VinFast teams up with Autobrains to develop low-cost self-driving tech

Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has partnered with artificial intelligence company Autobrains to develop advanced autonomous driving technology, including a low-cost “Robo-Car” system. The collaboration is aimed at accelerating VinFast’s self-driving ambitions while reducing costs by moving away from expensive sensor-heavy approaches.

The partnership will focus on improving driver assistance systems for upcoming VinFast electric vehicles, building on the company’s existing Level 2 autonomy capabilities. Pilot testing of the enhanced technology is already underway on the VF 8 and VF 9 models, with plans to gradually roll out more advanced features across VinFast’s vehicle lineup.

In addition, the companies are exploring a new Robo-Car architecture designed to enable higher levels of autonomy without relying on costly LiDAR sensors, radar systems or high-definition maps. Similar to Tesla’s strategy, the system uses seven standard cameras combined with a compact, high-performance computing chip. Testing is currently taking place in controlled zones in Hanoi, with expansion planned to larger cities and international markets.