Charging – Ewing VinFast of Plano

March 15, 2025March 21, 2025

Getting Your House Ready for Home Charging

Buying your first electric vehicle is like having your first child, meaning it’s all about the preparation. Okay, so maybe it’s not exactly like having a child, but it can make some people nervous. For instance, when buying a traditional car with an internal combustion engine (ICE), you don’t think twice about where you’re going to fill it up with gas. However, with your first VinFast it is best to have a home charger installed. Below is information on how to get yourself and your home ready for your first charger.

Why It’s Best to Charge at Home

You may be thinking, “Why should I worry about charging my VinFast at home when I can charge it at a public charger?” Simply put, charging your car at home saves time, money, and is also smarter your battery’s overall health. Since chargers like the VinFast Home Chargers are smart, they can charge slowly overnight and charge your car for when you leave in the morning. When it comes to saving money, charging at home in Plano, Texas, will cost you about 13.9 cents per kWh according to MarketWatch. This means that charging from about 50% every night when you get home from work will only add about $5 or so per nightly charge.

Finding the Right Electrician

The first step is to look for a local electrician that will give you an estimate. Going about this process can be daunting, so the best way to find someone is to ask friends and family who they have used in the past. It’s also not a bad idea to get a few different consultations to check price, availability, and reviews.

Potentially Upfitting Your Breaker Box

It is important that your home be ready with at least a 200-amp breaker box, which is pretty standard for newer homes. Some houses may have a 100- or 150-amp breaker box, which would mean you should contact a professional electrician to talk about potentially upfitting your home to be sure it can handle the extra needs of the charger for your VinFast VF8 or VF9.

How to Know What Amperage Your Breaker Box Is and How It Can Be Upgraded

You can safely and easily check to see what the amperage is of your home breaker box by opening your master breaker panel door and checking the top switch that turns the entire system on and off. The switch will say either 100, 150, 200, or 400. If an electrician needs to upgrade your box, he will first contact the electric company to turn off the power to your home. Then the electrician will change out the wiring that goes from the outdoor meter socket into the home, installing a new meter socket that will be either 200 or 400 amps, and then changing the breaker box in your home. After that, he will connect the wiring up and get the power turned back on to your home.

Reorganizing Your Garage to Accommodate Your New Charger

When you do choose a qualified electrician, he will install a Level 2 240-volt that will be able to easily charge your battery overnight. Now it’ll be time to make sure that your charger can go on a wall or in an area where it can easily be accessed by your VinFast. You may need to reorganize your garage and move all of your things from one side to the other. Keep in mind that the charge port for both the VF8 and VF9 is on the driver’s side fender, which will dictate whether you need to pull in or back into your garage.

Why Choose Ewing VinFast

At Ewing VinFast of Plano, we have the best prices on dozens of new VinFast EVs and used cars. Our well-educated sales staff and finance department will happily assist you with your EV questions and needs. Our fantastic service department will ensure your vehicle stays in the best condition.

We look forward to serving you.

February 15, 2025February 11, 2025

How to Optimize and Improve Your Electric Car’s Range Overnight

Driving a VinFast VF8 and VF9 is exhilarating. Unlike a gas-powered car, an EV has an immediate surge of power and thrust as soon as you touch the throttle. Unlike a gas-powered car that has so many things that have to happen all at once to make the power and torque to move the car, an EV has a battery and a gearbox and that’s pretty much it.

Faster Than You Think

While both VinFast vehicles aren’t performance cars, they feel much faster than their 0-60 mph times show simply due to the fact that there is no lag or delay between when the throttle is pressed and when the car goes. However, while this is fun and it is addictive, you can lose range very quickly. Let’s talk about some ways that you can improve your car’s range.

Ease Up on the Throttle a Bit

Step one is simple: your foot can modulate the throttle. You don’t have to put the pedal to the metal like you’re the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit. Your daily commute doesn’t call for a drag race at every traffic light. Gas cars and EVs are similar in this regard. While a gas car uses more fuel the more throttle it’s given, an EV uses more battery power the more you lean into the accelerator. Just chill. No one’s racing for pink slips out here.

