VinFast footprint will be smaller than originally planned
IF YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL OUT
THERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU,
BRETT.
>> ONE OF THE BIGGEST BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
HISTORY HAS HIT A SPEED BUMP
ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANUFACTURER
VINFAST IS SCALING DOWN ITS
PROJECT IN CHATHAM COUNTY.
THIS IS THE FUTURE SITE OF
INFEST MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR
FACILITY.
>> YOU CAN SEE FROM 2022.
24, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED.
SHAUN GALLAGHER REPORTS FROM
CHATHAM COUNTY
>> AND ECONOMIC EXPERT I TALKED
TO WOULDN'T GO AS FAR AS TO SAY
HE WAS WORRIED, BUT EXACTLY
WHAT YOU SEE HERE BEHIND ME IS
ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE
CONSTRUCTION ON THE PLANT HERE
IN CHATHAM COUNTY. A LOT OF
SPACE BEING CLEARED, BUT
NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT. AND
AFTER ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF,
VINFAST IS NOT LIVING UP TO
ITS NAME.
>> NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE
VINFAST GROUNDBREAKING IN 2023.
A LOT OF ACTIVITY ON THE SITE
BUT NOT A LOT TO SHOW FOR IT.
THE VIEW FROM UP ABOVE SHOWS A
GIANT SPACE CLEARED IN THE SEA
OF TREES HERE IN MONKEY.
YOUR BUT IT LOOKS ALMOST
IDENTICAL TO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
HERE LAST JULY AND NOW CHATHAM
COUNTY CONFIRMS WITH WRAL
FANFEST REQUESTED TO SHRINK
ITS FOOTPRINT BY ABOUT 20%.
HERE'S WHAT THE ORIGINAL
BLUEPRINT LOOKED LIKE FROM JULY
OF 2023, A MASSIVE PRODUCTION
SITE NEARLY A MILLION SQUARE
FEET IN SIZE. BUT REVISIONS IN
FEBRUARY CHANGE THE LAYOUT OF
THE MAIN PLANT AND DROP THE
SIZE TO 782,000 SQUARE FEET ON
EARNINGS CALL WEDNESDAY.
VINFAST SAYS IT'S STILL ON
TRACK TO START OPERATIONS AND
HIRE A LOT OF WORKERS BY THE
END OF NEXT YEAR, FAR FROM THE
ORIGINAL GOAL OF PRODUCTION
STARTING THIS JUNE. I DON'T
THINK THAT THIS IS A DOOMSDAY
MESSAGE FROM NDS. I DO THINK IT
STILL HAS A FUTURE HERE, BUT
MAYBE NOT AS BIG A FUTURE AS IT
HAS WON IT.
>> NC STATE ECONOMICS PROFESSOR
MIKE WALDEN FEELS THIS ISN'T
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY
FAILING. HE SAYS THE ENTIRE
ELECTRIC VEHICLE MARKET IS
TAKING A HIT RIGHT NOW SINCE
AUGUST VINFAST STOCK HAS
TUMBLED FROM A HIGH OF $93 TO
BELOW $3 WALDEN FEELS VINFAST
CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE STATE
ALSO ALONG THE ROAD. BUT
NOTHING I DON'T THINK I DON'T
SEE US GO OUT FALLING OVER THE
CLIFF. I DON'T SEE THE INDUSTRY
FALLING OVER THE CLUB.
>> AND SO FAR IT DOESN'T APPEAR
THE COUNTY'S WORRIED ABOUT THIS
EITHER. NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE
FOR AN INTERVIEW TODAY. THEY
SAY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN MADE
AWARE BY VINFAST THAT THEY
WON'T OWN UP TO THEIR 4 BILLION
DOLLAR INVESTMENT HERE.
>> AND THAT THEY EXPECT THEM
TO MEET THEIR JOBS GOAL AS