VinFast VF 8 History

The VF 8 made its global debut in January 2022 and began domestic Vietnamese deliveries to 100 customers on 10 September 2022. A first shipment of 999 units departed Hai Phong aboard the Silver Queen in November 2022, arriving in California weeks later — marking VinFast's first export of electric vehicles.

On 1 March 2023 VinFast formally delivered the first 45 VF 8 City Edition SUVs to US customers across nine California stores, marking the brand's official North American entry. The VF 8 is a D-segment mid-size crossover — roughly the footprint of a Honda CR-V — available in Eco and Plus trims with single- or dual-motor configurations producing up to 402 hp and an 82–87.7 kWh usable battery pack.

Early US reception was cautious: range, software, and dealer-network concerns generated press scrutiny, and registrations through mid-2023 were modest. VinFast continued refining the model and later announced a next-generation VF 8 with a new chassis and software-defined architecture for the Vietnamese market, with global rollout planned.