Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Annual Report”) contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “should,” “will” and “would” or the negatives of these terms or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future.

You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The cautionary statements set forth in this Annual Report, including in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere, identify important factors, which you should consider in evaluating our forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, our:

You should read this Annual Report and the documents that we reference elsewhere in this Annual Report completely and with the understanding that our actual results may differ materially from what we expect as expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in more detail in Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of Part I and Item 7 (Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) of Part II of this Annual Report. In light of the significant risks and uncertainties to which our forward-looking statements are subject, you should not place undue reliance on or regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this Annual Report regardless of the time of delivery of this Annual Report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this Annual Report.

Unless expressly indicated or the context requires otherwise, references in this Annual Report to “Envirotech,” “the Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Envirotech Vehicles, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, and our predecessor, ADOMANI, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, and Envirotech Drive Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and where appropriate, their respective consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Part I

Overview

We are a provider of purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles focused on reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership and helping fleet operators unlock the benefits of green technology. We serve commercial and last-mile fleets, school districts, public and private transportation service companies and colleges and universities to meet the increasing demand for light to heavy-duty electric vehicles. Our vehicles address the challenges of traditional fuel price cost instability and local, state and federal environmental regulatory compliance. We currently offer electric Class 4 logistics vans, cutaway vans, right-hand drive vans and urban trucks.

Our vehicles are manufactured by outside, Original Equipment Manufacturer ("OEM") partners located in China, Malaysia and the Philippines that can be marketed, sold, warrantied and serviced through our developing distribution and service network.

Our vehicles can include options for telemetrics for remote monitoring, electric power-export and various levels of grid-connectivity. Pending the completion of the transactions contemplated by our letter of intent to purchase certain battery manufacturing equipment from ProGreens New Energy Technology Co. Ltd. (“ProGreens”), our zero-emission products may also grow to include automated charging infrastructure and “intelligent” stationary energy storage that enables fast vehicle charging, emergency back-up facility power, and access to the developing, grid-connected opportunities for the aggregate power available from groups of large battery packs.

For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, our net losses were $43.8 million and $7.7 million, respectively. Our net loss for 2022 includes a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $37.1 million. On March 15, 2021, we completed our acquisition of EVTDS, a Delaware corporation, a supplier of zero-emission trucks, cargo vans, chassis and other commercial vehicles from which we have previously purchased vehicles designed to meet our specifications. The transaction was completed in accordance with the Agreement and Plan of Merger, with EVTDS and EVT Acquisition Company, Inc. ("EVT"), a Delaware corporation and our wholly owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”). As a result of this transaction, Merger Sub was merged with and into EVTDS, with EVTDS surviving as our wholly owned subsidiary (the “Merger”). In accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding share of the common stock of EVTDS was automatically converted into the right to receive one share of the common stock of the Company. As a result of the Merger, we issued an aggregate of 7,129,887 shares of our common stock to the former EVTDS stockholders, which shares represented approximately 56% of the total issued and outstanding shares of our common stock as of immediately following the effective time of the Merger.

Our company was formerly known as ADOMANI, Inc. On May 26, 2021, we filed a Certificate of Amendment of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to change our company’s name from ADOMANI, Inc. to Envirotech Vehicles, Inc.

Market Overview

Concerns regarding climate change and other environmental considerations have led to the implementation of laws and regulations that restrict, cap, or tax, emissions in the automotive industry and throughout other industries. In particular, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), Tier 4 emission standards, California Air Resources Board ("CARB"), regulations, and recently implemented policies in Europe, generally referred to as Stage I, II, III, IV, V and VI regulations, require significant reductions in the level of emissions and particulate matter produced by diesel power systems and are increasing the costs associated with producing carbon-intensive fuels. On June 25, 2020, the Board of CARB passed a first-in-the-world rule requiring truck manufacturers to transition from diesel trucks and cargo vans to electric zero-emission vehicles beginning in 2024. More recently, in December 2021, President Biden signed an executive order directing the federal government to minimize planet-heating emissions from operations and transition to an all-electric fleet of cars and trucks, with the stated goal of reducing its emissions by 65% by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

These and other regulations are expected to increase both the cost and size of emission-compliant diesel power products, primarily due to the need to incorporate additional combustion and after-treatment components. A variety of market factors are contributing to the increased use of alternative fuels and growth of alternative fuel technology, including economics, energy independence, environmental concerns, and the widespread availability of alternative fuels. As the price of crude oil remains volatile and the threats of climate change and air pollution increase as public concerns, we believe the search for more cost effective and cleaner fuels has become more important. Electricity has emerged as a cleaner-fuel solution to these challenges. The price of alternative fuels such as electricity is often substantially less than diesel or gasoline, and alternative fuels can result in the production of lower amounts of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. In addition, several public utilities in California and elsewhere have applied to their states’ public utility commissions for rate increases to be used for the purchase or leasing of electric vehicles and infrastructure. Additional requests have been made by the utilities to offer favorable costs for electric bus charging.

