OKLAHOMA CITY ( KFOR ) — A former Canoo employee says state leaders should make every effort to hold the electric vehicle company accountable following the company’s decision to furlough all of its local employees and shutter its Oklahoma production facilities last week.
The employee spoke with News 4 on the condition their identity not be revealed since they signed a non-disclosure agreement. They said from the get-go they were initially excited to join Canoo’s team in early 2024, especially after the State of Oklahoma awarded it more than $100 million in state-funded, performance-based incentives in 2023.
The plan was to pay out the incentives to the electric vehicle manufacturer over a 10-year period to help the company get off the ground. Canoo promised to manufacture its vehicles in Oklahoma, bring jobs, and create revenue in return.
Last year, Canoo claimed it built its first three vehicles at its Oklahoma City plant and sold them to the state, but a former employee told News 4 last week they were actually built in Texas.