A Vinfast showroom in Vietnam (Photo: autodaily.vn)
Accordingly, the car manufacturer, an affiliate of leading private economic comglomerate VinGoup, will open at least 25 VinFast Stores in Germany, 20 in France, and five in the Netherlands, said the Voice of Vietnam.
This announcement was made during the launch of a program aimed at introducing two smart electric vehicle (EV) models, the VF 8 and VF 9, in the European market as part of the International Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition (EVS35) which is underway in Oslo (Norway) from June 11 to June 15.
VinFast said the initial stores in Germany will be located in major cities such as Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Oberhausen, and Hamburg while those in France will be in cities such as Paris, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes, Nice, Montpellier, Aix-en province, and Metz.
In the Netherlands, the first VinFast store is expected to make its debut in the city of Amsterdam.
Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of Vingroup and global CEO of VinFast, said the announcement of the impending opening of VinFast Stores in Europe serves to affirm the enterprise’s full commitment to inspire the transition to EVs in order to secure a green future for everyone.
Thuy emphasised that the company will continue to support customers in making reservations and having the chance to experience the innovative smart features of EVs.
Recently, VinFast also announced details of its battery subscription pricing packages in Germany, France, and the Netherlands with the aim of providing customers with the widest range of options possible.
Most notably, all consumers who purchase the VF 8 or VF 9 in 2022 and 2023 will be able to enjoy a preferential policy of renting batteries for the entire product life cycle. Back in May the company also co-operated alongside the FCA Bank Group in a bid to provide customers with flexible financial support packages.
VinFast pointed out that its privilege scheme had been officially been in use from January and concluded on May 30, receiving roughly 73,000 pre-orders for its EVs from global customers.
As part of efforts to further encourage customers to join the EV transition, VinFast also launched a preferential policy for European customers. Accordingly, customers who order either the VF 8 or VF 9 models from June 1 to September 30 will be able to use the VinFast Smart Driving package free of charge one year.
Furthermore, customers will also get free consultation on how best to use electric vehicles and will be provided with a home delivery service.
Vietnam considers abolishing oil price stabilization fund
The Ministry of Finance has put forward a proposal to abandon the petrol and oil price stabilisation fund in the pricing bill (revised) and is currently gathering public opinions on the matter.
The petrol and oil price stabilization fund has been established in order to support the regulation of domestic petrol and oil prices amidst fluctuations in the global oil market, according to the Voice of Vietnam.
Photo for illustration (Source: laodong.vn)
However, skyrocketing oil prices in the global market over recent months have fueled the retail price of both petrol and oil in Vietnam, with forcing State management agencies to make use of the price stabilisation fund to intervene.
By the end of the year’s first quarter the fund had slipped into a deficit of nearly VND170 billion.
In its proposal, the Ministry of Finance stated that the abolition of the fund would potentially be done in order to help petrol prices be fully regulated in line with the market law of supply and demand.
Dr Bui Trinh, an economic expert, told thanhnien.vn that State management agencies should seek to examine the impact of the petrol price stabilisation fund since its inception before drawing any conclusions.
Dr. Trinh voiced his support for the common view held by other experts that the Government should consider removing the excise tax and environmental protection tax as it seeks to reduce current petrol prices, helping curb inflation and facilitate economic recovery.
Meanwhile, Dr Vu Dinh Anh, economic expert, suggested that the Government move to further reduce the excise tax, value-added tax, and environmental protection tax placed on petroleum.
“Taxes account for nearly 40% of the retail price of every litre of petrol, which is quite high. Therefore, the most suitable solution to lower fuel prices is to regulate and reduce taxes,” he said.
Domestic retail petrol prices hit an all-time high of over VND32,000 per litre on June 13 following an increase of nearly VND1,000 per litre.
VN researcher wins Micromachines 2022 Best Paper Awards
Vietnamese researcher Dr. Le Viet Ha and his associates have won 2022 Best Paper Awards by Micromachines, a peer-reviewed, open access journal on the science and technology of small structures, devices and systems.
