How Pininfarina & VinFast Created A EV Identity

For decades, vehicle manufacturers have used characteristic front-end design to create distinctive identity in fiercely competitive markets. Trends emerge, styles evolve and factors such as safety have driven a change to the height and design of bumpers, headlights and bonnet line, but manufacturers have remained faithful to elements that have helped to define their brand.

Once a mechanical necessity and conveniently prominent feature with which to establish an instantly recognisable identity, electric vehicles have rendered grille design largely superfluous. With EVs, creating a design identity from scratch is a very different proposition.

In tandem with famed Italian design house, Pininfarina, Vietnamese EV maker VinFast viewed the horizon with far greater positivity. Originally tasked with helping to create a new design language for VinFast’s first appearance ahead of the 2018 Paris Motor Show, the companies’ cooperation has spanned show booths, scooters, buses, interiors and ground-up designs of two stunning new eSUVs, the VF 8 and VF 9. The partnership has transported the pairing on an exciting journey in a turbulent world, leading to a series of firsts culminating in VF 8 becoming the first vehicle to be designed by Pininfarina entirely remotely. The design house employed a mix of digital, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality technologies to bring the visualisation to life.

Clear in its determination to stand out from other Asian brands in European markets, the VinFast brief to Pininfarina was succinct: create a design that reflects VinFast’s values and represents its Vietnamese origins.  

A global vision digitally realised

During VF 8’s early design stages, Covid struck to change the way the world worked. The Pininfarina and VinFast teams had been working closely across several timezones to create a distinct brand identity befitting the vision of VinFast’s chairman, Pham Nhat Vuong. However, a digital process relying on a blend of Virtual and Mixed Reality technologies provided a solution that would help Computer-Aided Styling (CAS) teams overcome the constraints imposed by Covid restrictions.

Identifying an opportunity to optimise workstreams while closely aligning with VinFast teams thousands of miles and several timezones apart, this would be the first time that Pininfarina’s international team would deliver a project created entirely remotely, including through each 2D creative and 3D model stage.

VinFast approached Pininfarina with what the Italian design house refers to as a ‘worldwide vision’ for its cars, seeking a design, quality and powertrain that reflected its global focus. Beauty has been at the centre of the project from the beginning and inspired what has become VF 8’s signature front end.

The V-logo, adorning the front of every VinFast in its growing range and illuminated with vibrant LEDs, was inspired by a vision of Vietnam’s rice fields, waves and the mountain ranges forming the country’s famously picturesque landscape.

The lights wrap fluidly around the front area without the constraints of a design born with ICE underpinnings, leading into an asymmetrical, muscular shoulder line with a striking taper. Beneath this, the curves in the lower body represent the power and energy stored within the batteries, flowing rearwards towards the wheels and providing a feeling of graceful movement.

Universal appeal

The VF 8 has been designed to appeal to everyone, mirroring VinFast’s commitment to making EVs accessible to as many people as possible, with a clear focus on European markets. The elongated tail, for example, hints at a sedan or coupe form while retaining an SUV profile, enhancing a stance that creates a sense of comfort and confidence, without being overtly aggressive.

The same language is successfully interpreted inside the cabin, where Pininfarina has ensured the dashboard area retains clear VinFast DNA. The signature 15.6-inch high definition central screen has been positioned to represent the point of the V-logo. This draws the passengers’ gaze to form a virtual ‘V’ using the front and rear occupants’ eyeline, within an airy space further enhanced by a panoramic roof and subtle ambient lighting.

Pininfarina led on all design aspects of the VF 8 interior, working closely with VinFast to find a balance between soul, character and the seamless integration of infotainment technology. The Italian design team led on contours, colours and material feel for key touch points, identifying complementary seat patterns that would help create an environment to set VinFast apart from other new automakers. VinFast then worked to identify high quality sustainable materials that would reflect the company’s environmental focus without jeopardising its ultimate quest for premium quality and customer satisfaction.

The partners’ journey of innovation, breathing life into a stylish European design using latest VR and CAS technologies, is symbolic of VinFast’s commitment to inspiring change through widespread EV adoption. Combining tradition and cutting-edge technology to create a remarkable all-new eSUV that feels sufficiently familiar to inspire trust, the groundbreaking design process has overcome global challenges to spearhead the distinctive, recognisable face of VinFast’s burgeoning EV model line-up.

Utkarsh Agarwal

BW Reporters The author is the Editorial Lead of BW Auto World