VinFast’s new VF 9 electric SUV boasts 330 miles EPA range, but it will cost you
Vietnamese EV maker VinFast (VFS) announced Monday that its new VF 9 electric SUV has earned up to 330 miles EPA range, outperforming its own benchmarks.
VinFast burst onto the scene after vowing to end internal combustion vehicle production and unveiling the VF 8 and VF 9 electric SUVs at the 2021 LA Auto Show.
The automaker moved quickly, gathering reservations and delivering its first 100 models last September.
However, after shipping its first batch of electric vehicles (VF 8 City Edition models) to the US in late November, VinFast’s momentum was slowed.
VinFast delayed deliveries by several months to load its vehicles with the latest software, as the first customer delivery took place on March 1. Following the rollout, VinFast introduced a new pricing promo to keep pace with Tesla’s price cuts earlier this year and kickstart its North American campaign.
The EV maker’s second batch of nearly 1,900 VF 8 models arrived in May with a longer battery range. The VF 8 Eco has 264 miles EPA range while the Plus trim features 243 miles, with prices starting at $46,000 and $51,800, respectively.
VinFast VF 9 EPA range and pricing
After shipping its second batch of EVs, VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said, “We expect to export the VF 9” in the coming months.
The VinFast VF 9 is a larger three-row all-electric SUV with two electric motors and an AWD powertrain with 402 total horsepower.
VinFast announced Monday that its VF 9 received 330 miles certified EPA range for the Eco trim and 291 miles for the Plus trim. The figures beat initial estimates of 272 miles and 262 miles, respectively.
The company says the exterior is designed by the iconic Italian car design firm Pininfarina, with optimized aerodynamics. Meanwhile, the interior is “meticulous and sophisticated,” with advanced technology to maximize comfort for every passenger.
The electric motors produce up to 402 hp (300 kW) and 620 Nm maximum torque. The VinFast 9 also comes with Level 2 ADAS and a suite of intelligent and entertainment features.
For example, VinFast recently partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment to launch a new in-car streaming service.
Despite the higher EPA range figures, the VinFast VF 9 will have an MSRP of $83,000 (Eco) and $91,000 (Plus).
VinFast has hit several significant milestones over the past month or so. The EV maker broke ground at its North Carolina facility at the end of July, where it will focus on building VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9 electric models.
More recently, VinFast completed its SPAC merger with Black Spade Acquisition Co (BSAQ) as shares began trading under the ticker “VFS” last week.
The VF 9 is already being delivered in Vietnam and is expected to reach customers in North America by the end of the year. Reservations are open globally.
Electrek’s Take
Demand for a three-row electric SUV continues building, and VinFast looks to fill it with the VF 9. With up to 330 miles EPA range, the VF 9 outperformed the automaker’s expectations.
However, VinFast may have difficulty competing with an $83K starting price tag. The VF 9 will compete with the Rivian R1S, which starts at $78K for about 260 miles range. Adding the optional large battery pack bumps that number up to 352 miles, but it will cost an extra $6,000.
The VF 9 will also compete against Tesla’s Model Y, which starts at $47,740 for 279 EPA miles range, plus an additional $2,500 for third-row seating. Or you can opt for the model Y Long Range with 330 miles EPA range for $50,490, plus the extra $2,500 for a total of $52,990.
Kia is launching its first seven-seat electric SUV, the EV9, which is expected to start at around $60K for the standard battery pack or $70K for the larger battery pack with up to 300 miles range.
We’ll see how the VinFast VF 9 stacks up as it’s expected to begin rolling out later this year in the US.
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James Murdoch, a Tesla board member and friend of CEO Elon Musk, has confirmed that he sold about $13 million in stock today as the stock (TSLA) crashed.
There has been a lot of insider trading at Tesla lately, and by trading, we mean selling – cause no insider is ever buying at Tesla.
We recently reported on Kimball Musk, Elon’s brother, and Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Taneja Vaibhav recently selling ahead of a recent drop in the company’s stock price.
Tesla’s chairwoman, Robyn Denholm, also sold $33 million worth of Tesla shares last week and over $100 million in the last 3 months.
Now, it’s James Murdoch’s turn. The Tesla board member just confirmed, through a required SEC filing, that he sold 54,776 Tesla shares for just over $13 million today:
He sold as Tesla’s stock crashed 15% today. It is now down more than 50% from its all-time high just a few months ago.
Murdoch was appointed to Tesla’s board in 2017.
He is better known as the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the former CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019.
