Latest news with #WindroseTechnology
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Job creator or industry killer? Europe's EV sector faces Chinese investment dilemma
Eyebrows raised and brow furrowed into a puzzled smile, French President Emmanuel Macron held a model of a cleanly sculpted, sheer white truck. To his left, Wen Han, a 35-year-old Chinese entrepreneur, beamed through thick, black-rimmed glasses. In Macron's hand was a miniature Windrose electric lorry , its sleek, forward-leaning nose and central driving position evoking science fiction more than the gritty world of road haulage. The Chinese company, founded by Han just three years ago, announced this week that it would build a €175 million (US$199 million) factory in northern France. Bigger investments and flashier names came to last week's Choose France summit, but few were set against a geoeconomic backdrop as charged as Windrose Technology's. The European Union is locked in a trade dispute with China over electric vehicles . It is also wrestling with whether and how to harness Chinese investment in the sector. Around the continent, a debate is being waged on whether China's prowess in the sector can be a job creator or an industry killer. Han is certain it is the former. 'He told me he wants me to bring the whole ecosystem to France,' Han said in an interview, when asked what Macron told him. Although only 30 Windrose trucks are on the roads worldwide, Han is ambitious. He wants to make 4,000 of them a year in France from 2027 and is eyeing an American plant too. He is already planning to float Windrose on a US stock exchange and told Macron he would like a secondary listing in France.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Job creator or industry killer? Europe's EV sector faces Chinese investment dilemma
Eyebrows raised and brow furrowed into a puzzled smile, French President Emmanuel Macron held a model of a cleanly sculpted, sheer white truck. To his left, Wen Han, a 35-year-old Chinese entrepreneur, beamed through thick, black-rimmed glasses. In Macron's hand was a miniature Windrose electric lorry , its sleek, forward-leaning nose and central driving position evoking science fiction more than the gritty world of road haulage. The Chinese company, founded by Han just three years ago, announced this week that it would build a €175 million (US$199 million) factory in northern France. Bigger investments and flashier names came to last week's Choose France summit, but few were set against a geoeconomic backdrop as charged as Windrose Technology's. The European Union is locked in a trade dispute with China over electric vehicles . It is also wrestling with whether and how to harness Chinese investment in the sector. Around the continent, a debate is being waged on whether China's prowess in the sector can be a job creator or an industry killer. Han is certain it is the former. 'He told me he wants me to bring the whole ecosystem to France,' Han said in an interview, when asked what Macron told him. Although only 30 Windrose trucks are on the roads worldwide, Han is ambitious. He wants to make 4,000 of them a year in France from 2027 and is eyeing an American plant too. He is already planning to float Windrose on a US stock exchange and told Macron he would like a secondary listing in France.
New York Times
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
The Chinese Electric Vehicle Founder Who Wants In on Trump's America
The question posed to Wen Han, founder of the electric truck maker Windrose Technology, was a simple one: Is it accurate to call the firm a Chinese company? After some rambling, Mr. Han settled on an answer: 'I would describe it as Chinese origin.' There's a reason it felt like a trick question: Windrose's investors include an Australian property group, U.S. venture capital financiers and Chinese state-owned funds. It is now based in Belgium. But at its heart, Windrose packs China's significant advantages in making electric vehicles. Mr. Han wants to use that edge to sell long-haul trucks globally. He is intent on taking his company public in New York, saying he plans to file the initial paperwork within the next month to raise up to at least $400 million. While the business proposition is simple, the execution is anything but — complicated by geopolitics, trade tensions and a surge of protectionism. Mr. Han is mindful of what he calls Windrose's 'Chineseness.' Born in China's coal country, Mr. Han, 34, grew up when Chinese globalization did not trigger the kind of political distrust in the United States that it does now. He attended Williams College in Massachusetts and worked at the American hedge fund Bridgewater Associates. His life has spanned both countries. Now, he is pushing for Windrose to do the same in a fracturing world. 'China will never be America's best friend, not in our lifetimes,' he said. 'However, China doesn't have to be the enemy forever, and not everyone from China has to be the enemy.' Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
