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
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.