North Carolina
VinFast Delays North Carolina EV Plant To 2028 Over 'Economic Headwinds' And Not Any Other Reasons
It was supposed to be “the crown jewel of VinFast’s global expansion.” Now, the Vietnamese auto startup’s $4 billion electric vehicle factory near Raleigh, North Carolina will not open until 2028, despite originally slated to be operating this month. The automaker blames “economic headwinds” and uncertainty in “the global EV landscape,” but as with most things VinFast, there’s more to the story than that.
On Friday evening, VinFast announced that it has “made the strategic decision to adjust the timeline for the launch of its North Carolina manufacturing facility,” pushing that target date back a full four years. Construction is currently on hold at the plant, which was said to one day build the three-row VinFast VF9 and five-seat VinFast VF8 electric SUVs.
VinFast is an ambitious but troubled EV startup
Vietnam is new to the world of making cars and VinFast represents its highest ambitions. However, critics say it may have attempted to expand globally too quickly without products that were truly competitive, and the company has been accused of various financial improprieties as well.
“We have adopted a more prudent outlook that is carefully calibrated to near-term headwinds, taking into full consideration the realities of market volatility and potential challenges,” Madam Thuy Le, Chairwoman of VinFast’s Board of Directors, said in a news release. “Our robust long-term strategy and proven execution capabilities position us well to meet the evolving needs of the dynamic global EV market.”
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While it’s certainly true that the global EV transition is more complex, costly and difficult than most automakers and governments had anticipated, and demand is proving to be uneven worldwide, VinFast has faced more headaches than mere economic uncertainty. The automaker has faced a slew of negative early reviews, allegations of impropriety in its home country, an investor lawsuit in the U.S. and serious quality issues as it seeks to be a major player in the space.
VinFast emerged almost out of nowhere in recent years as the automotive arm of Vingroup, one of Vietnam’s largest privately owned companies and a conglomerate with interests in smartphones, hospitals, hotels, retail and more. Founded in 2017, it originally made gas-powered cars with help from General Motors and BMW before pivoting to EVs. It has since attempted a rapid global expansion and is deploying a lineup of electric cars at a record-setting place.
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Key to those ambitions is the U.S. market, which necessitated American production. The North Carolina factory was originally set to be a 995,500-square-foot facility aimed at bringing 7,500 jobs to the region in service of building 150,000 EVs per year. For such an ambitious plan, it was awarded some $1.2 billion in state and county incentives over the next few decades.
However, as the Carolina Journal noted in a report this spring, construction had been paused at the site after VinFast submitted a new plan to Chatham County’s government in December indicating the site would be considerably smaller. This change of plans led the county to review the permit request. “No construction is being done until this permit revision is issued,” a county official said at the time.
Meanwhile, VinFast’s sole offering currently for sale in the U.S., the VF8, has received unprecedentedly scathing reviews for a modern car. Critics dinged its ride quality, user experience, handling and price tag; InsideEVs’ first drive test was merely headlined “Yikes.” The company has since relied mostly on influencer and social media marketing to reach American buyers. Globally, it still claims to have delivered 12,058 vehicles in the second quarter of this year alone and is on target to more than double last year’s sales to 80,000.
But that claim comes with some caveats. VinFast has been accused of “selling” most of its cars to a taxi service owned by Vingroup. And as InsideEVs reported earlier this year, some critics of the automaker in Vietnam have faced detention from the police, under a law that punishes those who “infringe upon the interests of the state, organizations, and individuals.”
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Still, VinFast continues to debut new models, including the electric $9,000 VF3 city car that first appeared at CES. The company is either beginning sales or starting its expansion into Thailand, the Philippines, Europe and the Middle East. But it’s looking more and more like perhaps VinFast should’ve led with that vehicle and those markets before seeking to take the U.S. by storm.
That’s going to be years away now, if it ever happens at all, especially since current U.S. rules prioritize incentives for EVs built in North America. Meanwhile, the taxpayers of North Carolina—who were also promised thousands of new manufacturing jobs—are the ones left in the lurch. As the Carolina Journal notes, the state’s Transformative Job Development and Investment Grant “has had a terrible track record” with most incentive recipients pulling out of their agreements with the state.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
Less than two weeks after losing its head coach to Duke University, a North Carolina high school football program has been promoted from within.
Kevin Reddick will become the new head coach at Rolesville High School, replacing Ranier Rackley, who became the Director of Player Development at Duke University.
News of the decision was first reported by High School OT.
Reddick was the defensive coordinator for the Rams for the past three seasons, helping the team win 25 games during that run. Last year, Rolesville allowed just under 15 points per game with Reddick in charge of the defense.
North Carolina High School Promotes Defensive Coordinator To Head Coach
Rolesville finished 9-4 last season under Rackley and Reddick.
Reddick is a graduate of New Bern High School, helping the Bears capture the 2007 Class 4AA North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Football championship. He was tabbed the most valuable player of that title game as a sophomore fullback after scoring two touchdowns in a 28-17 victory over Independence.
At New Bern, Reddick earned conference defensive player of the year honors and was all-state at lineback as a senior after recording 189 tackles, eight quarterback sacks, six forced fumbles and four blocked punts. He also ran for over 160 yards and scored six touchdowns.
Kevin Reddick Was College Standout, Had NFL Career Before Becoming Coach
Following his high school career, Reddick signed with North Carolina as a four-star prospect, earning first team all-ACC honors as a senior. He also had offers from North Carolina State, Virginia and Clemson.
With the Tar Heels, Reddick played in 50 games, recording 275 tackles, including 36 for loss, with 8.5 quarterback sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Reddick signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie free agent, and also had stints with the San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills.
Rolesville reached the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Football championship game with Reddick on the coaching staff and the third round this past season.
Rolesville Returns Top Rusher, Several Other Key Players
The Rams will be replacing starting quarterback Kaleb Williams, who had almost 2,500 yards passing and 22 touchdowns, as freshman Chase Williams was 8-for-8 for 98 yards with a touchdown in three games.
They will have top running back Amir Brown back, as he ran for 1,374 yards with 22 touchdowns and six games of 100 yards rushing as a junior. He also had 13 receptions for 106 yards and another TD.
Anthony Roberts is another key player back, as he caught 35 passes for 656 yards and nine TDs. Top tacklers Jayden Broadie, Javon Campbell, Genesis Allen and Keonte Sutton are all set to return, as well.
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At least two people are dead and “several” others are injured after a “planned fight” at a North Carolina park escalated into a mass shooting, authorities said.
Police have identified several victims and suspects after Monday’s shooting at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Authorities confirmed there were multiple victims in the shooting, but did not provide an exact number. The suspects were still at large over two hours later.
Officers were called to the park just before 10 a.m. after reports of a fight, which then escalated into multiple people shooting each other.
Area schools are not in lockdown, and classes are operating as normal, police said.
“Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles,” police said.
According to local news station WFMY, at least three people were taken to the hospital. Officials have not shared their conditions.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and remains under investigation.
This is a developing story
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 6-2-0, Fireball: 6
Evening: 4-1-7, Fireball: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 7-6-9-4, Fireball: 4
Evening: 8-1-5-6, Fireball: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
02-21-32-35-37
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from April 19 drawing
18-26-27-31-42
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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