According to the International Energy Agency ("IEA"), approximately 6.6 million passenger electric vehicles (“EVs”) were sold globally in 2021. This represented just under 10% of 2021 vehicle sales and a doubling in EV sales versus the prior year, resulting in a total fleet of approximately 16.5 million units. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (“Bloomberg NEF”) per their Electric Vehicle Outlook 2022 report, annual passenger EV sales are estimated to more than triple between 2021 and 2025 to just below 21 million and increase to almost 80 million in 2050. China and Europe have been the leaders on electric vehicle adoption and per the same report, are expected to account for nearly 80% of EV sales in 2025, with the U.S. representing 15% of the global EV market. Government policy, however, remains ever-changing and likely continues to play a foundational role in the rate of adoption around the world.

In China, the government has mandated that electric vehicles make up 40% of all auto sales by 2030. Meanwhile, we believe that tightening emissions standards and high fuel taxes in Europe will result in substantial increases in the market share of electric vehicles. In 2021, around half of the total growth in electric vehicles sales was in China, according to the Global EV Outlook 2022 report by the IEA. In the U.S., 630,000 new electric vehicles were sold in 2021, reflecting an acceleration in growth as this was about double the sales experienced in 2020. The overall market for electric vehicles consists of multiple, discrete markets for various vehicle types, including passenger cars, buses, two-wheelers and others. Passenger cars are the most prominent, but two-wheelers are far more prevalent, particularly in Asia, and buses and trucks, although smaller in number, are significantly higher in price and often purchased in bulk by major corporate customers or government or transit agencies.

Charging infrastructure is another important factor in electric vehicle adoption rates. According to a report by S&P Global, there were approximately 126,500 Level 2 and just under 20,500 Level 3 charging stations in the United States today as of December 31, 2022. S&P Global estimates that by 2030, the United States will need 2.13 million Level 2 and 172,000 Level 3 chargers, an increase of nearly seventeen times the number of Level 2 chargers and more than eight times the number of Level 3 chargers. In an effort to help address this need, in September 2022, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (“NEVI”), established and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the "Infrastructure Bill"), which was signed into law on November 15, 2021, approved each state’s program to help states install EV chargers along interstate highways. Over the next five years, it will distribute $5 billion to establish EV charging stations every 50 miles on major corridors.

Additionally, the Infrastructure Bill included $7.5 billion to build a national network of 500,000 chargers by 2030. Through a combination of grant and incentive programs for state and local governments and the private sector, it will support the deployment of a mix of chargers in apartment buildings, in public parking, throughout communities, and across a robust network on our nation’s roadways. Some geographic areas have considerably more charging stations than others, contributing to more significant electric vehicle usage in those regions.

Commercial Vehicles

According to the aforementioned IEA report, electric trucks accounted for just 0.3% of global truck sales in 2021, with sales highly concentrated in China due to government support as the country accounted for 90% of new electric truck and bus registrations. However, the global market is growing, with an estimated 170 models available outside China in 2021 according to the IEA.

Because light duty passenger vehicles represent the largest potential market and have received the most attention from both analysts and policymakers, most global forecasts look at light duty electric vehicle sales. As relatively simple as the pricing analysis is for individual consumers, the purchase and deployment of heavy-duty commercial vehicles involves consideration of many more variables. Here, the type of customer is a major determinant, whether it is a commercial customer buying trucks for a fleet, a school district, or a municipal entity purchasing buses for public use.

Environmental Benefits

Because heavy-duty commercial vehicles consume considerably more fuel than light duty passenger vehicles, the environmental benefits of replacing conventionally fueled commercial vehicles with electric vehicles can also be substantial. Whereas an electric passenger car may reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions by 3 tons per year as compared to a conventional car, replacing a conventional Class 8 port drayage truck with an electric equivalent can bring an 18 metric ton annual reduction in GHG emissions. Replacing a conventional diesel bus with an all-electric bus can achieve a 78 metric ton (approximately 171,961 pounds) reduction in GHG emissions. Electric buses can also reduce nitrous oxide emissions by 47 kg (approximately 104 pounds) per year compared to a diesel bus and 19 kg (approximately 42 pounds) compared to a clean natural gas (“CNG”) bus. As discussed below, we believe these pollution reductions have had the greatest impact in the electric bus market, where municipalities are the principal purchasers.

