VinFast has taken a significant step toward affordable autonomous mobility, announcing a strategic partnership with Israeli AI company Autobrains to co-develop advanced self-driving technology and a new low-cost “Robo-Car” architecture. The collaboration aims to bring higher levels of autonomy to mass-market electric vehicles rather than premium models only.
Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop L2++ autonomous driving systems for future VinFast electric vehicles. VinFast’s current models, including the VF 8 and VF 9, already feature Level 2 driver-assistance capabilities, but the upgraded L2++ system is now in pilot testing and expected to roll out more broadly across VinFast’s lineup over time.
The partnership also introduces what the companies describe as a first-of-its-kind “Robo-Car” system — an AI-based autonomous vehicle architecture designed to make self-driving technology cheaper and more scalable. Unlike most advanced autonomous systems that rely on expensive LiDAR sensors, radar arrays, and high-definition maps, VinFast and Autobrains’ approach uses only seven standard cameras and a compact high-performance computing chip capable of processing around 20 trillion operations per second.
The system is powered by Autobrains’ Agentic AI architecture, which is designed to interpret real-time driving situations more efficiently while reducing computational load and hardware costs. It also integrates Autobrains’ Air-to-Road localization, a camera-based mapping method that combines live visual data with satellite imagery, eliminating the need for pre-mapped HD road data.
VinFast and Autobrains are currently testing the Robo-Car in controlled areas in Hanoi, with plans to expand trials to larger Vietnamese cities and eventually international markets.
Prof. Nguyen Van Duong, VinFast’s Global Deputy CEO and head of its ADAS/AD Research Institute, said the partnership aligns with VinFast’s goal of democratizing autonomous technology.
We aim to move advanced driving technology from early adopters to everyday drivers,” he said, adding that VinFast wants autonomy to be “safe, affordable, and available to all.
Autobrains CEO Igal Raichelgauz said early tests show the Robo-Car performing confidently in real traffic, marking “meaningful progress” toward widespread autonomous mobility.
The announcement comes as VinFast accelerates its global expansion, increasing production capacity, broadening its EV portfolio, and deepening partnerships with international technology firms. The company is expanding across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia while positioning itself as a major player in the global electric vehicle market.
