VinFast has officially given out detailed information about the VF 3, its new electric SUV, before it appears in showrooms in Vietnam. The company has also begun taking deposits for this quirky vehicle.
When VinFast displayed the VF 3 at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) along with its superhero-themed pickup truck concept, it was mostly to show off its design and attract American customers. But now, we finally know more about its power, how far it can go, and how quickly it charges.
The VinFast VF 3 is really small, just 125.5 inches long and 66.1 inches wide, and it’s really cute. But the details provided by the company show that its cuteness goes beyond just its appearance. It runs on an electric motor that gives out 43 horsepower and 81 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. It gets its power from an 18.64 kWh lithium-ion battery. This setup lets it go from 0 to 31 mph in 5.3 seconds, which is quite fast.
But the range of the VF 3 is not so impressive. It’s rated to go only 130 miles according to the NEDC standard, which is pretty old. The charging is okay, though. It takes 36 minutes to charge it from 10% to 70%, which is decent considering its small battery.
In Vietnam, the VinFast VF 3 costs around $12,670 after a special 72-hour offer, but there’s a cheaper version for $9,445 that doesn’t come with a battery. VinFast gives the option to subscribe to the battery instead of buying it outright. They offer different plans based on how much you drive each month.
We’re not sure if VinFast will offer the same battery subscription plan in the US. But they expect the VF 3 to cost less than $20,000, and with a federal tax credit, it could go below $12,500. VinFast will start taking early orders from American customers sometime this year.
The VF 3 seems like a good choice for a city electric car, but we’ll have to wait and see if American buyers think so too, especially with the initial specs.
