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PLUG PULLED Car production plant abruptly shuts down leaving employees begging for state to ‘do something’
The carmaker had been awarded more than $100 million in state-funded, performance-based incentives
- Published: 5:03 ET, Dec 27 2024
- Updated: 13:31 ET, Dec 27 2024
A MAJOR electric car brand has been forced to close its plant and furlough all of its employees - as a former worker reveals the true extent of the company’s problems.
Canoo, known for producing a range of electric minivans, shut the doors of its Oklahoma production facility last week.
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EV maker Canoo is facing issues at its Oklahoma site with staff put on furloughCredit: Getty
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The huge site has failed to get going with an employee lifting the lid on what happened at the facilityCredit: CanooA former employee of the plant - who wished to remain anonymous - revealed that problems began almost immediately after they joined Canoo’s team in early 2024, local NBC affiliate KFOR-TV reported.
According to the outlet, the State of Oklahoma awarded Canoo more than $100 million in state-funded, performance-based incentives.
In return, the carmaker promised to manufacture its vehicles in Oklahoma to help create jobs and generate revenue.
The former employee said: “I’ve seen a company grow from the bottom up and I was really excited to see this one succeed.”
However, within the first few days of their employment, it became apparent that the company’s higher-ups often took several smoke breaks and were dismissive, with a general lack of motivation in the air.
They said: “Nobody really cared.
“I didn’t see any type of motivation at all. Just kind of, you know, showing up and doing a lot of preventative maintenance.”
The employee added: “Nothing was functioning.
“There was not one robotics line that actually worked to fabricate a part.”
The employee said that those in charge often improvised during factory tours, and equipment was put into what's called "ghost mode."
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“There were a couple of key robots that were able to do, like, not full movements, but kind of mimic, you know, a movement that it would do if it was operating,” the ex-employee added.
Naturally, this kind of work wasn’t sustainable, and the announcement was made in November that Canoo would furlough some of its employees.
Then, a follow-up announcement last week stated that all of its employees had been furloughed at the Oklahoma site.
A spokesperson for Canoo provided the following statement: “The company is in advanced discussions with various capital sources… We regret having to furlough our employees, especially during the holidays, but we have no choice at this point. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring them back to work soon.”
An Oklahoma Department of Commerce spokesperson told KFOR-TV that since Canoo’s incentives were performance-based, the state had only given them $1 million to date, and the department would look at getting the money back if necessary.
On this, the employee said: “I would say it’s very sad when big companies take advantage of taxpayer money to invest in things that suit themselves. Something needs to be done.”
“During this holiday season, it’s a very hard time to be without a job, but not knowing what your future looks like and having to rebuild that, that’s going to be a very difficult task,” the ex-employee added.
Based in Torrance, California, Canoo currently has three vehicles on its books.
The LV, or Lifestyle Vehicle, is a minivan-style EV built to be highly adaptable for personal and commercial use.
The LDV, or Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle, and Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle (MPDV) are both commercial delivery vans designed for fleet and business use.
In better news, a much-loved Harley-Davidson store opened its doors again just days before Christmas - having been closed for some three months.
The motorcycle dealership in Swannanoa, North Carolina, sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Helene back in late September 2024 and even served as a base of operations during the crisis.
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Canoo has three vehicles on its books - including an EV minivanCredit: Getty |
