Hot, New Electric Cars That Are Coming Soon

There’s a new electric vehicle company in town: VinFast. Its home base is in Vietnam, and it plans to invest $4 billion in a manufacturing plant in North Carolina. The automaker showed two SUVs at the 2022 New York auto show, the VF 8 and VF 9.

Both the VF 8 and the VF 9 feature a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The Eco version has 348 hp, and the Plus trim has 402 hp. Standard and long-range batteries are available in either model. VinFast says the VF 8 Eco with the standard battery has a 260-mile estimated driving range and a 5.8-second 0-to-60-mph time, while models equipped with the extended-range battery have an estimated 292-mile range and a 5.3-second 0-to-60 time.

VinFast has a unique twist on pricing, with a battery subscription on top of the vehicle’s purchase prices, tailored to the buyer’s expected usage. The company explains it this way: “By separating the price of the battery from the acquisition value of the automobile, VinFast takes on all the risks related to the vehicle’s battery and ensures a reasonable price for its products, while providing customers with peace of mind about the battery’s quality during use.”

A key upside to their battery approach is that VinFast provides a lifetime battery warranty covering all maintenance and repair costs, and will replace the battery free when charging capacity dips below 70 percent. This should reduce some concerns among shoppers. 

Prices: 
VF 8: $40,700 to $48,000. VF 9: $55,500 to $61,000
On sale: Now

Learn more about VinFast and its models.