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 Founded in 2017, it originally made gas-powered cars with help from General Motors and BMW before pivoting to EVs.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
Saturday is a monumental game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are coming off an embarrassing defensive performance against the SMU Mustangs last weekend. Boopie Miller and the Mustangs dominated the tempo of the game, leading to a 97-83 win over the Tar Heels.
North Carolina will be hosting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday night. The Tar Heels enter this contest with a 13-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference record. Meanwhile, Wake Forest owns a 10-6 overall record and a 1-1 conference record.
With that brief preview, let’s take a look at a couple of keys to the game that will be deciphering factors in the outcome of this matchup.
Can North Carolina Bounce Back Defensively?
While speaking with the media on Friday during his press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained what he saw on film against SMU, and how that will be the main message heading into Saturday.
- “Obviously, disappointed defensively,” Davis said. “It was just a number of things. I mean, it was on transition, one-on-one, not boxing out at times, not talking and communicating the right way, discipline, shot fake, stay down, putting guys at the free throw line. And so, I was really excited about this week not having a midweek game, to actually have practice. To practice on us, as opposed to preparing for Wake Forest until the latter part of the week. So, I felt like it was a perfect time not to have a midweek game, to be able to get to practice and start doing fundamentally the things that have allowed us all year to be a pretty good defensive team.”
Wake Forest’s top offensive weapon is Juke Harris, who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
Last week, the Tar Heels struggled against their opponent’s best player, but Harris and Miller are drastically different players, so North Carolina may be able to contain the 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard more sufficiently. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ perimeter defense has to be stellar to win comfortably.
Backcourt Production Has to be Noticeable
We already know that Seth Trimble will do his part, but someone between Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, and Derek Dixon have to step up with an efficient performance. The trio has been extremely underwhelming for the majority of the season, especially Evans and Bogavac.
For Evans and Bogavac to find sustain success and confidence, a strong outing will go a long way in that regard. Saturday is an important game for the Tar Heels’ guard who need to show a sign of life with conference play heating up.
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BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — As of Friday, Jan. 9, there are a total of 310 measles cases in South Carolina, mostly in Spartanburg County, including 99 new cases since Tuesday, according to S.C. health officials.
North Carolina is also dealing with measles, with a case recently confirmed on Friday in Rutherford County. This raises the state’s total to five cases since late December, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
While the number of measles cases in western North Carolina is in single digits, health officials are warning the public about just how quickly and easily it can spread, along with several other illnesses.
Health officials continue to remain focused on stopping it from spreading.
NEW MEASLES CASE CONFIRMED IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY; 5TH CASE IN NORTH CAROLINA SINCE DECEMBER
“Currently, we do not have a community spread of measles in Buncombe County. The cases that we’ve had have been connected to the South Carolina outbreak that is right across the state line,” said Buncombe County Public Health Director Dr. Ellis Matheson.
The measles case in Polk County, confirmed on Dec. 31, 2025, was the first in N.C. believed to be linked to the S.C. outbreak, after an unvaccinated child traveled to Spartanburg County, as News 13 previously reported. The next three WNC measles occurrences, which NCDHHS announced on Jan. 6, were siblings in Buncombe County who also traveled to Spartanburg County.
Measles continues to be an issue in North Carolina.
In Friday’s case update, Matheson said if you feel like you’ve been exposed and are already experiencing symptoms, let the clinic or hospital know before coming in.
“Please call ahead so that we can really reduce any potential exposures to possible measles,” Matheson said.
If you haven’t been vaccinated but have been exposed, Dr. Matheson added that even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, you’re being asked to quarantine for 21 days from the date of exposure.
NC HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE VACCINES AMID MEASLES AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SURGE
She’s also encouraging those who were exposed to measles on January 4 between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. at Mission Hospital’s Emergency Department waiting room to contact them right away.
“We are in general seeing community spread of both varicella and whooping cough,” Matheson said.
As for chickenpox, outbreaks have not spread to additional schools, but community spread has continued, including an outbreak at Fairview Elementary School, which is why she’s encouraging everyone to take steps in prevention.
“So once again, I would just strongly encourage that people are making sure that they are up to date on recommended vaccines for everything that we have vaccines for,” Matheson said.
Buncombe County health officials are holding free vaccine clinics every week. For more information or if you want to book ahead, call (828) 250-6100.
Should the CFP committee rethink the playoff schedule format?
Extended breaks and logistical challenges have reopened questions about whether the College Football Playoff committee should adjust the playoff schedule format.
Bill Belichick is adding an experienced offensive coordinator to his coaching staff at North Carolina football for the 2026 college football season.
On Friday, Jan. 9, the Tar Heels announced the hiring of Bobby Petrino as the offensive coordinator. Petrino spent the last two seasons with Arkansas as the offensive coordinator and was promoted to interim head coach following the firing of Sam Pittman.
Belichick and the Tar Heels opted to part ways with former offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens on Dec. 12, after one season.
“We are fortunate to add an elite coaching talent in Bobby to our staff,” Belichick said in a statement. “He brings an extensive background and a proven record of success on offense at every level of football. Bobby has consistently built great offenses everywhere he has been, and we look forward to having him work with our program.”
UNC finished 2025 as one of the worst offenses in college football. Out of 136 FBS teams, the Tar Heels finished No. 131 in total offense and No. 121 in scoring offense (19.3).
Petrino brings previous head coaching experience to Belichick’s staff, with stops at Louisville (2003-06), the Atlanta Falcons (2007), Arkansas (2008-11), Western Kentucky (2013), Louisville (2014-18) and Missouri State (2020-22).
With the Cardinals, Petrino coached 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time ACC Player of the Year Lamar Jackson. Last season, the Razorbacks ranked 19th nationally in total offense with 454.8 yards per game.
“I’m extremely excited to join Coach Belichick and the Carolina football program,” Petrino said. “This is an incredible opportunity to work with one of the best at a storied institution. I cannot wait to get started in Chapel Hill alongside this coaching staff and student-athletes.”
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