Chinese electric truck startup Windrose, which has promoted global expansion plans, is reportedly insolvent, with one senior executive claiming the company is months behind on wage payments and has lost access to proper offices.
Kyle Maki, Director of Customer Success and Operations at Windrose, criticised the company in a LinkedIn post, saying the team has been “working out of a caravan for two months” due to a lack of premises. He alleged that wages “have not been paid for three months” and blamed founder and CEO Wen Han for the situation. Maki added that the company is “90 days behind on wage payments.” Windrose has not issued a public statement, and Wen Han did not respond to requests for comment.
Founded three years ago in Hefei, Windrose does not operate its own production lines. Instead, it develops electric trucks that are built under contract by Anhui Jianghuai Automobile and Higer Bus. With around 150 employees as of May, the company has delivered only a small number of trucks in China, compared with its target of 10,000 units by 2027, according to Nikkei.
Windrose’s R700 heavy-duty tractor, built on an 800-volt platform with a 729-kWh battery, is claimed to offer over 670 km of range at full load. Despite its limited deliveries, the company has announced ambitious growth targets, including a $60 million order from the United States in July and a partnership with Chilean logistics company Trailerlogistics Sudamerica. It also named DEKRA as a partner to support compliance with safety standards for international markets.
Questions remain over Windrose’s financial health and business transparency. Chinese media reported that the U.S. buyer of the $60 million order was California-based Nevoya, a haulier that operates only electric trucks. At the time, Nevoya told electrive the deal had not been finalised. Publicly celebrating the agreement before completion raised doubts about Windrose’s announcements.
Windrose previously said it had non-binding orders for 6,400 vehicles “mainly from the US” and was preparing assembly plants in the United States and Europe. The company has also been linked to a site in California, as well as planned facilities in Antwerp, Belgium, and Onnaing, France.