Wife put a refundable $200 deposit on a VinFast VF 8 last night. I think the perk that got her was some sort of "Vinpearl" reward/gift. (She loves to travel). I was surprised they have pricing listed. I'd rather they figure out exact before listing, after our most recent Tesla experience.... REVVL V+ 5G ?
They were at the LA Auto Show last Nov/Dec and had the two models on display, but you couldn't go near them. The owner of the company appears to be the 344th richest man in the world, aka Vietnam's richest man. Possible battery lease and guaranteed to be replaced when they drop below 70% capacity. (I really like that this is defined up front). REVVL V+ 5G ?
There will be twenty EV models from various manufacturers introduced on the next few years. Which one are good buys for the long haul is going to be a fun discussion. How many brands will fail leaving their customers stranded? How many will limp on once they are no longer able to charge extra because they are the shiny new thing? What happens when the real $30-35k EV is available in quantity? The $25k one from multiple makers? What will separate the good buys from the not so good is customer service, spare parts, financial viability. Its one thing to promise a new battery in year 10, another to deliver. A fender after that accident? And with the pace of change now that vehicles are just platforms for computer code, will you even want that 10 year old brand-Q? I change cars based on new features I want. I don't need to.
Looks like they started selling gas vehicles in Vietnam starting in 2019. The VinFast subsidiary seems to be operating at a loss just as how Tesla started, but the parent VinGroup converted to USD has a $17.5 billion market cap. It will be interesting to see how they perform starting off trying to sell affordable models vs selling the expensive Model S that Tesla started with. (I'm ignoring the Roadster maybe I should have included that)... I liked the bigger (7 seater VF9) and she agreed that I put a $200 reservation for one. My wife still has her Cybertruck tri-motor reservation (with pricing no longer listed). Wonder if we'll be disappointed again with a price hike.... REVVL V+ 5G ?