Dr. Le Viet Ha and his associates (Photo: Micromachines)
According to the Voice of Vietnam, Dr. Ha is the first author of a research article on a Robotic Biopsy Endoscope with Magnetic 5-DOF Locomotion and a Retractable Biopsy Punch.
Co-authors of the research included Hoang Manh Cuong, Nguyen Kim Tien, Nguyen Van Du, Jayoung Kim, Eunpyo Choi, Seungmin Bang, Byungjeon Kang, Jong-Oh Park and Chang-Sei Kim.
The group of researchers present a novel wireless biopsy CE employing active five-degree-of-freedom locomotion and a biopsy-needle punching mechanism for the histological analysis of the intestinal tract.
A medical biopsy punch is attached to a screw mechanism, which can be magnetically actuated to extrude and retract the biopsy tool for tissue extraction. The external magnetic field from an electromagnetic actuation (EMA) system is utilized to actuate the screw mechanism and harvest biopsy tissue; therefore, the proposed system consumes no onboard energy of the capsule endoscope.
This design enables the observation of the biopsy process through the capsule’s camera.
Dr. Ha is an alumnus of Advanced Program in Mechatronics Engineering of Hanoi University of Science & Technology and former PhD student at Robot Research Initiative of Robotics Research Institute of Chonnam National University in Gwangju, the Republic Korea.
He is currently working as a director of the editorial services department of V-KOOKMIN Joint Stock Company.
The Best Paper Awards aims to recognize published outstanding papers preselected by the Micromachines Editorial Office on the basis of the number of citations and downloads from the website. The winners from the nominations were determined by an awards committee, the Editor-in-Chief, together with the Editorial Office.
Longest banquet table in Asia to be recognized at Hue Festival 2022
Hue Festival 2022, scheduled to take place in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue from June 25 to 30, is expected to set a new record - the longest banquet table in Asia.
According to the Voice of Vietnam, the giant party will be held by Huda Food and Beverage Company (Huda Beer) at Phu Van Lau (Pavilion of Edicts) in Hue City on June 26 and attract around 10,000 people.
810-meter long New-Year banquet in Ho Chi Minh City is recognized as the longest banquet table in Asia in 2020. (Photo: VOV)
Apart from sampling traditional foods, visitors will have the chance to enjoy spectacular light and sound performances that illustrate Hue as an attractive tourist destination.
In 2020, the Asia Book of Record recognized the 810-meter long New-Year banquet in Ho Chi Minh City as the longest banquet table in Asia.
This year, Huda Beer that sponsors Hue Festival 2022 hopes to break that Asian record.
Hue Festival 2022 is set to open at 8 p.m. on June 25 at Ngo Mon Square – the main gate to the Hue Imperial Citadel. Highlights of the festival will be special art performances and Ao Dai (traditional long dress) fashion shows.
The festival which has been postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic will last through to June 30 with a wide range of activities such as a street carnival, a car parade, a folk art programme, and artistic performances showcasing Hue kites.
Vietnam’s Bun Cha featured in Platinum Jubilee Cookbook
Vietnamese dish Bun Cha was proudly listed in the Platinum Jubilee Cookbook in celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on throne.
In celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, 70 British Embassies and High Commissions came together from around the world to introduce recipes to be served during Royal visits.
Bun Cha is featured in the Platinum Jubilee Cookbook in celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on throne. (Photo: British Embassy Hanoi)
Bun Cha (vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs) recipe by Chef Do Thi Hai Ly in the Hanoi-based British Embassy was included in this cookbook, reported by the Voice of Vietnam.
British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward shared in the book, “Bun Cha is the pride of Hanoian cuisine. Neither locals nor visitors can resist the smell of the grill as they walk past the street food stalls. While it tastes best sitting on a low stool on the pavement, this dish is also a regular at the Residence in Hanoi, to set an informal atmosphere for guests, or to give visitors an authentic flavour of the city.”
According to the British Embassy, 100% of royalties from sales of this book will be donated to two charities The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund (PWCF)./.