Recently, Vietnamese EV manufacturer VinFast signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government, which was swiftly followed by a ground-breaking ceremony for a 400-acre EV manufacturing plant at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu on February 25th, 2024.

Now, the company has registered a design patent for one of its electric scooters in India. Incorporated in 2017, VinFast is best known for its premium electric cars, but the company also has a range of electric scooters on sale in its home market.

One of those scooters is the Klara S, for which the company registered a design trademark in India. The Klara S has a hub motor (1.8kW nominal power, 3kW peak power) and claims a top speed of 78kph, which is similar to the popular TVS iQube.

The difference is that the Klara uses an LFP battery instead of Li-ion and has a capacity of 3.5kWh. The company claims a range of 194km with a 65kg rider at a steady 30kph. LFP batteries are heavier than Li-ion, but VinFast has managed to keep weight down to 122kg.

Klara S gets a 14-inch front wheel as well as front and rear disc brakes. Boot size is 23 litres and the company claims a low 760mm seat height. It is priced at the equivalent of Rs 120,000 (US$ 1,425) in Vietnam, and it remains to be seen what kind of pricing the company can achieve in India if they do intend to launch this product here.