VinFast

US regulator launched a preliminary investigation into the fatal crash in Pleasanton, California which killed a family of 4. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) commenced the investigation into the VinFast crash in California on April 24, which led to the demise of four family members. The deceased also included two children aged 9 and 13. This tragic incident occurred when a VF8 electric SUV crashed into an oak tree in Pleasanton, California. After the crash, the EV was engulfed in flames. The deceased were identified as Tarun George, Rincy George and their two children. You might also like: VinFast Unveils Two Vehicles at CES 2024 – Electric Pickup Truck and Small Electric SUV VinFast Crash Under Investigation A Reuters report confirms that the investigation started after a coworker of the deceased driver filed a complaint with NHTSA on April 29 regarding a steering problem in the electric SUV. He feared that the same issue could’ve been the reason for the fatal crash. Reportedly, he loaned the vehicle to the Tarun. The Police said that no other vehicles were involved in this crash and that speed could’ve played a role. After hitting an oak tree, the EV caught fire. However, the Pleasanton Police Lt. Erik Silacci, while speaking to Pleasanton Weekly, said that the investigators think that the passengers died due to the impact and not the ensuing fire. NHTSA typically opens over 100 special crash investigations annually. These are mostly in relation to emerging technologies and potential auto safety issues. After receiving the news of the deadly crash, VinFast spokesman told the Pleasanton Weekly that the company is “aware of this tragic accident in Pleasanton and our hearts go out to the family. The authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident and will share their findings when their work is completed.” Hence, we must wait for more concrete details until the completion of this investigation. You might also like: 2025 Rivian R1 EVs To Get Heat Pump As Standard, New LFP Battery Learn Electric Cars Says It clearly looks like the Vietnamese carmaker is really struggling at the moment. Remember it started selling the VF8 electric SUV in the U.S. in January 2023. However, it faced a recall due to the infotainment screen going blank. On top of that, the sales figures were quite disappointing throughout 2023. It is clearly not the start VinFast was looking for. Thankfully, the sales seem to be picking up in 2024. Let us see which impact this investigation has on its sales going forward.

The electric vehicles industry is offering new players chances to challenge the legacy automakers and it seems that they are grabbing this opportunity with both hands. VinFast VF8 will be the first-ever EV coming out of Vietnam. Founded in 2017, VinFast has come a long way having recently received $1.2 Billion in incentives from the State of North Carolina to set up its manufacturing plant in the U.S. With the planned annual capacity of 150,000 EVs, the 2,000-acre unit at the Triangle Innovation point in Chatham County, will commence production in 2024. At the moment, the VinFast products are being made in Vietnam. On July 14, 2022, VinFast opened 6 stores in California to begin selling their EVs. The VF8 will be the first mid-size SUV to be delivered followed by the bigger 7-seat full-size VF9 at a later stage. You might also like: Mahindra Enters The Electric Car Market With 5 New EV SUVs VinFast VF8 EV Specs The VinFast VF8 comes with a dual-motor AWD system in two variants – Eco and Plus. It will be interesting to see which version(s) makes it to the U.S. market. It comes with 19-inch alloys and ventilated disc brakes at the front and rear. VinFast VF8 Specs Battery (usable) 87.7 kWh Power 348 hp & 402 hp Torque 368 lb-ft (500 Nm) & 457 lb-ft (620 Nm) Range 292 miles (470 km) DC Fast Charging (10-70%) 31 mins Powertrain Dual-Motor AWD Acceleration (0-100 km/h) < 5.5 secs VinFast VF8 Specs You might also like: Is Rivian R1T Electric Truck A Perfect Rival To Ford F-150 Lightning? VinFast VF8 EV Dimensions The VinFast VF8 is classified as a mid-size electric SUV and its dimensions are as follows: VinFast VF8 Dimensions Length 187 in (4,750 mm) Width 74.8 in (1,900 mm) Height 65.4 in (1,661 mm) Wheelbase 116.1 in (2,949 mm) VinFast VF8 Dimensions You might also like: Does The Aptera Solar Electric Car Really Have a 1,000 Miles Range? Interior & Features The inside of the VF8 feels quite premium with Leather Upholstery, a massive 15.6-inch Infotainment Display, Head Up Display, Connected Car Tech Features, WiFi Connectivity, Wireless Charging, 10-Speaker Premium Audio System, Navigation, Virtual Assistant, 360 Surround View Monitor, 12-Way Adjustable Powered Driver and 10-Way Adjustable Powered Passenger Seat, Heated & Ventilated Front Seat, Memory Function for the Driver Seat, Heated Steering Wheel with Memory, and more. Safety In terms of safety, the VF8 comes equipped with ADAS Functions like Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Change Assist, Lane Center Control, Traffic Sign Recognistion, Forward Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitoring, Advanced Automatic Emergency Braking, Remote Parking, 11 Airbags and more. What are your thoughts on the VinFast VF8 as the first EV from Vietnam?