After some slight delays in rollout to improve their vehicles, VinFast has officially broken into the North American market with the first deliveries of their VF 8 electric SUV. Forty five examples were delivered to customers in California, spanning nine of their dealerships across the state. The Vietnamese automaker originally planned to have 21 more showrooms in California by the end of 2022, but their plan went awry.
Last December, all 999 units of the VF 8 City Edition were exported to the U.S. from their origin of manufacture in Vietnam, with deliveries to continue from this initial 45, though VinFast hopes to eventually open up a production plant in North Carolina that will supposedly be able to produce as many as 150,000 vehicles per year. The factory, a $2 billion investment which recently got approved for construction, will also supposedly be able to begin pumping out these vehicles as early as 2024.
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Originally slated to have a meager maximum range of 179 miles (288 km) in the City Edition Eco, the VF 8 has since received a software update increasing that figure to 207 miles (333 km). That’s a substantial improvement, but the SUV still lags behind in a segment where most of the competition is achieving 300 miles (483 km) if not more. Pricing for the VF 8 has also been tweaked, with VinFast bringing the cost of the City Edition Eco to $399 per month with $5,174 down and the cost of the City Edition Plus to $513 per month with $5,413 down.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the powertrain range. The VF 8 City Edition Eco features a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, which produces a respectable 349 hp (354 PS / 260 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. This allows for a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of around 6.5 seconds. The City Edition Plus also features a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup, but its upgraded running gear allows for an increased output of 402 hp (408 PS / 300 kW) and 457 lb-ft (619 Nm) of torque. While this does slash the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time down to 5.5 seconds, it also has the same effect on the range, which drops to 191 miles (307 km).
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Regarding the milestone of breaking into the North American market, Gareth Dunsmore, VinFast Deputy CEO, Global Sales & Marketing said: “The event drew tremendous attention from our U.S. consumers. It’s extremely gratifying in fulfilling our delivery promise and to witness the excitement our customers have for the VinFast brand. This is a great moment for all of us and more motivation to continuously strive to exceed the expectations of our valued customers.”