Here’s how VinFast PH’s battery subscription plan works

The VinFast brand’s launch in the Philippines was met with a little bit of confusion as the Vietnamese EV brand is offering one of its models, the VF 5, with the option of not having a battery which is obviously an integral part of the vehicle for it to run.

The reason? The brand’s battery subscription program. According to the company, this provides their customers with better flexibility in their vehicle purchase by reducing upfront costs and allowing them to lease the battery from the brand.

With a battery included, the VinFast VF 5 has a suggested retail price of Php 1,191,000. Going for the “no battery” option lowers that to just Php 992,000. 

Different tiers based on monthly driving distance are available for those who will avail of the battery subscription. The first tier and the only one currently available in our market for now costs Php 5,800 for up to 1,500 km of driving per month. Two additional tiers—one for distances up to 3,000 km and another for more, will be offered in the future.

Benefits of the battery subscription program includes the  elimination of the concern of battery degradation, as VinFast takes full responsibility for the battery’s life cycle. Owners will also not need to worry about battery replacement costs as the company will cover these costs if capacity drops below 30%. This adds more savings as EV battery replacements can cost anywhere between 20 to 30% of the vehicle’s value.

EV ownership is already more affordable than ICE vehicle ownership. With the battery subscription program, VinFast Philippines is making it even more affordable in the long run.