Take the Slower Roads for Maximum Efficiency

If you don’t have a set time that you have to be somewhere, or if you leave early enough, set your route guidance to avoid highways and areas with lots of traffic. Instead, take the scenic route that allows you to drive at slower speeds rather than 55 mph and higher. This will allow your VinFast to maintain optimal range without putting much stress on the motor.

Try to Limit Your Heat Settings

Be careful not to overuse your heat settings such as heated seats, defroster, and high amounts of heat in general. If you can, run your car plugged into the charger to use the defroster, heated seats, and heater to get the car warmed up before you leave. You can even do this through the VinFast Smartphone app.

Protect Your Battery

Make sure that you are only charging your car’s battery to 70-80 percent overnight, and while you are on the road you’re only charging to 100 percent when you need the range. This is ideal for the battery’s overall health and makes sure that it isn’t being stressed during charging. But, if anything does happen to the battery and it starts to lose capacity, VinFast protects you with a ten-year, unlimited-mile battery warranty that is unlike any other EV brand on the market.

Take Care of Your Tires

Last but not least, take care of your EV’s tires. EVs can be a little harder on tires simply because of the extra weight. Make sure they are inflated to proper levels, especially with weather changes when the tires are most likely to lose some air. Having a tire that is under- or over-inflated can create more friction at certain speeds, forcing the car to work harder to gain speed.

Enjoy Your Ride

More than anything, enjoy your VinFast. It’s a car that’s been designed and engineered to make your life easier, so work with it to get the best experience for yourself and to have a long-lasting and reliable electric vehicle.

Why Choose Ewing VinFast

We look forward to serving you.

January 20, 2025January 14, 2025

First-Time Electric Car Driver? Here’s What You Need to Know

Some people find it quite daunting to go from one car to another, so it’s natural that some would even be worried about moving from a gas-powered car to an electric vehicle. After all, if you’ve only been used to pulling up to a gas station, pumping gas, and then driving home, it makes sense to be a little nervous about the adjustment to buying an all-electric VinFast VF8 or VF9. However, it won’t stay that way for long as you will get used to the new norms of an EV.

Wait A Second… Where Is the Shifter?

A VinFast doesn’t have a shifter. Instead, the VF8 has buttons for Park, Neutral, Reverse, and Drive where the shifter would be to make the transition easier and more comfortable. In most EVs, you just get in and either press a start/stop button or just put your foot on the accelerator pedal and go on about your day. VinFast, however, is committed to making the move to EV simple.

Immediate Torque

Once you start driving, you’ll notice an immediate surge of power and torque. Unlike an I.C.E. (internal combustion engine) car, there is no pause between pushing the gas pedal and the movement of the vehicle. So, be careful. Push that pedal a little softer for the first few hundred miles to allow yourself time to get used to the instant performance.

Range Anxiety

As you drive, though, you will start seeing your range go down. Like any car, your driving range is a product of how you drive. Drive more relaxed and don’t do a bunch of 0-60 launches, and you can count on a steady driving range. Treat every traffic light as a drag strip tree, and you will see that range fall quite a bit. The common term for watching your range drop as you drive and being worried about running out of charge before getting to a charger is called “range anxiety.” While gas stations are still more prominent, there are EV chargers nearly everywhere at this point, especially when traveling on the highway. Any time you input a destination into your navigation, your VinFast will route your trip to keep you close enough to chargers every step of the way. So, while range anxiety was a really big deal 10-15 years ago, it’s much less of an issue now.

Regenerative Braking

One of the beauties of having an electric car is using one-pedal driving, which means you rarely have to touch the brake pedal. Instead, because electricity is an on-off thing, once you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, no energy is used to move the car. The brake lights come on automatically, and the vehicle starts to slow down as if you were tapping the brakes. Whenever you take your foot off the throttle or push the brake pedal, you are using Regenerative Braking. Regenerative braking captures the energy lost while braking and sends it back to the vehicle’s battery system to recover the energy. Driving in stop-and-go traffic can actually help to increase your vehicle’s range.