A first-of-kind, comprehensive study was released in December 2019 assessing the environmental benefits and economics of various alternative fuel truck technologies. The study, conducted by the ICF International research firm (“ICF”), demonstrates that electric trucks and buses are a triple-win in terms of helping meet California’s climate and air quality targets; the least cost to own and operate across nearly all truck and bus classes by 2030, and provide the greatest job and economic benefits to the state. The study was commissioned by the Natural Resource Defense Council (“NRDC”) and the California Electric Transportation Coalition (an industry group representing utilities and vehicle manufacturers) and was sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Earthjustice, BYD, Ceres, and NextGen Climate America. Advisory support was provided by East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice and University of California, Davis. The study concluded that the costs of battery packs, and therefore the cost of electric trucks and buses, will decline such that by 2030, they will be the most attractive technology from a total cost of ownership perspective for nearly all truck and bus classes, even without incentives.

Electricity Cost Considerations

Despite higher electricity consumption of electric trucks, more widespread adoption could lead to more efficient utilization of utility and power generation assets and thus not necessarily lead to higher rates. At this point, deployment of electric trucks and buses is still too insignificant to assess their full impact on electricity prices. As a study by the clean transportation nonprofit organization CALSTART emphasizes, evaluating this impact will involve weighing potential efficiency benefits, the impact on utility distribution grids, including the cost of potential upgrades, and the need for additional infrastructure. In this regard, several public utilities have applied to their state’s Public Utility Commissions (“PUCs”) for rate increases to be used for the purchase or leasing of electric vehicles and infrastructure. Additional requests have been made by the utilities to offer favorable costs for electric school bus charging.

Trucks

Some of the main markets for electric trucks include delivery vans, shuttle buses, and utility or work trucks, each of which has its own set of challenges. Where Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle ("PHEV") have greater operational flexibility, and require less charging infrastructure, Battery Electric Vehicles ("BEV") can be either short range, which can charge quickly and operate with limited interruption, or long range, which requires longer charging times but more intraday operational flexibility. Because of charging needs and restrictions, we believe short-haul fleet vehicles that operate in a limited geographic area and return to central locations, such as delivery vans and shuttle buses, are the best candidates for electrification.

Transit Buses

Some public transportation operators are facing pressure to purchase and operate low-emissions vehicles. For public entities, cleaner transportation systems can provide benefits beyond reduced operating costs, in the form of less pollution and lower abatement and cleanup costs. Electric transit buses are likely to have lower fuel and maintenance costs which is typically a significant cost component for transit operators as compared to conventional diesel buses. Electric buses generally have smoother, faster acceleration and provide a quieter ride, thus benefiting both passengers and the surrounding urban environment.

Similar to other commercial fleet electric vehicles, transit buses have a higher initial acquisition cost than their traditional-fueled counterparts, and the logistics of charging remains a challenge. Electric buses can be two to nearly five times as expensive as conventional buses.

In addition to public health and environmental benefits, school districts and transit agencies are able to experience cost savings due to reduced fuel and maintenance costs of electric buses. While electric transit buses cost approximately $200,000 more than diesel buses (depending on battery pack size) before incentives, lifetime fuel and maintenance savings of electric transit buses approximate $400,000.

Electrification in the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sector is increasing in the U.S. with California leading the way. Increasing investment in the sector from public and private sources, however, is expected to generate growth and significantly increase the number of electric trucks and buses on the road in the near term. Upfront costs associated with electric trucks and buses are expected to decline significantly through 2030 as battery prices fall, making them competitive on a total cost of ownership ("TCO") basis.

School Buses

School buses present another significant potential market for electrification. The U.S. has approximately 480,000 school buses that are particularly well suited to running solely on electricity. Traditional diesel school buses, which make up over half the total fleet, not only consume large amounts of fuel - more than 800 million gallons of diesel a year in the United States, at a fuel economy of only 4–5 mpg - but also directly impact children with tailpipe emissions. In response, the EPA committed to distributing $5 billion over five years via the Clean School Bus Program. In 2022, the EPA allocated approximately $1 billion in funding and is expected to do so again in 2023 as part of this program. The awards will cover the initial cost of acquiring most buses and will subsidize charging hardware and infrastructure. Districts can apply for up to 25 buses a year.

Market Drivers

A number of factors, including the general world-wide desire to improve the health of people, impact both the supply and demand for various types of electric vehicles and we believe that we are well positioned to benefit from these driving forces. Except for energy storage technologies discussed earlier, subsequent sections will address these market drivers in greater detail.

We believe prominent drivers of supply include:

We believe prominent drivers of demand include:

U.S.—Federal Laws and Incentives

There are numerous U.S. legislative efforts underway to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. In January 2021, President Biden signed into effect the “Buy America” executive order, which among other objectives, will see a transition of U.S. Government fleet to U.S.-manufactured electric vehicles, thus creating a large market opportunity for Class 3, 4 and 5 electric trucks. The order equates to approximately $25 billion in total value and will replace approximately 456,000 government vehicles with U.S. manufactured electric vehicles.

