VinFast has delivered the first 100 VF8 electric SUVs to customers in its home market of Vietnam before the start of international deliveries in December 2022.
The first VF8 customer vehicles were delivered on September 10 during an event held at the VinFast manufacturing complex in Hai Phong, Vietnam. The first 100 customers to take delivery of VinFast VF8 EVs are those who made the earliest reservations.
The event was livestreamed globally as it marked the official release of Vietnam's first global smart electric car, which is ready to enter big markets including the United States, Canada and Europe soon.
Following the initial deliveries in Vietnam, VinFast plans to export the next batch of approximately 5,000 VF8 SUVs to the US, Canada and Europe from November, with the first customers in these countries to get their vehicles as early as December.
"Today's event marks a turning point for Vietnam's auto industry. In this historic moment, we are extremely happy to deliver the first batch of VF 8 all-electric vehicles to our pioneering customers in Vietnam. And very soon, the enthusiasm will be realized by more than 65,000 pioneering customers worldwide."
Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup and Global CEO of VinFast
Gallery: VinFast starts VF8 customer deliveries in Vietnam
In Vietnam, the VinFast VF8 five-seat compact electric SUV comes in two dual-motor AWD versions, the 260-kW (349-hp) Eco and 300-kW (402-hp) Plus, offering driving ranges (WLTP) of up to 260 miles (418 kilometers) and 248 miles (399 kilometers), respectively.
While VinFast launched pre-sales of the VF8 and VF9 exclusively with a battery subscription, the company announced that as of September 1, 2022, it offers customers an option to purchase batteries with cars "to meet the diverse needs of customers."
Customers who made reservations to purchase a VF8 or VF9 before September 1 can keep their original battery subscription option and enjoy a permanent rate for the lifetime of their vehicle, or they can select to purchase the vehicle and battery together.
In the United States, VinFast prices the VF8 from $57,000 with battery included or $42,200 plus monthly battery subscription. The larger, three-row VF9 starts at $76,000 inclusive of battery or $57,500 plus monthly battery subscription.
VinFast says it has almost 65,000 reservations globally for its electric SUVs, and it expects to sell 750,000 EVs per year by 2026. At least 150,000 of them may be built in the United States as the automaker earlier this year pledged to invest $4 billion in a new vehicle assembly plant in North Carolina. The new facility, which has secured $1.2 billion in incentives from North Carolina, should be up and running by July 2024.
