VinFast on fast track to open EV plant in Chatham County

VinFast is on track to open North Carolina’s first car factory in Chatham County. In a visit to the site on Thursday, Van Anh Nguyen, CEO of VinFast Manufacturing US, spoke only to WRAL News about the timeline for production.

In Vietnam, where VinFast began, the company built from swamp land to cars rolling off the assembly line in 21 months. “I was honored and proud to really witness the company to grow from zero, from scratch to that global car brand company right now,” Nguyen said.

It has a similarly aggressive timeline for North Carolina.

“We’re hoping we’ll get the permits end of this year,” she said. “The moment that we get the permits we’ll start the construction right away.”

About 2,000 acres of land have already been cleared in Moncure where VinFast has committed to building its electric crossover vehicles along with the batteries to power them.

Initial plans filed with Chatham County show the footprint of the factory — with buildings similar to what WRAL saw on a visit to VinFast in Vietnam.

“We’ll have the press, the body shop. We have a paint shop and we have general assembly,” Nguyen said.

Look inside VinFast’s Vietnam SUV plant and how it compares to the one coming to NC

The company expects to hire up to 7,500 and open production at the facility as early as July 2024, with the capacity to manufacture and deliver 150,000 electric vehicles annually.

Nguyen said, “All EV models will be produced here in NC eventually.”

The leadership team of the Chatham County plant — about 10 people — is training in Vietnam at VinFast headquarters. Most of additional the hiring will come in 2024, she said, through partnerships with North Carolina community colleges.

VinFast to build a talent pipeline for techs ahead of 2024 plant opening

Nearly 1,000 VinFast vehicles will be delivered to U.S. buyers in the coming weeks.

“That shipment put us on the map of global automotive companies in the world,” Nguyen said.

And VinFast debuted two new models last month at the LA Auto Show.

While there are just a few VinFast showrooms nationwide, Nguyen said expansion of both sales and production will allow the brand to connect with American drivers.

“With great quality and a safe product, affordable price and excellent customer service, we will gain the trust from customers,” she said. “Even though we are young, we are serious and committed in building a sustainable future for all of us.”