VinFast VF 8

There's a new electric vehicle company in town: VinFast with its home base is in Vietnam, and it plans to invest in a manufacturing plant in North Carolina. Two SUVs are first introduced, the VF 8 and VF 9. The VF 8 features a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The Eco version has 349 hp, and the Plus trim has 402 hp. Standard and long-range batteries are available. VinFast says the VF 8 Eco with the standard battery has a 293-mile estimated driving range and a 5.9-second 0-to-60-mph time, while the Plus will have an estimated 278-mile range and less than 5.5-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. 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. A full suite of standard active safety and driver assistance features includes AEB, LKA, adaptive cruise control, lane changing assist, and driver monitoring to make sure the driver is alert while hands-free driver aids are in use.

Generation summary from Consumer Reports. Year-specific figures appear below; missing values mean unavailable, not zero.