VinFast, a Vietnamese EV startup, announced Friday that three top sales and customer-service executives departed this week.
The ambitious Vietnamese automaker’s management changes continue. VinFast’s first EVs in California, its first outside market, were delayed and expensive.
VinFast told Reuters that Gareth Dunsmore, worldwide sales and marketing deputy CEO, quit “due to personal reasons and we accept his choice.”
VinFast said two additional U.S. leaders, chief marketing officer Greg Tebbutt, and chief service officer Craig Westbrook, resigned due to “changes in the management paradigm and unique business objectives.”
Dunsmore, Tebbutt, and Westbrook were unavailable for comment.
The business, a part of Vingroup JSC (VIC.HM), sent 999 VF8 SUVs from Vietnam to California in November. Still, it took until early this month to prepare them for delivery to consumers after announcing the car’s decreased battery range.
VinFast has begun leasing the first VF8s, renamed the City Edition for the lower range, in California. A longer-range VF8 is expected later this year.
The startup wants to enter the U.S. EV market when Tesla (TSLA.O) and others are lowering prices and releasing new models.
Lucid (LCID.O), Rivian (RIVN.O), and Nikola (NKLA.O) are competing with lower orders, greater financing rates, and more competition.
VinFast combined U.S. and Canadian operations in February, slashing 80 workers, including former U.S. CFO Rodney Haynes.
VinFast terminated its contract with Emmanuel Brett, the former deputy CEO for global sales to Dunsmore, in June. Three additional top executives left at that time.
Comment Template