Along with holding many U.S. certifications, we are identified as an eligible manufacturer by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") of light to heavy-duty electric vehicles in the United States. This is significant because, as of January 1, 2023, federal tax credits are available for electric cars and trucks from eligible manufacturers. Individuals that purchase electric vehicles weighing less than 14,000 lbs. will receive a credit of $7,500. Commercial operators will receive a tax credit of up to $40,000 for each purchased vehicle over 14,000 lbs. Furthermore, with the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit, depending on the size of the chargers, businesses are eligible for a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of the chargers and infrastructure, up to $100,000 per unit.

U.S.—State Laws and Incentives

Among U.S. states, California is notable for pioneering a number of measures that have encouraged electric vehicle production and adoption, and that have since been emulated by other jurisdictions. These incentives include tax credits and rebates for both individual and fleet owners, HOV lane access, and various grant and loan programs. Besides setting the nation’s most stringent tailpipe emissions standards, California has required automakers to produce increasing percentages of zero-emission vehicles, of which electric vehicles make up a significant portion, along with creating a market that allows manufacturers to buy and sell credits awarded for selling electric vehicles. California, New York and New Jersey have also implemented voucher programs that significantly reduce the cost to purchase an electric vehicle in their respective states, with additional cost reductions for businesses that meet certain criteria such as minority-, veteran-, or women- owned or locating in a low-income area. Furthermore, California and New York have introduced legislation to completely ban the sale of internal combustion engines and fossil fuel vehicles by 2035. The Governor of California has issued Executive Order N-79-20, which sets 2035 for a 100 percent ban on the sale of internal combustion engines for passenger cars and pickup trucks within California, with later target dates for similar bans on medium- and heavy-duty trucks. In New York, legislation has been passed banning new fossil fuel vehicle sales after 2034 and will require all new cars to produce zero emissions. See “—Governmental Programs and Incentives” for additional discussion of certain relevant incentive programs.

Fleet Operator Challenges

Fleet operators and their companies face several challenges in the market today, including:

Our Solution

We are a provider of purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles focused on reducing the total cost of ownership. Our vehicles are manufactured by outside, OEM partners located in China, Malaysia and the Philippines and marketed, sold, warrantied and serviced through our developing distribution and service network. Our vehicles are designed to help fleet operators unlock the benefits of technology that reduces GHG, NOx, PM and other pollutants, as well as to address the challenges of local, state and federal regulatory compliance and traditional-fuel price cost instability. 

We seek to enable our customers to:

Our Strengths

We believe the following attributes and capabilities provide us with long-term competitive advantages:

Our Strategy

We intend to capitalize on these opportunities by pursuing the following key strategies:

Our Customers

Our current primary focus is Class 3 to Class 5 trucks and cab and chassis, class 3 and 4 cargo vans and cutaways. Our target customers primarily include public and private fleet operators that have an interest in meeting or exceeding local, state and federal emission regulatory guidelines while saving money on fuel and maintenance costs over the lifecycle of their fleet vehicles and that also have an interest in tangible demonstrations of their GHG-reducing efforts. These targets include:

Our Products and Services

Our products and services primarily include purpose-built, zero-emission vehicles and chassis of all sizes manufactured by outside OEM partners, but to be marketed, sold, warrantied and serviced through our developing distribution and service network.

We engage OEMs to design and supply vehicles for us that meet our specifications. Following the closing of our acquisition of EVT, a manufacturer and a supplier of zero-emission trucks, cargo vans, chassis and other commercial vehicles in various sizes, we intend to utilize EVT’s existing supply chain and OEM partners to support our efforts to sell, warranty and supply zero-emission commercial vehicles through our developing distribution and service network.

In addition, our products and services may in the future include some or all of the following:

Testing

Our suppliers are vetted before their products are accepted for use in our products. Our drivetrain systems and finished products are inspected, road-tested (when applicable) and receive quality control testing prior to delivery.

Customer Service, Support and Training

Our sales team has historically been used as the first point of customer contact for customer support and training. However, due to COVID-19 impacts and other business challenges in 2020, we eliminated our in-house sales team in 2020. We are in the process of reestablishing our sales team by hiring sales personnel and other internal staff in 2023 to support our current and planned operations.

