Why this new electric car did not understand anything for its arrival in France

VinFast unveils new features for its new electric SUV called VF9, with a long range of nearly 600 kilometers WLTP. But that goes hand in hand with very high consumption (and a gigantic battery) which should give Tesla a head start.

It has been a few years since VinFast was born, since the firm was founded in 2018 in Vietnam by billionaire Phạm Nhật Vượng. But it is only recently that it is offered in Europe, after taking its first steps in front of the public at the Paris Motor Show last October.

Increased autonomy…

Today, the French division markets a handful of electric SUVs, from the small VF6 to the VF9 covering the range at present. We had also had the chance to discover the latter during its presentation in Paris last year and to get on board. With its generous dimensions and its seven seats, it should hunt on the lands of Tesla Model X and other Volvo EX90.

At launch, the juggernaut was only offered with a 92 kWh battery, displaying a range of 438 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle. But a second version is also available, equipped with a large 123 kWh battery. But now the electric SUV is revising its figures upwards, as explained in a press release from the brand.

The latter claims that the new VF9 now boasts a maximum range of 330 miles per EPA cycle, which corresponds to about 531 kilometers. But be careful, because this American approval is more severe than our European WLTP. By going to the French site of the brand, we discover precisely an autonomy announced at 594 kilometers WLTP.

An obviously very high figure, which goes hand in hand with a larger battery. This actually shows a capacity of 123 kWh, which is huge. However, we know that such a large pack does not only have advantages, quite the contrary. This explains why some manufacturers like Ford want to turn to smaller accumulators, even if it means having to charge more often.

… and high consumption

VinFast therefore chooses the opposite strategy and wants to offer a very high autonomy. A good idea ? Not necessarily. Because for comparison, the Tesla Model X displays a higher figure with 625 kilometers on a single charge, while its battery is only 95 kWh. The problem of the VF9 is in its consumption, which looks very high.

According to our calculations, it should run around 20.7 kWh/100 kilometers without taking into account the losses linked to the recharge. For the record, Tesla’s large electric SUV announces an average of 20.5 kWh/100 km with recharging losses, but a calculated theoretical figure of only 15 kWh/100 km, to compare with the 20.7 kWh of the VF9.

But this is not the first time that VinFast has been talked about because of the fuel consumption of its cars.

A little earlier in the year, we also deplore the figures announced for the VF8 located just below in the range. The latter would indeed consume between 26.4 and 29.5 kWh / 100 km in town and on the highway in its Eco version. Which is huge compared to the 21.8 kWh/100 km of the Cadillac Lyriq.

For the record, the VF9 electric SUV comes in two variants, Eco and Plus. The latter is displayed from 90,590 eurosa price that does not make it eligible for the ecological bonus of 5,000 euros and which remains well below the 114,490 euros of the Tesla Model X. Charging is carried out from 10 to 70% in 35 minutes on a 250 kW terminal direct current while the SUV has a power of 408 horsepower.

By comparison, the new Tesla Model S and Model X only require 25 minutes to go from 10 to 80%. The VinFast VF9 is therefore also disappointing on fast charging.