Vietnam’s VinFast hires former Ebusco Patrick Oosterveld and enters European e-bus market… starting with Busworld

Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast is set to present its new line of electric buses at Busworld Europe 2025 in Brussels, marking the first step of the company’s expansion into the European public transport market. What is quite interesting, as reported on German trade media omnibus.news and publicly available on Linkedin, VinFast has appointed Patrick Oosterveld, coming from Ebusco (before BYD) as Director of Sales eBus for the Netherlands.

The first electric buses with VinBus’ logo had been launched in Vietnam (Vinhomes Ocean Park, Gia Lam) in April 2021. In late 2022, the Asian Development Bank awarded $135 million financing to VinFast for e-buses and charging stations. Earlier this year, in March 2025, VinFast partnered with DHL Supply Chain to establish a centralized spare parts hub in Holtum (Born), the Netherlands. As reported, the collaboration ensures delivery of Vehicle Off Road (VOR) parts across Europe in under 24 hours, supporting VinFast’s customer-first approach. The move strengthens the company’s service infrastructure ahead of its continued expansion in Europe.

VinFast, one step back…

VinBus is a subsidiary of Vingroup and was established in September 2019. The company is focused on e-bus deployment, where the e-buses are to be produced by VinFast, another subsidiary of the same group, in Vietnam. The launch of this new Vingroup venture was accompanied with the announcement of plans for 3,000 e-buses in the country.

VinFast enters the European bus market

The manufacturer, which apparently is beginning its European activities under VinFast (not VinBus) brand, also plans to mirror the aftersales approach used in its passenger car division. European bus customers will have access to a dedicated service network, supported by a mobile app and multilingual support team. Maintenance and emergency assistance will be available through certified partners operating to factory standards.

The bus news from VinFast should reportedly be a 12-meter model powered by Siemens technology. The brand emphasises full vertical integration, from battery manufacturing to final assembly, and aims to enter five EU markets by 2026.

Pricing and detailed specifications—such as battery configuration and range—will be revealed closer to the Busworld Europe exhibition. However, as Oosterveld noted, the price point is expected to make a strong impression in the European marketplace. In addition, VinFast is preparing a new offering for the midi electric bus segment, with further information to be announced later in the year.

VinFast e-bus for the local market?

VinFast had so far developed an electric bus model tailored for Vietnam’s public transport system under the VinBus brand. Manufactured in Haiphong, this zero-emission vehicle features a 281 kWh battery, offering a range of up to 260 km on a single charge and requiring just two hours for full recharging. Designed to reduce noise and air pollution in urban areas, the VinBus is part of a broader strategy to modernize Vietnamese public transport through smart, sustainable mobility. The vehicle is equipped with advanced passenger conveniences such as free Wi-Fi, entertainment screens, USB chargers, and real-time stop displays, along with a comprehensive safety suite including driver behavior monitoring and 360° camera coverage. As part of its commitment to green infrastructure, VinFast has partnered with Star Charge to develop ASEAN’s largest electric bus charging network, supported by solar-equipped depots and smart IoT-based energy management systems.