BENGALURU, January 27, 2026, 00:47 IST
- VinFast partners with AI firm Autobrains to build low-cost autonomous driving technology, including a “Robo-Car” system
- Upgraded driver-assistance pilots are running on VinFast’s VF 8 and VF 9 models, with wider trials planned
- Camera-first design uses seven cameras and an onboard chip, aiming to avoid costly LiDAR, radar and high-definition maps
Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has partnered with AI firm Autobrains to develop advanced autonomous driving technology, including a low-cost “Robo-Car” system, the companies said on Monday. (Reuters)
The tie-up lands as carmakers try to ship more driver-assistance features without letting sensor and development costs run away. VinFast is looking for a cheaper route after years of costly and delayed self-driving work.
Autonomy has become a cost problem as much as a software race. Finimize said the “Robo-Car” concept tracks Tesla’s camera-heavy approach, betting that more computing can replace pricier hardware and map upkeep. (Finimize)
The companies said they will focus first on improving driver-assistance in upcoming VinFast vehicles, building on its current Level 2 capability. Level 2 means the car can steer and brake or accelerate in certain conditions, but the driver must stay alert and remain responsible. (Investing)
Pilot testing of the upgraded assistance technology is already underway on VinFast’s VF 8 and VF 9 models, with a gradual rollout planned across its lineup. Testing of the “Robo-Car” system is underway in controlled zones in Hanoi, with plans to expand trials to larger cities and overseas markets. (MarketScreener)
VinFast and Autobrains said the longer-term architecture is designed to enable higher autonomy without costly LiDAR sensors, radar arrays or high-definition maps — the detailed road models some systems use to pinpoint a car’s location. Instead, the setup relies on seven standard cameras and a compact, high-performance chip.
The camera-first bet puts VinFast in the slipstream of Tesla’s approach, which has argued that vision and software can do more of the work. The idea remains contentious in parts of the industry, partly because it shifts a lot of safety burden onto perception software.
Autobrains is not new to VinFast. In 2022, when the Israel-based firm raised a Series C round, VinFast deputy CEO Thuy Linh Pham said its technology “holds the promise … to create the paradigm shift,” while chairman Karl-Thomas Neumann called Autobrains “a key player in leading the future of mobility.” (Global Venturing)
But moving from controlled zones to chaotic city streets is where many autonomy projects bog down. Camera-heavy systems still have to handle heavy rain, glare and poorly marked roads, and rules can differ sharply from one market to the next.
For now, the companies are pitching a phased path: stronger driver-assist features first, then wider testing of the Robo-Car concept. The real test will be whether VinFast can validate the software fast enough to deploy it broadly without adding back the cost it is trying to cut.