Technology

Zero-emission electric drivetrain systems for purpose-built new vehicles generally include the following: electric traction motor/generator of sufficient kW power for grade, speed, acceleration and efficiency requirements, a motor controller/inverter system that modulates electrical power flow between the battery packs and traction motor, a gear reduction system or multispeed transmission, systems to electrify power steering/brakes, a VCU, high-voltage traction battery packs with integrated BMS, battery disconnect units, thermal management systems, vehicle charging hardware, electric HVAC systems, DC to DC inverter(s) to reduce traction battery pack voltage sufficient to operate on-board, low voltage systems, wiring harnesses, user/driver interface and remote diagnostic/tracking/fault code/data logging systems. Although clear industry power-export standards have not yet been adopted, systems and options for a variety of vehicle-to-other power management options (such as grid, building, stationary energy storage, etc.) are being developed by multiple vendors and their inclusion may be offered as additional cost options in the future.

Sales and Marketing

Sales

Due to COVID-19 impacts and other business challenges in 2020, we eliminated our in-house sales team in 2020. In 2023, we intend to build out our marketing and sales network by hiring sales personnel to form a team of dedicated sales employees with responsibility for each of the geographic regions we serve.

Marketing

We plan to focus our marketing efforts on increasing brand awareness, generating demand for our products, communicating product advantages and generating qualified leads for our sales force. We intend to rely on a variety of marketing vehicles, including our website and social media, participation in industry conferences and trade shows, public relations and our collaborative relationships with our business and teaming partners to share our technical message and the benefits of our product offering, with customers.

Manufacturing

We currently contract with third-party suppliers to manufacture our products. In 2022, we increased our integration efforts and began completing the final assembly of sub-assembly components at our Osceola, Arkansas, facility. In 2023, we also intend to install the manufacturing equipment in Osceola required to begin producing our vehicles ourselves in the United States, which will be a key step towards our longer-term strategy of becoming a fully integrated electric vehicle manufacturer.

Distribution

We intend to distribute our products both inside and outside of our current U.S. market.

Other Agreements

In addition to our FAR Agreements, we have an agreement with Envirotech Electric Vehicles Inc. (“EEVI”). This agreement does not contain any binding purchase or sales minimums.

Envirotech Electric Vehicles Incorporated ("EEVI")

EEVI is a Canadian company engaged in the design, prototyping and certification of electric components and vehicles, including complete drivetrain systems. Prior to the completion of our acquisition of EVTDS, EEVI was the parent company of EVTDS. Prior to the completion of the Merger, we engaged EEVI to design and supply a series of zero-emission electric Class 3 and 6 trucks, cargo vans and chassis built to our specifications and requirements. The vehicles are initially comprised of a cab, chassis and electric drivetrain system. Any customer can then customize the trucks by adding a box or stake bed to the vehicle in accordance with their needs. We received the first truck and cargo van pursuant to our arrangement with EEVI in December 2018. In 2019, EEVI received the CARB executive order for certification. As the dealer for EEVI, we submitted additional information to the HVIP Department of CARB and received our HVIP listing in November 2019, which renders the trucks and vans eligible for buy-down funding based on the gross vehicle weight rating ("GVWR"). These buy-down funds are intended to enable companies to purchase zero-emission electric trucks and receive a discount to aid in the purchase. The HVIP buy-down funding is currently between $60,000 for Class 3 and Class 4 vehicles ($66,000 if used in a disadvantaged area community census tract).

As a result of our acquisition of EVTDS, we acquired EVTDS’s rights and assumed its obligations under an Exclusive Supply Agreement entered into between EVTDS and EEVI (the “Exclusive Distribution Agreement”). Pursuant to the Exclusive Distribution Agreement, EEVI appointed EVTDS as the exclusive distributor of certain of EEVI’s products in the United States on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein. Unless earlier terminated in accordance with the terms thereof, the Exclusive Distribution Agreement will remain in effect for a term expiring on December 17, 2070. The Exclusive Distribution Agreement provides us certainty of product supply and consistency of design between different classes or type of vehicles; allows us to license the products to third party resellers, distributors and others which should enhance our ability to sell vehicles and permits us to use trademarks associated with the vehicles, all of which we believe is very advantageous to executing our business plan.

Raw Materials and Supply Chain

Prices for the systems, components and raw materials we use in our vehicles and drivetrain systems, many of which are OEM items used by many companies in different applications, can fluctuate depending on market conditions and global demand. Our purchase of raw materials is currently limited due to sales volume, but we attempt to limit our exposure to raw material price increases and availability fluctuations by having relationships with a dynamic group of vendors that sell us value-added hardware, components and systems. We have further mitigated these supply chain risks by establishing purchasing relationships with multiple vendors that are diversified by type of product offered, brand of products offered, country of origin of products (which is relevant for “Buy American” provisions that we encounter with our customers), individual specification requirements, purchase quantity requirements, quality, availability and price. Our drivetrain systems allow for component substitution, which further mitigates our exposure to any one supplier or component. We believe that we have adequate supplies and access to the sources of the systems, components and materials to meet our current and anticipated future production and supply requirements.

