Vinfast showed a whole range of electric cars at the CES in Las Vegas. The manufacturer is now specifying the values for the VF 8 and VF 9 models.
The Vietnamese car manufacturer Vinfast presented five electric car models at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show - until January 7, 2022 in Las Vegas). The vehicles are called VF 5, VF 6, VF 7, VF 8 and VF 9. The VF 8 and the VF 9 are already known to some extent: So far, the two electric SUVs presented in autumn were called rather bulky VF e35 and VF e36 . Vinfast is now also announcing the prices for its two large models, the VF 8 and VF 9.
The Vietnamese manufacturer delivers the vehicles with two different battery sizes, which affects the price and the amount of the battery rental. When it comes to battery rental, Vinfast offers Flexible and Fixed options. With Fixed there is no kilometer limit, the monthly rent is 120 euros for the VF 8 and 150 euros for the VF 9. The flexible option is intended for customers who drive less than 500 kilometers per month - the prices for this are not yet known. From 2024, Vinfast will also be offering its cars with a purchase battery – until then, only the energy storage system can be rented. During the rental, Vinfast will take care of the battery and fix any damage. If the capacity drops below 70 percent or if it breaks, it will be replaced free of charge. Vinfast boss Le Thi Thu Thuy emphasizes that battery leasing makes the vehicles significantly cheaper on the one hand and gives the customer security on the other.
Vinfast also offers two options in terms of battery capacity and the associated range. With the VF 8, the former is at least 82 kilowatt hours for up to 420 kilometers or a maximum of 87.7 kilowatt hours for a maximum of 471 kilometers. The VF9 starts with a 92-kilowatt-hour variant, which enables a range of up to 438 kilometers. If the 123-kilowatt-hour battery is on board, it can even go up to 594 kilometers.
Up to 408 hp and 620 Nm
Either or also applies in relation to the engine variants - at least with the VF 8. In the Eco version, this has an output of 260 kW (354 hp) and offers a maximum torque of 500 Newton meters. The Plus variant has 300 kW (408 hp) and a maximum of 620 Newton meters. In this configuration, the electric drive is also used in the Vinfast VF 9 - here in both the Eco and Plus models.
About the prices: The VF 8 costs 43,600 euros in the Eco version and 50,500 euros in the better Plus version. The significantly larger VF 9 starts at 58,200 euros in the Eco version, the Plus version costs 63,150 euros. In addition, there is the monthly battery leasing rate mentioned. As an option, Vinfast offers a bundle of assistance systems called a driving package.This includes, among other things, a lane change assistant, a remote-controlled parking and vehicle call function, voice control, 360-degree view and Mobile Office. The package costs 7,250 euros to buy or 150 euros monthly rent.
The equipment of the Vinfast models includes extensive connectivity: mobile home, mobile office, in-car shopping and a modern entertainment system are on board. Sophisticated speech recognition is to be used for operation, with which the inmates can shop online or answer emails – the system reads out incoming emails. For entertainment, the interior of the vehicle should be able to transform into a so-called entertainment area. This includes, for example, computer games that the occupants can play while the battery is charging - Tesla has been offering this equipment for several years. In addition, the occupants should have a virtual assistant who can carry out tasks themselves on the basis of artificial intelligence (AI: algorithms for independent machine learning) - for example when setting certain vehicle functions.
Modern driving assistance systems
At the end of November, Vinfast presented its assistance system package at the L.A. Auto Show, which includes, among other things, a lane keeping assistant, a collision warning system, a fully automatic parking system and driver monitoring. The parking function was particularly important to the developers: they are convinced that hardly any driver likes to look for a parking space and park in it. The driver monitoring, the 360-degree camera and the option of semi-autonomous driving according to Level 2+ work with the AI software VinAI developed by Vinfast. Driver recognition should also work if the driver is wearing a breathing mask. Among other things, an infrared camera monitors the driver – if he suddenly develops a health problem or otherwise makes a serious driving error, the technology counteracts this.
The manufacturer's confidence in its models, which are then also produced in Germany , is great: All electric cars come onto the market with a ten-year guarantee (applies to a mileage of up to 200,000 kilometers). Vinfast thus surpasses the previous vehicle guarantee leader Kia by three years. Even with Kia, the seven-year guarantee ensures higher residual values, since it is transferred to the new owner when the car is sold - even with Vinfast, the guarantee remains in place after the car is resold. A number of manufacturers are currently still content with a significantly shorter guarantee period - Vinfast is creating an immense competitive advantage here from the start in a highly competitive environment.
Maximum convenient service
As part of its model offensive, Vinfast is also building a new service system that is intended to make car maintenance and repairs as easy as possible for customers.The manufacturer announces that the car will be repaired directly from the customer, or that they will pick it up and bring it back after the repair.
Vinfast has partnered with Cerence in Europe for its artificial intelligence systems. The Microsoft subsidiary Cerence, based in Burlington in the US state of Massachusetts, specializes in developing AI systems for cars. The developed software is available in English, German, French (including Canadian French), Spanish and Dutch. The Vietnamese are working with Électricité de France to expand the charging network. The cooperation also includes charging solutions specially developed for Vinfast customers.
Delivery of the VF 8 and VF 9 models is scheduled to start at the end of 2022. There are no prices for the smaller electric SUVs VF5, VF 6 and the slightly larger and particularly stylish VF 7. The dates for the market launch are not yet known.
Conclusion
The Vietnamese car manufacturer Vinfast presented five purely electrically powered models at the CES in Las Vegas. Of these, the VF 8 and the VF 9 are already known in part: the two electric SUVs were previously called the VF e35 and VF e36. The Vietnamese are also simplifying their model names in the course of the new launches and making them more memorable. The cars have a modern design and are equipped with advanced connectivity technology, which in turn enables mobile home, mobile office and in-car shopping, among other things.
A tough challenge to the competition is the ten-year guarantee associated with the new Vinfast electric cars. No other car manufacturer offers such a long warranty period - Kia comes closest with its seven years, with most other manufacturers, customers have to be content with a much shorter warranty period. The record guarantee shows the high level of confidence that the Vietnamese have in the quality of their vehicles, and at the same time it should ensure higher residual values for used Vinfast models.
