VinFast Delivers First VF8 City Edition EVs to U.S. Customers

• The Vietnamese automaker VinFast has delivered the first 45 of its 999 VF8 City Editions.
• The vehicles were all delivered to customers in the company’s nine California locations.
• The VF8 City Edition SUV’s production will be limited to 999 units, with two battery choices: the VF8 City Edition Eco is claimed to have 207 miles of range, while the more powerful VF8 City Edition Plus has only a 179-mile range.

On March 1, after a series of delays and some changes in promised range and pricing, Vietnam-based automaker VinFast has delivered the first 45 of its City Edition VF8 SUVs to its sales outlets in California. The company plans to bring 999 City Edition VF8 SUVs to California, which is the only U.S. state where they are currently set to be sold.

The City Edition’s battery is different from that of the standard VF8 and has considerably less range. There are two battery options for the City Edition, with the VF8 City Edition Eco enjoying a somewhat lackluster EPA range estimate of 207 miles of range, and the more powerful VF8 City Edition Plus with an even lower EPA estimate of 179 miles per charge.

The vehicles were imported to the U.S. in December, but there were delays before the company was ready to start delivering to customers. Now that the process is underway, buyers will be able to receive their new VinFast EVs either at one of VinFast’s California sales outlets or through direct home delivery. There has been speculation that some of the reason for the delay stemmed from customer complaints that the electric crossover’s range didn’t live up to earlier promises.

VinFast’s unusual plan to offer battery leasing has been scrapped, at least for now. When the vehicle was first announced, VinFast told reservation holders they could rent the battery pack in the car, rather than buying it in the purchase price of the vehicle. The plan was to offer tiered mileage allowances in a similar way to yearly mileage restrictions on many car leases. Instead, the price of the battery has been added to the cost of the vehicle. Each City Edition comes at a $3000 discount, with the City Edition Eco starting at $47,200, and the City Edition Plus starting at $54,200.

Associate News Editor

Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.