VinFast expected to sell a VF 8 Eco with 260 miles of range for $41,200 after a $1,200 destination fee, and a VF 8 Plus with 277 miles.
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From the outside looking in, it appears VinFast has successfully hit its target delivery date at a customer failure price. The young automaker has said repeatedly this year that it plans to offer the first examples of its versatile battery-electric VF 8 to bookers before 2022 is out. The Silver Queen freighter left Vietnam in late November, and the 999 VF 8 disembarked at Benicia Port, north of San Francisco, in December. Then ol' switcheroo came along. Each unit aboard the freighter was a previously unheard of "Limited Edition" version called the City Edition intended for "VinFirst Pioneer customers only," a first among bookers. In a letter to waiting shoppers, VinFast said the "early City Edition [was] to satisfy demand of VinFast car enthusiasts" and offer a range of "approximately" 180 miles instead of the 260-mile range promised in April of this year.
The City Edition's smaller range comes courtesy of a smaller 82kWh battery instead of the 87.7kWh battery in the series-production VF 8. The bad news continues, with retailer VinFast claiming EPA-stated 179 miles, not 180. The January OTA update will improve the range, but it didn't specify how much.
The automaker also delayed its battery subscription program that would have cost $169 per month for the VF 8 and give customers unlimited miles. The relevant page on the retailer's website now says, "At this time all vehicles including the battery are sold or leased," and the vehicle's warranty runs for 10 years or 125,000 miles. With a one-time subscription touted as a way to save money on rental or ownership, its end could help explain why series-production models have higher prices. In April, VinFast expected the VF 8 Eco with 260 miles of range to sell for $41,200 after a $1,200 destination fee, and the VF 8 Plus with 277 miles of range to cost $49,200. Now, the City Edition Eco starts at $56,700, the City Edition Plus starts at $63,700, and the base VF 8 Eco starts at $60,200.
For comparison, the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium with e-AWD and standard battery with a range of 224 miles starts at $58,975, if you can find one.
VinFast offered the VinFirst Pioneers a $6,000 total discount for switching to the City Edition, but it's possible that the number of affected bookers forced a change of strategy. Instead of the letter emphasizing that the model was only for early adopters, the VinFast retail site now displays a pop-up offering a 24-month lease for Californians who want the City Edition. With a $5,774 accrual when signed, the City Edition Eco will cost $599 per month and offer 10,000 miles per year. The 36-month rental offer requires $6,869 and $574 per month. City Edition Plus costs $6,789 when you sign up, then costs $699 per month for 10,000 miles per year for 24 months.
Going back to the ranges, there may be more questions about the way for series models. On the US VinFast website, the reservation page with VF 8 and VF 9 specifications also includes asterisks next to their range numbers for "up to 292 miles" and "up to 342 miles," respectively. On that page, the explanation given for both is, "The value is valid for VF 8 Eco Enhanced Range (Battery 2 variant) trim level. Initial values, determined in accordance with Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP) principles." All of this means that the various numbers VinFast uses here may not end with the numbers used by the EPA.
It's early days for the company here, and news cycles are turning fast. However, we think the local VinFast representatives will be busy for a while getting everything back on track.