Backlog

As of December 31, 2022, we had a backlog of 1 zero-emission Class 4 trucks and 25 zero-emission Class 4 cargo vans, which consists of unfilled firm orders for products under signed contracts with customers. 

Employees

As of December 31, 2022, we had 13 employees in total, which are all full-time employees. None of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements and we believe our employee relations are good.

Competition

The electric vehicle market is highly competitive, and we expect it to become even more so in the future as additional companies launch competing products and vehicle offerings. We also compete with other alternative energy technologies, such as natural gas, propane and hybrid technologies. Our primary direct electric competitors include small- to mid-size companies that produce or plan to produce vans and trucks for commercial use. These direct competitors include companies such as GreenPower Motor Company, which has a broad-based line-up of purpose-built electric vehicles that include low floor transit buses, school buses and minibuses; Canoo, which is developing a battery electric minivan; and Lion Electric Company, a Canadian-based manufacturer of Type C all-electric school buses, mini buses and a Class-8 truck. We also may compete with large traditional vehicle manufacturers such as Ford, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Navistar. These traditional vehicle manufacturers have begun producing, or plan to produce, electric vans, buses and trucks for commercial use.

Intellectual Property

The protection of our technology and intellectual property is an important component of our success. We rely on intellectual property laws, including trade secret, copyright, trademark and patent laws in the United States and abroad, and use contracts, confidentiality procedures, non-disclosure agreements, employee disclosure and invention assignment agreements and other contractual rights to protect our intellectual property.

As of December 31, 2022, we own three issued U.S. patents, which will expire in 2030 and 2033. In addition, we maintain a trademark portfolio including common law trademarks and service marks and have three service marks registered and two trademark registrations in the United States. We have one pending trademark and service mark application in Ukraine, and one allowed trademark application pending in the Philippines.

Circumstances outside of our control could pose a threat to our intellectual property rights. Effective intellectual property protection may not be available in the United States or other countries in which we provide our solution. In addition, the efforts we have taken to protect our intellectual property rights may not be sufficient or effective. Any impairment of our intellectual property rights could harm our business, our ability to compete and harm our operating results. In addition, as the number of competitors grows and solutions of competitors overlap, we may in the future face claims by third parties that we infringe upon or misappropriate their intellectual property rights, and we may be found to be infringing upon or to have misappropriated such rights. In the future, we, or our customers, may be the subject of legal proceedings alleging that our solutions or underlying technology infringe or violate the intellectual property rights of others.

Governmental Programs and Incentives

We believe that the availability of government subsidies and incentives currently is an important factor considered by our customers when purchasing vehicles that utilize our technology, and that our growth depends in part on the availability and amounts of these subsidies and incentives. This is especially true over the next five to ten years. With the federal government allocating $5 billion for the Clean School Bus Program, another $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, and federal tax incentives, there are significant funds available to purchase electric vehicles.

Overview of Incentive Programs Most Applicable to Our Products

We intend to have our products approved for various local, state and federal incentive programs, including those set forth below. In particular, California’s zero-emission vehicle mandate, which requires a percentage of an automobile manufacturer’s sales to be zero-emission vehicles, has resulted in numerous incentive programs designed to accelerate the purchase and/or repower of cleaner, more efficient vehicles in California. We anticipate that the relevant aggregate funding available in California alone over the next several years may be in excess of $800 million, which includes federal, state and Volkswagen settlement funding sources.

HVIP

HVIP is a CARB program administered by CALSTART, the purpose of which is to help speed the early market introduction of clean, low-carbon hybrid and electric trucks and buses. Under HVIP, dealers and fleet operators may request vouchers from HVIP on a first-come first-served basis, up to the funding amount available for that year, to reduce the cost of purchasing hybrid and zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. It is a statewide program. On November 17, 2022, CARB approved the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Funding Plan for Clean Transportation Incentives, which included an allocation of over $1.7 billion to be administered by HVIP.

HVIP vouchers range in amounts depending on the gross vehicle weight of the purchased vehicle and the number of vehicles purchased. Zero-emission Class 3 trucks are currently eligible for up to $45,000 per vehicle. Class 4 and Class 5 vehicles are funded at the $60,000 per vehicle level and Class 6 and Class 7 vehicles are eligible for $85,000 per vehicle. Depending on project location (i.e. if in a disadvantaged area community census tract) those amounts can be increased to $49,500, $66,000, and $93,500 per vehicle, respectively. However, HVIP may also be revising per vehicle amounts available for future grant periods.

