HANOI, July 19 (Reuters) - Vietnamese automaker VinFast said on Wednesday it would start construction of a $4 billion electric vehicle factory in North Carolina next week as part of its push to expand in the United States market.
The unit of Vietnam's largest conglomerate Vingroup (VIC.HM), which began operations in 2019, announced plans for the U.S. factory last year.
It is targeting the start of production in 2025, a year later than its initial plan.
"When it begins operations, the factory will be VinFast's primary supplier of electric vehicles to the North American market," said Thuy Le, head of VinFast Auto.
The project's first phase includes a $2 billion investment in a factory capable of producing 150,000 vehicles a year.
Persons:
VinFast, Thuy Le, Tesla, China's, Vinfast, Phuong Nguyen, Jamie Freed
Organizations:
U.S, North, VinFast Auto, Spade, Thomson
Locations:
HANOI, North Carolina, United States, North American, California