VinFast starts construction of EV factory in the USA
Vietnamese electric car manufacturer VinFast has started building its first factory in the US. Announced in March 2022, the factory in Chatham County, North Carolina, will produce electric cars, electric buses and batteries for them.
The start of operations was originally planned for July 2024, but was later postponed to 2025. In the first phase, VinFast’s US plant will have capacity for 150,000 vehicles per year. The state of North Carolina is funding the project with a total of 1.2 billion dollars (about 1.1 billion euros).
The plant will be built at Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham County on an area of 728 hectares (original specification: 1,800 acres). In addition to the actual vehicle plant and battery assembly, supplier companies will also be located at the complex. However, VinFast does not currently provide any information on their size or number. The permit for the construction of the first phase has already been granted.
In addition to building the production facility, VinFast also wants to expand its sales and service network, but initially with a focus on California. According to the company, more product events and test drives will be organised there. The 999 VF 8 units shipped to the USA in 2022 were not delivered in the same year as planned, but only this spring. And as a result, the VF 8 received primarily negative reviews from US testers.
“The manufacturing facility in North Carolina is one of VinFasts key projects. When it begins operations, the factory will be VinFasts primary supplier of electric vehicles to the North American market, allowing us to optimize production and business activities,” said Le Thi Thu Thuy, CEO of VinFast Auto. “We hope the construction of the factory in Chatham County will contribute to advancing the clean energy economy in the US and help to support North Carolina’s green mobility strategy.”
0 Comments