HVIP funds the purchase of only fully commercialized hybrid and zero-emission trucks and buses. Vehicles still in the demonstration or evaluation stage are not eligible for inclusion in HVIP. Vehicle manufacturers must apply to have their hybrid and zero-emissions trucks and buses included in HVIP’s voucher program. Once a make and model is included in the program, the manufacturer is not required to submit a full application for the succeeding year’s program unless the vehicle has been modified. We intend to comply with the HVIP guidelines and continue to qualify our vehicles for the HVIP vouchers.

New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program ("NYTVIP")

NYT-VIP is a first-come, first-served incentive program funded by the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority. The structure and process for fleets to secure incentives is similar to that of HVIP discussed above. Eligible vehicles include all-electric, hybrid-electric, and CNG trucks and buses. Funding for eligible vehicles domiciled in New York State can reach $385,000 per vehicle. Class 4 and 5 all electric trucks are eligible for up to $100,000 per vehicle and $110,000 per vehicle in funds respectively (i.e., up to 95% of the incremental cost over diesel). We were named an approved dealership in the summer of 2020, and our vehicles are included on the NYTVIP eligible vehicle list for the program. As of February 10, 2023, the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority website reported $66.3 million in total funding availability under NYTVIP.

New York City Clean Trucks Voucher Program ("NYCCTVP")

In support of the transition to all-electric vehicles, in early February, 2020, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order requiring electrification of the city’s entire municipal vehicle fleet by 2040.

In October 2020, we were named an approved dealership and our vehicles have been listed on the eligible vehicles list for the New York City Clean Trucks Program. This program provides funding for new electric truck purchases by New York City customers to replace and scrap older polluting Internal Combustion Engine ("ICE") vehicles. The rebate incentive funding program provides New York City fleet owners $100,000 per vehicle for an all-electric Class 4 truck sold to them by Envirotech, and $110,000 per vehicle for a Class 5 all-electric truck. The amounts increase for Class 6-Class 8 trucks.

New Jersey Zero Emissions Incentive Program ("NJZIP")

The New Jersey Zero Emissions Incentive Program is a $90 million pilot voucher program that supports businesses and institutions purchasing new, zero-emission vehicles operating in the New Jersey by offering up to $175,000 towards the purchase of battery-electric vehicles. In June 2021, we were named an approved vendor in the Program. The Program will fund vouchers ranging in value from $20,000 to $175,000 for businesses and institutional organizations looking to transition their fleets to zero emissions. Bonuses will be available for small businesses and minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses. NJZIP is funded by proceeds allocated to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”) for the purposes of reducing harmful emissions, especially in communities disproportionately impacted by transportation emissions, and creating economic opportunity within the state.

Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Funds

Beginning in 2018, all 50 states were eligible for millions in funds per year to on-road vehicle projects. Several states have provided carve outs specifically for electric vehicles and, in some cases, electric school buses. For example, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio have each allocated funds directly to electric school bus projects. The California program will provide per vehicle incentives of $750,000. These states have been in the process of funding their initial rounds or are developing specific funding plans. We have engaged with several of these states to support the development of such plans, including funding the purchase of other commercial vehicles, provided that the buyer surrenders a qualifying existing fossil-fueled vehicle in order to qualify for the funding.

CARB

CARB gathers air quality data for the State of California, ensures the quality of this data, designs and implements air models, and sets ambient air quality standards for the state, with a particular focus on regulating tailpipe emissions and other mobile sources. CARB compiles the state’s emissions inventory and performs air quality and emissions inventory special studies. CARB uses the Emissions Inventory and Air Quality Models to evaluate air quality and reduce emissions in each of California’s 35 local air districts.

CARB also manages several incentive and rebate programs and awards hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to reduce emissions from on- and off-road vehicles and equipment. CARB is responsible for program oversight. CARB awards grants and funds through the Air Quality Improvement Program (AB 118), the Carl Moyer Program, the Voucher Incentive Program for enhanced fleet modernization and emission reduction, and the Lower- Emission School Bus Program/School Bus Retrofit and Replacement Account. In February 2020, the CARB staff held a workshop to discuss a new fleet rule that will target a 100% zero-emission truck and bus fleet for the state of California by 2045. The rule making being considered enjoys broad political support, and has some precedent (e.g., the Advanced Clean Transit rule). We will monitor future actions on the proposal.

