The Chinese electric truck developer Windrose, which launched with major international ambitions, is reportedly insolvent. Kyle Maki, Director of Customer Success and Operations at Windrose, claims the company is 90 days behind on wage payments. No further evidence has yet been provided to support his statements.
Kyle Maki has taken to LinkedIn to criticise his employer. He writes that the Windrose team has been working out of a caravan for two months because the company no longer has suitable premises. According to the post, wages have not been paid for three months. Maki blames founder and CEO Wen Han for the situation. Wen Han has not responded, and the company has not issued an official statement.
Windrose is not a traditional manufacturer. Founded just three years ago and based in Hefei, the company does not have its own production facilities in China. With a relatively small team – in May, it reportedly employed around 150 people – Windrose Technology designs and develops vehicles, which are then contract-manufactured by Anhui Jianghuai Automobile and Higer Bus. According to a previous report by Nikkei, the company has so far only delivered a double-digit number of trucks in China, a fraction of the targeted 10,000 units by 2027.
Windrose aimed to achieve rapid growth with a wide-reaching expansion strategy. In July, the company announced a $60 million order for electric trucks from the United States. At the same time, Windrose unveiled a partnership with Chilean logistics firm Trailerlogistics Sudamerica to enter the South American market. Just days earlier, the company named German testing organisation DEKRA as a partner to support expansion into several regions worldwide, with a focus on meeting regional and international safety standards.
Whether the venture collapses before it begins remains unconfirmed. Apart from the claims of the disaffected director, there is no proof of Windrose’s potential insolvency. However, signs of inconsistencies exist. Chinese media reported in July that the US customer behind the US$60 million deal was California-based haulier Nevoya, which only operates electric trucks. At the time, Nevoya told electrive the deal was not yet finalised. Publicly celebrating an agreement before it is signed raises questions.
Windrose’s main product is the R700, a heavy-duty long-haul tractor unit. The vehicle is designed with an 800-volt architecture and a 729-kWh battery, with a claimed range of over 670 kilometres when fully loaded at a total weight of 49 tonnes. Production is limited to China, but CEO Wen Han announced last year that Windrose planned to establish assembly plants in the US and Belgium, where chassis and other parts manufactured in China would be assembled.
According to Han, Windrose had already secured non-binding orders for 6,400 vehicles “mainly from the US” more than a year ago, with delivery scheduled within three years. That statement, published by Reuters, predates the inauguration of US President Trump and the ensuing tariff disputes. Han recently confirmed to Nikkei that the company intends to stay the course. Windrose is reportedly refurbishing an old long-haul truck assembly plant in California and plans to decide on a second, larger production site for US customers before the end of the year. In Europe, Windrose is said to have set up shop in Antwerp, Belgium, and is preparing an additional assembly facility in Onnaing, northern France.
linkedin.com via electrek.co
