Windrose director: company is out of money, 90 days past due on payroll

Kyle Maki, the Director of Customer Success — Operations at Windrose Technology, took to LinkedIn to announce that the company was 90 days behind on payroll and out of money. Then, he let everyone know exactly who he thought was to blame.

One of the most exciting and potentially market-shifting new electric vehicle startups of the last few years has undoubtedly been Windrose Technology, but despite the exciting announcements (and game-changing trade show swag) from the company in recent months, it appears the reality was very different behind the smoke and mirrors.

“As of today, we are now 90 days past due on employee payroll,” wrote Maki, in a LinkedIn post that went live Friday. “While Windrose has been posting about taking customer deposits, the reality is there is no money. For the past two months, the team has been working out of a trailer because we no longer have a proper facility. The ‘cabs being shipped over’ post? Those cabs never left the port in LA due to unpaid bills … all a marketing stunt.”

As far as who’s responsible for what’s happened so, Maki doesn’t hide the fact that he blames Wen Han, the company’s CEO, Wen Han. “Wen’s #1 priority seems to have been getting featured in outlets like The New York Times, Yahoo, or being on CNBC,” he writes. “Not paying his employees or fixing the company’s financial crisis.”

It seems bad

For his part, the Windrose CEO hasn’t directly addressed Maki’s claims — at least, not on LinkedIn. Instead, the CEO has kept his posts positive, highlighting new sales and deals. I’ve reached out to Wen for comment, and will update this story as new information becomes available. In the meantime, check out the original Kyle Maki post, below …

… then let us know what you think of Maki’s airing Windrose dirty laundry in public in the comments section at the bottom of the page. And, while you’re there, let us know whether or not this will hurt the broader credibility of electric trucking in the US and/or abroad.

Obviously there’s a lot more to this developing Windrose story than just Maki’s post. As we learn more, we’ll do our best to report on thnigs and keep you all posted on what’s really going on, as much as we can determine.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Kyle Maki, via LinkedIn.

If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.