The 2023 VinFast VF 8 is now arriving in the United States and Canada.
The fully electric VF 8’s energy consumption has been revealed in Canada.
The VinFast VF 8 will soon be followed by the VF 9, the VF 6 and the VF 7.
UPDATE: This article intially stated that the VinFast VF 8 was the least energy-efficient electric vehicle on the market based on fuel economy equivalent and energy consumption ratings published by Natural Resources Canada. However, it appears as though those numbers may be inaccurate. We have reached out to VinFast for clarification, and will update the article accordingly.
Vietnamese automaker VinFast is setting up shop in the United States and Canada, promising smart, safe and environmentally friendly electric vehicles, while stating its readiness to lead the EV revolution. Its first model in North America is the 2023 VinFast VF 8 crossover, and its energy consumption ratings are now available, at least in the Canadian market.
In the U.S., the five-passenger VinFast VF 8 is available as the City Edition, with Eco and Plus trim levels. The Eco is equipped with a two-motor setup that develops 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, good for a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint of 6.5 seconds. Meanwhile, the Plus’ two-motor system generates 402 horsepower and 457 pound-feet, with a 5.5-second dash to 100 km/h or 62 mph from a standstill.
Both City Edition trim levels feature an 82 kWh battery pack. It provides an EPA-calculated driving range of up to 207 miles or 333 kilometres on a full charge in the Eco, or 191 miles or 307 km in the more powerful Plus.
The non-City Edition, 2023 model-year VinFast VF 8 for the U.S. and Canada is equipped with the same powertrains, and the same outputs. However, its battery pack has an announced capacity of 87.7 kWh, with more optimistic range figures. The Eco trim boasts a driving range of 425 km or 264 miles, while the Plus’ range is pegged at 391 km or 243 miles.
As for energy consumption expressed in Le/100 km, the VinFast VF 8 in Eco trim is slightly less efficient than its luxury crossover rivals, boasting a combined fuel economy equivalent figure of 3.1 Le/100 km, according to numbers published by NRCan. Rivals include the Cadillac Lyriq (2.7 Le/100 km), the Lexus RZ 450e (2.2 Le/100 km), the Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC (2.4 Le/100 km) and the Genesis Electrified GV70 (2.6 Le/100 km), for example.
| Model | Range (km) | Range (miles) | City/Highway/Combined (Le/100 km) | City/Highway/Combined (MPGe) | City/Highway/Combined (kWh/100 km) | City/Highway/Combined (kWh/100 miles) |
| VinFast VF 8 Eco | 425 | 264 | 3.0 / 3.3 / 3.1 (pending validation) | 78 / 71 / 76 (pending validation) | 26.4 / 29.5 / 27.8 (pending validation) | 43 / 47 / 45 (pending validation) |
| Cadillac Lyriq AWD | 494 | 307 | 2.4 / 2.9 / 2.7 | 98 / 81 / 87 | 21.8 / 25.8 / 23.6 | 35 / 42 / 38 |
| Genesis Electrified GV70 | 383 | 238 | 2.4 / 2.8 / 2.6 | 98 / 84 / 90 | 21.3 / 25.1 / 23.0 | 34 / 40 / 37 |
| Lexus RZ 450e (18-inch wheels) | 354 | 220 | 2.0 / 2.4 / 2.2 | 118 / 98 / 107 | 18.1 / 21.4 / 19.6 | 29 / 34 / 32 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC | 356 | 221 | 2.4 / 2.5 / 2.4 | 98 / 94 / 98 | 21.4 / 22.0 / 21.7 | 34 / 35 / 35 |
As for the Plus variant with the more powerful motor setup, it carries a combined average of 5.2 Le/100 km, according once again to NRCan. The last figure makes the VinFast crossover the most energy-hungry EV currently available on the Canadian market—and subsequently the U.S. market as well.
UDPATE: We’ll validate the VinFast VF 8’s numbers and adjust our tables accordingly, as the energy consumption ratings don’t add up to the vehicle’s battery capacity and estimated range.
For the sake of comparison, the gargantuan, recently launched 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV has a combined fuel economy equivalent average of 4.4 Le/100 km. And even fitted with its optional Extreme Off-Road package that adds knobby mud-terrain tires as well as the extra weight and aerodynamic drag of skid plates, front and rear locking differentials, rocker protectors with assist steps and underbody cameras, the Hummer EV SUV consumes energy at a rate of 4.7 Le/100 km.
| Model | Range (km) | Range (miles) | City/Highway/Combined (Le/100 km) | City/Highway/Combined (MPGe) | City/Highway/Combined (kWh/100 km) | City/Highway/Combined (kWh/100 miles) |
| VinFast VF 8 Plus | 391 | 243 | 4.9 / 5.4 / 5.2 (pending validation) | 48 / 44 / 45 (pending validation) | 43.8 / 48.4 / 45.9 (pending validation) | 71 / 78 / 74 (pending validation) |
| GMC Hummer EV SUV (Extreme Off-Road Package) | 480 | 299 | 4.3 / 5.2 / 4.7 | 54 / 45 / 50 | 37.9 / 46.6 / 41.6 | 61 / 75 / 70 |
| GMC Hummer EV SUV | 505 | 314 | 4.0 / 4.9 / 4.4 | 59 / 48 / 53 | 35.8 / 43.8 / 39.4 | 58 / 71 / 63 |
| Rivian R1S / R1T (All-Terrain) | 441 | 274 | 3.6 / 3.9 / 3.7 | 65 / 60 / 64 | 32.0 / 35.0 / 33.4 | 52 / 56 / 54 |
| Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum | 483 | 300 | 3.2 / 3.9 / 3.5 | 74 / 60 / 67 | 28.7 / 35.0 / 31.5 | 46 / 56 / 51 |
Other energy-inefficient EVs include the Rivian R1T pickup and R1S SUV (3.4 to 3.7 Le/100 km), the Ford F-150 Lightning (3.3 to 3.5 Le/100 km) and the Porsche Taycan Turbo (3.2 to 3.4 Le/100 km). On the flipside, the most energy-efficient EVs on the road right now are the Lucid Air (1.7 Le/100 km), the Hyundai IONIQ 6 (1.7 Le/100 km) and the Tesla Model 3 (1.8 Le/100 km).
The first U.S. VinFast VF 8 customer took delivery of their vehicle in February, while the first shipment of VF 8s for Canada has arrived last week, with deliveries starting in June. The VF 8 will be followed by the bigger three-row VinFast VF 9, along with the VF 6 and VF 7 at later dates.
