VinFast Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Automaker Overstated Electric Vehicle Charging Speeds

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims VinFast Auto has falsely advertised that its electric vehicles have rapid charging capabilities when, in fact, the cars require nearly 24 hours to fully charge.

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The 18-page lawsuit was filed by two California residents who allege they were misled by the automaker’s charging representations when they leased 2024 VinFast VF 8 Plus electric vehicles in August of last year.

Although VinFast advertises that its vehicles charge at the industry-standard 32-amp rate, an apparent software defect causes the cars to shut down and stop charging when consumers attempt to charge at that amperage, the suit alleges. To prevent this, users must reduce the amperage to 19 amps or below, dropping the charging power by almost 40 percent and approximately doubling the charging time, the case asserts.

The amperage reduction results in a nearly 24-hour charging time, greatly exceeding what is reasonable for electric vehicles and rendering the cars “unusable for normal transportation,” the complaint contends.

“Plaintiffs and similarly situated consumers were misled into leasing or purchasing these vehicles under materially false pretenses,” the class action lawsuit summarizes. “Despite repeated attempts to have the issues repaired, the problems persist.”

According to the filing, the manufacturer has failed to provide software updates or otherwise remedy the apparent VinFast charging defect.

Indeed, the plaintiffs claim VinFast only offers “two inadequate solutions: install expensive new charging equipment at [the consumers’] cost or receive no assistance.”

What’s more, the VinFast lawsuit alleges the automaker has continued to sell electric vehicles without disclosing the apparent charging limitations.

The alleged misrepresentations and repair failures have caused the plaintiffs “daily inconvenience” and left them with cars that are impractical for their intended purpose, the suit argues.

The VinFast lawsuit looks to represent all consumers or entities in the United States which, in the past four years, purchased or leased a VinFast VF 8 Plus vehicle that failed to charge at the advertised wattage rate (typically 6.6 kilowatts or more), resulting in materially longer charging times than represented by the manufacturer.

Learn all about the legal process: What is a class action lawsuit?