A Quiet Place

The final point to make about what you need to get used to when owning your first EV is silence. EVs are much, much quieter than gas-powered cars because there is less noise being made within the vehicle. In fact, tire manufacturers and VinFast engineers have developed parts of the car to be less noisy so as not to disturb you in the cabin. So, you will notice less harsh road noises from the tires, less wind noise, and the like. But this could lead to you getting annoyed with how hard people breathe in the passenger seat… something you didn’t notice before you got an EV.

Why Choose Ewing VinFast

We look forward to serving you.

January 15, 2025January 14, 2025

VinFast VF9 vs Tesla Model X

When it comes to electric SUVs, Tesla is kind of the OG in this department with the Model X. It has enjoyed a number of years as the premier luxury electric SUV. However, that’s slowly but surely been changing since its debut in 2015. With vehicles like the VinFast VF9, the Model X is aging in comparison. Or is it? Let’s compare the two in this week’s versus.

Meet The Tesla Model X

Like the VinFast VF9, the Tesla Model X only has two flavors for buyers: the Model X and the Model X Plaid. Unlike the VF9, though, it is pricey. How pricey? Well, here’s where it gets weird: Tesla says the Model X has a starting price of $65,990… but then, in fine print, it mentions, “Includes any applicable federal tax credits and estimated gas savings.” So, that means you can add back the $7,500 federal tax credit to better understand the base price, but what are the estimated gas savings? That’s just deceptive practices. Car and Driver says the Model X starts from $81,630, while MotorTrend says it is priced from $79,990. Tesla says the Model X Plaid retails for $88,490, but the car magazines say $94,990 and $96,630, respectively. Short of calling or going to a Tesla dealer and asking, the price is anyone’s guess.

Powertrain Options

When choosing the base Model X, buyers will get a dual-motor and all-wheel drive with an output of 670 horsepower, according to Tesla, and 713 lb-ft of torque, according to Car and Driver (Tesla does not list torque for the standard model). However, the tri-motor Model X Plaid features a massive 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. Those are wild power numbers, which makes sense since the Plaid can reach 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, while the standard model is a bit slower at 3.3 seconds. The EPA says that the standard Model X has 329 miles of range with 20-inch wheels. However, Tesla says this number drops to 322 when optioning the 22-inch wheels. The Plaid model has 314 miles of EPA-estimated range with the standard wheels, while the optional 22s will force that range down to about 300 miles.

Meet The Honest VF9

Finally, we come to the star of the evening, the VF9, which is available in either Eco or Plus trim levels and starts from $71,000. Eco models will give buyers a healthy 330-mile driving range, and Plus models offer 291 miles, which makes the VF9 about equal to the Model X. Like the Model X, all VF9 models come standard with all-wheel drive, and both also use dual-motor setups. The 123 kWh battery pack provides 402 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque. This gives the VinFast plenty of oomph, with a claimed 0-60 of roughly 6.5 seconds. The VF9 comes standard with a Head-Up Display (HUD), something most other vehicles can’t attest to, so drivers never have to take their eyes off the road to see navigation information, range, music, and more.

Sony RIDEVU Is Amazing

Something that neither Tesla nor any other EV on the market can lay claim to is Sony RIDEVU. RIDEVU allows passengers in the VF9 to watch 2,000 different Sony-owned movies and TV shows either on the main infotainment screen when the vehicle is in park or on any device that is on the in-car WiFi. The 2025 VF9 offers drivers and passengers a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen display plus six standard USB-A ports with one 90-watt USB-C port, which means two per row. Buyers who opt for captain’s chairs will find two extra USB-A ports in the center console.

