Vietnamese company VinFast is eager to prove that it can do what the Chinese automakers promised but could never deliver (bring affordable EVs to our shores.) The firm is very serious about this and, on the heels of an IPO and confirmation of its first North American plant, has now confirmed pricing for the VF 8 and its corporate sibling, the VF 9.
A VinFast For Any Taste
The VF 8 and the VF 9 are very distinctive offerings, and they will make each appeal to unique customer niches. The smaller 8 is, the sportier-looking one and comes with a more athletic profile to help it stand out in the CUV segment. It will also be the more affordable of the bunch, with buyers getting to choose from either a base Eco or the quicker Plus model. We have included a rough pricing chart below, but it’s unknown if it includes destination fees.
- Eco (260 miles) $40,700
- Eco (292 miles) $41,000
- Plus (248 miles) $47,700
- Plus (277 miles) $48,000
The 9, in contrast, uses a boxier layout that has ties to traditional SUVs, and it will also be the current range-topper in the corporate family. We have also included pricing for that model in the chart below.
- Eco (272 miles) $55,500
- Eco (369 miles) $56,000
- Plus (262 miles) $60,500
- Plus (360 miles) $61,000
At launch, the shorter-range models will be available first, but look for the longer-range models to eventually come once the two have a chance to establish themselves in the marketplace.
Battery Leasing A Novel Idea
An unusual tactic that VinFast is employing versus its rivals is a battery leasing plan with the cost of the batteries being part of a separate subscription plan versus being lumped into the final price of the vehicle.
A key benefit here is that the batteries have a lifetime warranty, and the cost of a replacement pack will not be given to the customer. There are two plans here (Fixed and Flexible), with both being tied to how often the model in question will be driven and how many miles will be racked up. Fixed has rates of $110 and $160 per month for VF 8 and VF 9, respectively.
Flexible has rates of $35 and $44 per month depending on the model, with owners getting 310 miles of driving range. Go over that, and you’ll pay a small overage fee of $0.11 per mile for the 8 and $0.15 for the 9.
For those that prefer the traditional way of buying, VinFast will also have the option of a non-subscription experience but stopped short of revealing when that would be happening.
When Can I Buy One?
VinFast is currently taking pre-orders for the VF 8 and the VF 9 now, and the first few models will be reaching our shores later this year. The longer-range variants will come shortly after that, along with a smaller VF 7 model. However, VinFast has not revealed too many details on the latter, and we get to wait a bit to get the full story on that one.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.