Windrose is setting up its largest European plant

in Hauts-de-France

Windrose Technology is investing 175 million euros in Onnaing in order to build its largest European site specialized in electric trucks. This is a strategic project and a major step towards accelerating the transition towards carbon-free mobility in Europe. 300 jobs to be created.

Published on 28.05.2025

A 175 million euro investment
to accelerate carbon-free mobility

The world’s leading manufacturer of electric trucks Windrose Technology has announced that it is setting up its largest European industrial site in Onnaing, in the heart of the Valenciennes metropolitan area, with a 175 million euro investment. This ambitious project will create 300 jobs initially and marks a decisive step towards the industrialization of zero-emission heavy haul transportation in Europe.

Windrose plans to manufacture 10,000 trucks per year worldwide by 2027. The Onnaing plant therefore represents a key step in this development, by strengthening Europe’s industrial capacity and consolidating its customers’ environmental commitments (Amazon, DHL, Maersk, etc.).

We have chosen Onnaing for several very practical reasons. Firstly, the local industrial ecosystem is strong, with expertise in mobility and batteries, and there is real momentum around the energy transition. The site is also close to the “battery valley”, which further enhances its strategic importance to us. Onnaing, with its river port, offers very efficient logistics and this will complete our site in Antwerp, which will remain our hub for imports, operations, as well as our European headquarters. The site’s location, with two highway access points, is also a major asset and an important factor in ensuring smooth logistics flows. Finally, the project will be carried out in two phases. We are aiming for a production capacity of 4,000 trucks per year, with the possibility of expanding this in the future.

Eric Gauthier, Director of European Operations at Windrose

A major industrial project in Onnaing.

The French site will cover 968,752 sq. ft. of buildings, with an annual capacity of 4,000 trucks starting in 2027. The plant will handle the entire vehicle manufacturing process, with the supply chain gradually being sourced locally. The plant will start with around 300 jobs and will eventually create around 1,000 job opportunities within the local ecosystem.

This project has been made possible thanks to a partnership with Percier-Réalisation-Développement (PRD), a French industrial real estate operator. Responsible for developing and constructing the site, PRD is playing a central role in the rapid delivery of a production facility that meets Windrose’s requirements. The total investment for the project amounts to €175 million, of which €100 million is being provided by PRD. This site will handle the complete assembly of vehicles, while Antwerp will continue to manage the logistics flows for Europe.

We are particularly delighted that we were able to assist Windrose in their choice of France and then the Onnaing site in the heart of Valenciennes Métropole and the Hauts-de-France region, which has been so important to PRD for 25 years. This industrial project, which allows for the manufacture of the world’s best electric truck in the Hauts-de-France region, with exclusive support from PRD, is a source of great joy and pride. We can count on the support of long-standing partners who are true examples of excellence, such as Xavier Bertrand, Nord France Invest, Business France, and, of course, Valenciennes Métropole, to ensure the success of this exciting venture. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of them for their outstanding teamwork, and especially to Windrose for their unwavering trust.

Romain Peyronie, Managing Director at PRD

Valenciennes Métropole,
a strategic choice for industrial innovation

By choosing to set up its largest European factory in Onnaing, Windrose has confirmed France’s strategic relevance – and more specifically that of the Hauts-de-France region – as a location for large-scale industrial projects.

This decision is based on several key factors:

A strategic geographic location, which is close to Belgium, where the company’s European headquarters are located in Antwerp, and connected to the major logistics markets of Northern and Western Europe,
The density and dynamics of the mobility and battery sectors in Hauts-de-France, a pioneering region in electric mobility with a strong industrial ecosystem,
A strong recruitment capacity, supported by an experienced labor pool and the availability of specialized training in industry, maintenance, engineering, and embedded systems.

All these advantages convinced Windrose that this was the right place to invest and will contribute to the success of its industrial project in France.

With Windrose, we are entering a new phase. After Axens, electromobility is now gaining ground here, which is excellent news for our industrial ecosystem and local employment. We worked hard to secure this project, despite fierce competition at both national and European levels. Windrose’s decision illustrates the soundness of our strategy: to attract major industrial projects in related sectors without ever becoming dependent on a single industry.

Laurent Degallaix, President of Valenciennes Métropole

Outstanding support
through partnership

The global manufacturer of electric trucks Windrose Technology announced at the Choose France 2025 Summit that it would be setting up its largest European industrial site in Onnaing,

Since the initial discussions begun in early 2024, Nord France Invest, Valenciennes Métropole, the Hauts-de-France regional and national government departments, and Business France have worked together to support Windrose and its partner PRD with setting up their project.

This collective support has resulted in:

the provision of targeted sector-specific information, particularly on the battery industry in the Hauts-de-France region,
the identification of over ten potential sites in France, including five in the region,
as well as the organization of numerous visits to potential sites to guide the decision-making process.

This joint effort is still going strong today to support the next steps and help the project take root locally.

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Windrose:
a rising star in electric trucks

Founded in 2022 by Wen Han, former executive at Plus AI, and Haoli Chen, an expert in industrial vehicles, Windrose Technology designs and assembles next-generation electric trucks with a 416 mile range and an 800V mega-charger system. In just 21 months, the company launched its first model, a first in the industry.

Windrose is an electric heavy haul transportation technology company with over 294 patents. It has raised funds from renowned investors such as Temasek, Allianz, and Canada Pension Plan. It already works with the world’s largest logistics companies.

Already present in China with a production site in Suzhou and in Belgium via its European headquarters in Antwerp, Windrose now aims to make France its continental industrial base.