Safety First

VinFast believes in giving drivers the latest and best safety features as standard. No matter whether you get a VF8 or VF9, your VinFast comes standard with Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Highway Driving Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Centering Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Automatic Emergency Braking, Intelligent Speed Recognition, Traffic Sign Recognition, Forward Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Detection, Door Opening Warning, Front Automatic Emergency Braking, Emergency Lane Keep Assist, Front Parking Assist, Rear Parking Assist, backup camera, Automatic High Beam, and a 360-degree Surround View Camera system. All VinFast VF9 models feature 11 airbags as standard safety equipment.

A Warranty vs Kind of a Warranty

When it comes to protecting your investment, VinFast goes all out. Every VinFast model comes with a 10-year, unlimited-mile battery warranty, as well as a 10-year, 125,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. The Tesla, however, only gets a 4-year, 50,000-mile basic warranty and an 8-year, 150,000-mile battery warranty. No one’s really keeping score here, but that seems like a win for the VF9.

Which To Get…

Ultimately, which one should you choose, the Tesla Model X or the VinFast VF9? It’s your money, and you should spend it as you see fit. But, since you asked, when taking into consideration the odd pricing alone, the Tesla Model X doesn’t seem too honest. And then, once you look at the battery warranty, you notice it is 150,000 miles versus unlimited miles for the VF9. If you just want to show off at traffic lights, maybe the Tesla is the best car for your needs. However, if you want a vehicle that’s focused on quality over bragging rights, then perhaps the VinFast is the right car.

Why Choose Ewing VinFast

We look forward to serving you.

January 10, 2025January 14, 2025

How Does Fast Charging Affect Battery Health

New VinFast App for iPhone and Android Smart Phone

A battery is a battery, whether it’s in your phone, a camera, or a car. Like every other piece of technology, batteries will slowly degrade over time. It’s perfectly normal and natural. However, there are things you can do to mitigate battery degradation in devices. While it is rare, sometimes batteries can lose some of their abilities more quickly, which is why VinFast has the best battery warranty in the business with its 10-year, unlimited-mile warranty.

Learning How to Charge

Remember back in the day when cell phones were first coming out? It was recommended to charge them to full, then let them fully discharge on their own, and then from there, you could use them as normal. Well, now, especially with lithium-ion batteries in EVs and smartphones, it is recommended that batteries always charge between 20% and 80% most of the time. This is why car manufacturers like VinFast tell you the charging speed is between 20% and 70 or 80%.

Should You Be Worried About Battery Degradation?

It can be tricky to know the best practices because, simply put, you are just trying to live your life and drive your car as you need to. One thing people are starting to ask is how much your VinFast is affected by charging the car via a Level 3 DC fast charger. That charger carries the most kilowatts to charge cars more quickly. In the case of a VF8 or VF9, that’s about 25 minutes to get you up to 70%. But does it hurt your battery life? Well, yes… kind of. Should you worry about it? That depends.

Where is it Best to Charge?

No matter what, it is always easiest and cheapest to charge at home. So, say you use 50% of your battery range by driving to and from work every day. When you plug into your home charger, which hopefully is a VinFast Home charger, the car and the charger will communicate. This will get you up to 80% at a reasonable rate and then relax the charge on its way up to 100% so as not to put too much strain on the battery. It is important to note that your EV is very smart and works hard to protect the battery system in your car.

Some Studies Show Promising Results

Luckily for EV owners, some studies show that using fast chargers can have negligible degradation effects over time. That being said, if you do lots of long-distance traveling and utilize Level 3 chargers, not only will you be spending more money to charge your car, but over time, this could contribute to your battery health dwindling from 100% of capacity down to 90 or so percent after a couple of years of doing this. That means that your maximum range will drop by 10%.

When In Doubt, Charge at Home

There is still plenty of testing to be done to determine how batteries will last over time when charged more quickly and subjected to heat and stress. This is why it’s always best to charge your VinFast at home as much as possible.

Why Choose Ewing VinFast

We look forward to serving you.