VinFast Brings Electric Buses to the US Through a Service-Based Model

VinFast is taking a different route into the American transit market: rather than selling buses outright, the Vietnamese manufacturer will offer them as a bundled service. The company announced at the TRANSform & Expo in Chicago on 6 October 2026 that it will partner with NexMove, a joint venture between Transportation Management Services and Zeem Solutions, to supply electric buses to US operators. Homologated vehicles are expected to arrive starting in the first quarter of 2028.

The arrangement places operational responsibility on NexMove. Each contract combines the vehicle itself with charging infrastructure, maintenance and day-to-day operations, a structure designed to let transit agencies try the product without carrying the full risk of a new platform. NexMove is targeting a 97% uptime commitment as part of the offering. Before certified buses are ready, uncertified demonstration units will be stationed at Zeem’s charging depots so operators can evaluate them firsthand.

VinFast’s bus portfolio is already in motion elsewhere. Roughly 2,000 of its electric buses are in service across Vietnam, where the company handles manufacturing, operations and maintenance in-house. The buses use lithium iron phosphate batteries and support fast charging, and they come with anti-corrosion measures plus camera- and radar-based driver assistance systems.

The tougher challenge lies with public agencies. No US production site has been confirmed, nor have pricing or firm orders been disclosed, and federal regulations will influence how quickly transit authorities can move. Paul Gioupis, Founder and CEO of Zeem Solutions and Co-founder of NexMove, said his team visited VinFast’s manufacturing operations in late July and came away impressed by the number of buses in daily service and the scale and quality of production. He described the product as proven with real operating history, and said NexMove looks forward to working with VinFast toward US manufacturing that satisfies Federal Transit Administration requirements so public agencies can deploy the buses.

The as-a-service approach mirrors a broader trend in fleet electrification, where operators seek to avoid the capital and operational burdens of owning new technology outright. For VinFast, the model offers a way to enter a demanding market gradually while building a track record with US buyers.