VinFast celebrates the arrival of the first electric cars into the United States, sent from Vietnam onboard the Silver Queen Ocean vessel 26 days ago.
The first shipment of 999 units of the VF 8 model is a very important step for the Vietnamese company, which has an ambition to become a global BEV player present also in Canada and Europe.
VinFast says that it already received all of the necessary certifications to sell cars in the US and that the first customer deliveries are imminent - before the end of this month.
All of the cars are VF 8 City Edition - a limited edition for the US - equipped with a driving assist system.
The company promises regular over-the-air software updates and tries to tempt customers by a 10-year warranty for the vehicle, 10-year warranty for the battery (unlimited mileage), and 24/7 emergency roadside assistance during the warranty period.
According to the company's website, the VF 8 5-seat crossover/SUV starts at $59,000 and is equipped with dual motor all-wheel drive powertrain and a 87.7 kWh battery for an EPA range of 179 miles (288 km).
Depending on the trim - Eco or Plus - it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds or 5.3 seconds respectively.
Madam Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup and CEO of VinFast Singapore said:
"Today marks a very important milestone for VinFast. Early this year in Las Vegas, we announced our lineup of all-electric SUVs and made a bold promise to deliver them to the market by the end of 2022. Today, that promise is fulfilled. Starting with this first delivery of 999 VF 8s City Edition, VinFast has made another giant step in its ongoing mission to bring all-electric transportation to everyone.”
The market launch of the VinFast's BEVs in the US is a bit unfortunate in terms of timing because as far as we know, imported vehicles will not be eligible for $7,500 federal tax credit due to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
In the not-too-distant future, VinFast intends to launch also the 7-seat VF 9 model, while a few more (VF 5, VF 6, and VF 7 in the A, B, and C segments) are in the pipeline.
