Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
VinFast has a clear vision of a sustainable future achieved through the availability of aspirational, attainable e-mobility. At the heart of this singular vision is a broad technology focus that ensures its customers will continue to benefit from the latest advancements in a rapidly evolving automotive industry. Few areas are moving on faster than battery technology, and the Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer has adopted a bold strategy to remain at the forefront.
VinFast’s approach to advancing battery technology includes vehicle optimisation, strategic partnerships that encompass both popular and emerging battery technologies, and significant multi-million Euro investment in facilities to enhance its growing in-house expertise.
The most prevalent chemistries for lithium-ion batteries in EVs include LFP (lithium ferrous phosphate) and NMC (nickel manganese cobalt). Rather than adopt a one-type-fits-all approach, VinFast recognizes that each technology has attributes optimally suited to different applications. For example, LFP provides a high level of thermal stability and impressive cycle life, which makes it a popular lower-cost option where lifespan is more important than outright performance. NMC, on the other hand, is able to charge and discharge at a higher rate. This makes NMC more suitable for larger vehicles covering greater distances and therefore requiring more frequent charging, and offers greater energy density and specific power for a higher price.
VinFast recognizes the importance of emerging battery chemistries and has partnered with a diverse group of specialists to ensure a wide range of expertise is leveraged in the development of its cutting-edge eSUVs. The manufacturer’s most notable cooperations in the battery technology space are with Gotion High-Tech for its proven LFP technology, ProLogium and StoreDot, both of whom provide alternative approaches to developing significant future battery technologies: ProLogium for its 100% solid-state battery development, and StoreDot for extreme fast charging cells.
To complement this external capability, VinFast has also invested $173.7m in the VinES Battery Manufacturing Facility in the Vung Ang Economic Zone, an eight-hectare site designed to initially produce 100,000 battery packs a year. With sustainability a primary concern throughout the supply chain of each of its models, the company has even considered the whole life environmental impact of electrification, signing an MOU with Marubeni Corporation regarding battery second-use.
VinFast’s demonstration of accountability reflects its commitment to encouraging widespread e-mobility for the benefit of the environment globally, and extends throughout the vehicle development and manufacturing processes. This is especially true of its determination to optimise the powertrain specification of both VF 6 and VF 8.
When developing its first eSUVs for European markets, VF 8 and the new, smaller VF 6, VinFast engineers carefully considered market and segment vehicle use-cases to optimise each model. From a battery perspective, VinFast has split its resources.
VinFast’s newly announced B-Segment eSUV, the VF 6, is equipped with a 59.6 kWh LFP battery that is capable of a 10-70% rapid DC charge in 25 minutes, a 11 kW AC charge in 6.7 hours and will provide the VF 6 Eco with a range of up to 410 km on the WLTP cycle. By developing the VF 6 on a dedicated EV platform, VinFast engineers have been able to fit battery cells beneath a perfectly flat interior floor and optimise cooling for the cells, further enhancing efficiency and therefore battery performance and vehicle range. This approach also enables the best use of available interior space within a compact 4.25m vehicle length, providing more room for occupants than many segment competitors.
Every aspect of VF 6 has been optimised for urban life. Its LFP battery provides the perfect combination of performance, charging characteristics and value, enabling increased investment elsewhere. The result is that it offers a class-leading array of standard specification, safety and ADAS technologies at a competitive price.
VinFast’s larger, D-SUV segment VF 8 has been optimised for a more premium market where range and performance expectations are heightened. The VF 8 Eco and Plus are equipped with an 87.7 kWh CATL NMC battery that will charge from 10-100% in 8.7 hours at 11 kW AC, and from 10-70% in 31 minutes using a 150 kW DC charger. This enables an impressive driving range of 471 km on the WLTP cycle in the twin motor, all-wheel drive 260 kW Eco model, with a 0-100 km/h time of 5.9 seconds. The VF 8 Plus, with 300 kW, 620 Nm of torque and a 0-100 km/h time of 5.5 seconds, is still capable of up to 457 km on the WLTP cycle.
While each model takes a different route to achieving a shared goal, customers of each are protected by sector-leading aftersales commitments. Buyers of the VF 6 will benefit from a seven-year, 160,000 km bumper-to-bumper warranty, with the traction battery covered by a separate eight-year agreement with unlimited kilometres. VF 8 drivers have the peace of mind of a 10-year, 200,000 km bumper-to-bumper warranty, with no kilometre limit to the battery’s cover.
At the end of this period, VinFast’s rigorous partnership development and infrastructure investments will ensure that its customers will remain at the forefront of battery technology advancement, regardless of the direction it takes.
Source: email from VinFast
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Latest CleanTechnica.TV Videos
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.
CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy
