Japanese-made amphibious vehicles to enter Vietnam
Car dealers say they are preparing to distribute amphibious vehicles made in Japan, though they are unsure about domestic demand.
 |
| Funai plans to bring Fomm Concept One to Vietnam |
The vehicle operates normally in a submerged environment. It has a compact design with four seats and can run 160 kilometers for every charge and reach the speed of 80 kilometers. The selling price is 9,800 euros, or VND250 million.
Nguyen Quang Toan from Dai Thinh said on Dat Viet that many car dealers had heard about the plan and were enthusiastic about the product.
“Hanoi is a city of floods. Vu Trong Phung and Le Van Luong streets in Thanh Xuan district suffer the most,” he said.
Dai Thinh has two car showrooms in the area which also provide repair and maintenance services. Workers are often busy at full capacity when it rains.
More flooded spots have appeared in Hanoi in recent years. This is attributed to the high density of population and number of high-rises, which puts pressure on the water drainage system.
“I think the demand for amphibious cars will be high from Hanoians. The car not only can go through water, but is also an electric vehicle, so it is friendly to the environment,” Toan said.
Another car dealer said the Japanese cars would attract high income earners. Most of the buyers have petrol-run cars, but they will buy electric vehicles as well.
“The car is small and economical,” he said.
Nguyen Phuoc, the owner of the auto showroom on Vo Duy Ninh street in Binh Thanh District in HCM City, said the area floods every time when it rains or high tide rises.
“Nguyen Huu Canh and Me Linh streets have been suffering from floods for many years and the problem still cannot be settled,” Phuoc said, adding that the demand would be very high in Vietnam, especially in HCM City.
Meanwhile, other dealers said they were not sure about the demand. Duong Minh Truong, the owner of a used-car shop on Nguyen Chanh street in Hanoi, doesn’t think the sales would be high.
“Its appearance is not good, and the selling price is not low enough,” he said, adding that with the cost price of VND250 million, the selling price in Vietnam would be no less than VND350 million. Meanwhile, it cannot go fast and travel long distances.
