Vietnamese electric-vehicle maker VinFast, which made a splash this week when its shares debuted on the Nasdaq, has stirred a mix of caution and interest among dealers with a recent change in how it will distribute its cars in the U.S. market.
The carmaker, which has shipped nearly 3,000 vehicles to North America since late last year, said on Tuesday it was changing its distribution model, which has been based on Tesla Inc.'s direct-to-consumer approach.
Now it wants to sell through dealers as well.
Several U.S. dealers contacted by Reuters are open to the idea, but said they need to hear more details about VinFast's plans, including sales strategy, requirements for dealers, the company's parts distribution plan and the vehicle warranty.