This model has less range than expected, with only 191 miles for the version with 20-inch wheels.
This is due to low efficiency numbers.
The VF8 Standard Edition promises improvements in this area.
The EPA has just released its official range and efficiency figures for the VinFast VF 8 City Edition, of which only 999 units have been shipped to North America since December last year.
This new electric SUV impresses with its design, but its efficiency and range might disappoint some buyers.
Indeed, according to the EPA, the longest-range version of the VF 8 City Edition is only capable of driving 207 miles (333 kilometres) on a charge when equipped with 19-inch wheels.
Since larger wheels translate to more energy consumption, it is not surprising to see that the same vehicle ordered with 20-inch wheels can only manage 191 miles (307 kilometres) of range.
This is lower than expected in both cases since the VF 8 comes standard with a fairly large battery pack that benefits from 82 kWh of usable capacity.
To explain this, we have to take a look at the efficiency figures, where we find that the VF 8 compares more favourably with sports cars and full-size SUVs than competing models.
Indeed, the electric SUV consumes about 387 wH per mile, for an equivalent rating of 87 MPGe in the ECO version with the smaller wheels. The larger wheels drop this rating to 80 MPGe.
For comparison, the Ford Mustang Mach E California Route 1 version is rated at 98 MPGe, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 Long Range RWD at 114 MPGe, and the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD at 122 MPGe.
It seems VinFast is aware of the improvements to be made in terms of efficiency, however, since the company claims that the VF 8 Standard Edition models to be released soon will be capable of driving up to 264 miles (425 kilometres) on a single charge by using an 87.7 kWh battery.
Achieving a 28% increase in range with only 7% more battery capacity points to significant efficiency improvements that will allow these models to require less energy to accelerate and maintain speed than the current City Edition.
Canadian MSRP currently starts at $53,600 for the VF 8 City Edition, but this could change next year when the company’s new North Carolina factory is scheduled to come online, driving down the costs for North American buyers.
Source: InsideEVs
