EB8 will represent a substantially revised version of the 8-meter bus currently operating in Vietnam. While retaining a Low Entry configuration, the vehicle will increase in size, growing from 8.6 to 8.9 meters in length and from 2.40 to 2.47 meters in width.

The internal step located near the central door in the Vietnamese 8-meter bus version will be removed in order to comply with European homologation requirements. Passenger capacity is expected to reach up to 60 passengers, including 34 seated. As with the Vietnamese model, the European EB8 will use Gotion LFP batteries, available in configurations with either eight or ten modules, for amaximum total capacity of 350 kWh. Regarding the powertrain, VinFast stated that the final motor solution is still under evaluation by the company’s engineering department, although the vehicle will adopt a central motor architecture.

The situation differs for the EB12, which as mentioned has no equivalent in the Vietnamese domestic lineup, where city buses currently extend only up to 10 meters. Developed specifically for the European market, the EB12 — already available as a demo vehicle in Europe — will feature the ZF AxTrax 2 electric axle with integrated wheel hub motors, whose production launch is expected in June.

Battery supply will come from CATL, with total capacity reaching up to 422 kWh. For seating, Steyr will serve as the standard supplier, while Kiel will be offered as an alternative. Total passenger capacity is expected to reach 90 passengers.

Back on the domestic market, VinFast states that the 10-meter bus currently represents its highest-volume model in Vietnam, with approximately 500 units sold annually. The 8-meter model ranks second in sales volumes.