Murdoch was one of the Tesla board directors who was forced to return almost $1 billion in cash and stock options to Tesla as part of a settlement for over-compensation.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla insiders are unloading, and those are just the ones we know about. Public companies only have to report insider trading for board directors and listed top executives.
For the latter, Tesla purposefully only lists 3 people: Elon, Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s CFO, and Tom Zhu, whose role at Tesla has bit quite fluid in recent years.
Therefore, we don’t know about the dozens of other top executives potentially selling their shares right now amid a giant correction.
It’s really suspicious because there are clear top leaders at Tesla who are often on Tesla’s earnings calls, and they are not even listed, like Lars Moravy, for example.
But it’s par for the course at Tesla, which has some of the worst corporate governance I have ever seen. It’s truly shameful.
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Environment
Mercedes’ new electric people mover is coming soon: Here’s a sneak peek at the luxe EV van
The next generation of Mercedes-Benz luxury vans is almost here. Mercedes’ first luxury electric van, based on its new VAN.EA platform, is now in Arjeplog, Sweden, for winter testing. The new platform will serve as the base for upcoming VIP private vans, high-end limousines, luxury all-arounders, and much more.
What we know about Mercedes’ new luxury electric van
Mercedes is already a leading van maker, both for business and private use. Starting next year, all electric Mercedes’ vans will launch on its new Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA).
After unveiling the platform almost two years ago, Mathias Geisen, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said “VAN.EA clearly underscores our aspiration to ‘Lead in Electric.” He explained that the purpose-built EV architecture supports both mid and large vans.
With a modular design, Mercedes can easily swap out sections to create a different design. The platform consists of three blocks, or modules.
The first block has the electric powertrain while the middle module determines the van’s dimensions. At the rear, the final module can add another electric motor, giving it AWD capabilities.
With 4MATIC AWD, Mercedes claims the new architecture significantly expands driving range and ensures the vans “meet the highest standards regardless of weather conditions.”
Although final specs will be revealed closer to launch, the electric vans will be based on an 800V platform, suggesting relatively fast charging speeds.
The luxury vans will also be loaded with Mercedes’ new operating system (MB.OS), it’s powerful new in-vehicle software that powers all functions like infotainment, autonomous driving, and more.
After the electric van began testing on public roads late last year, Mercedes said it was headed to Sweden for winter testing before its official debut next year.
Mercedes plans to launch several versions for private and business use. The VAN.EA-P is designed for those looking for a mobile office, family activity vehicle, etc., while the VAN.EA-C is for commercial use, such as courier, express, and parcel delivery vehicles. It can even support larger vehicles like campers or RVs.
Mercedes aims for 20% of van sales to be electric by the end of next year. By 2030, the luxury brand wants half of all van sales to be EV.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
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Environment
BlackRock’s Fink says Trump deportations will have severe impact on agriculture, construction
HOUSTON — BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said Monday that President Donald Trump‘s deportation policy will have a severe impact on the agriculture and construction sectors, which could lead to elevated inflation in the near term.
“I think that over the next six to nine months, we’re going to see a little more elevated inflation,” Fink said the CERAWeek by S&P Global energy conference. “I do believe deportations and the speed at which it is happening is going to have severe impacts on the agricultural sector and the construction sector.”
Fink said CEOs in the agriculture sector have told him that about 70% of the men and women who work in the industry were not born in the U.S. This raises the question of whether the U.S. will have enough labor to harvest the crops when spring arrives, Fink said.
“With the whole idea that we’re going to have to use private capital to build out this economy — are we going to have enough workers,” Fink asked. “I’ve even told members of the Trump team that we’re going to run out of electricians as we build out AI data centers — we just don’t have enough,” the CEO said.
This potential labor shortage will contribute to inflation, Fink said. Over the longer term, however, the U.S. could see “big deflation because of the advancement of AI and robots and how that’s going to reshape the economy,” the CEO said.
The deflationary pressure that the U.S. experienced over the past two decades was due in part to the importation of cheaper goods from overseas though this hurt U.S. workers, Fink said. The shift to rising nationalism around the world will have an impact on prices, he said.
“When I go to Washington, they talk about these policies,” Fink said. “I ask at what cost are you willing to tolerate that. “Yes, we may have opportunities to create better and more robust jobs, but then the offside of that will be, it will probably create a little more elevated inflation in the short run.”
Trump’s deportation policy is occurring at the same time the president is imposing tariffs on major U.S. trade partners. The president has slapped 20% tariffs on China. He has paused tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods that are compliant with the deal that governs trade in North America. But Trump is threatening what he calls “reciprocal tariffs” in April.
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