California Energy Commission (“CEC”)

The California Energy Commission has several core responsibilities, including but not limited to setting energy policy, developing renewable energy, achieving energy efficiency, and transforming California’s transportation infrastructure. One goal of the CEC is to mitigate GHG emissions and reduce the impact of climate change. The CEC carries out its responsibilities pursuant to several of California’s landmark environmental laws. In 2006, the Legislature passed and then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two landmark pieces of legislation with far-reaching implications for energy policy. The most comprehensive is AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which set an economy-wide cap on California GHG emissions at 1990 levels by no later than 2020. At the time, this was an aggressive goal that represented an approximately 11% reduction from then-current emissions levels and nearly a 30% reduction from projected business-as-usual levels in 2020. In 2015, California passed Senate Bill (SB) 350, which further committed California to reducing GHG emissions by establishing a 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target of 40% below 1990 levels and to achieve 100% clean energy by 2045. The transportation sector represents a significant portion of California’s GHG emissions. This bill was amended with respect to implementation, but the targeted goals remain the same as originally passed. In 2007, AB 118 created the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. The program is intended to increase the use of alternative and renewable fuels and innovative technologies that will transform California’s fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state’s climate change policies. AB 118 authorizes the CEC to provide approximately $100 million annually as incentives to public agencies, vehicle and technology consortia, businesses, public-private partnerships, workforce training partnerships and collaboratives, fleet owners, consumers, recreational boaters, and academic institutions for projects that: develop and improve alternative and renewable low-carbon fuels; optimize alternative and renewable fuels for existing and developing engine technologies; improve light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle technologies; and retrofit medium-and heavy-duty on-road and non-road vehicle fleets.

Air Quality Management Districts (“AQMD”) and Air Pollution Control Districts (“APCD”)

California’s AQMDs/APCDs are responsible for controlling emissions primarily from stationary sources of air pollution such as large power plants and refineries. They also have a role in distributing funds and administering incentive programs from mobile sources-primarily cars, trucks and buses, construction equipment, ships and trains, from which approximately 75% of emissions are generated. The largest AQMD/ APCDs are the South Coast AQMD, Bay Area AQMD, San Joaquin Valley APCD, and the San Diego APCD. Local AQMDs/APCDs develop and adopt an Air Quality Improvement Plans, which serves as the blueprint to bring the respective areas into compliance with federal and state clean air standards. Rules are adopted to reduce emissions from various sources, including specific types of equipment, industrial processes, paints and solvents, even consumer products. Permits are issued to many businesses and industries to ensure compliance with air quality rules. Local AQMDs award grants to help reduce emissions in their local communities. These grants and incentive programs include programs aimed at reducing emissions from mobile sources such as buses and trucks. For example, the San Joaquin Valley Air District’s Truck Replacement Program is a program that is open year-round, and which offers grant funding equal to HVIP. In some cases, air district funding programs such as this can be combined with other sources including state and federal grants.

Clean Cities

Clean Cities is a program administered by the DOE’s Office of Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technology Program. According to the DOE, the mission of Clean Cities is to advance the energy, economic, and environmental security of the United States by supporting local decisions to adopt practices that reduce the use of petroleum in the transportation sector. Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership. Under the program, public and private stakeholders from businesses, city and state governments, the automotive industry, fuel providers, and community organizations form coalitions throughout the country, which then work with the DOE to establish a plan for reducing petroleum consumption in their respective geographic areas.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (“CMAQ”) Improvement Program

The CMAQ Improvement Program, which is jointly administered by the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, provides funding to states to support surface transportation projects and other related efforts that contribute air quality improvements and provide congestion relief. CMAQ funding is allocated to the states annually based on a statutory formula that is based on population and air quality classification as designated by the EPA. Each state’s transportation department then is responsible for distributing the funds. State transportation departments may spend CMAQ funds on projects that reduce ozone precursors, and at least 16 states have used CMAQ funds for alternative fuel vehicle projects (such as purchasing electric or hybrid vehicles).

Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit

Businesses and tax-exempt organizations that buy a qualified commercial clean vehicle may qualify for a clean vehicle tax credit of up to $40,000 under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 45W. The maximum credit is $7,500 for qualified vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) of under 14,000 pounds and $40,000 for all other vehicles.

Zero Emissions Airport Vehicle ("ZEAV") and Infrastructure Incentives

The Zero Emissions Airport Vehicle and Infrastructure Pilot Program provides funding to airports for up to 50% of the cost to acquire ZEAVs and install or modify supporting infrastructure for acquired vehicles. The program gives priority to applicants located in nonattainment areas, as defined by the Clean Air Act, and projects that achieve the greatest air quality benefits, as measured by the number of emissions reduced per dollar of funds spent under the program.

Bus and Bus Facilities Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) administers the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program. Eligible applicants include state, local, and tribal governments, fixed-route bus operators, and private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation.

Clean School Bus Program

The EPA's Clean School Bus program provides funding to eligible applicants for the replacement of existing school buses with clean, alternative fuel school buses or zero-emission school buses. EPA may award up to 100% of the cost of the replacement bus, charging equipment, or fueling infrastructure. Eligible applicants are school districts, state and local government programs, federally recognized Indian tribes, non-profit organizations, and eligible contractors.

Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicle ("ZEV") and Infrastructure Grants

By February 12, 2023, the EPA will create a grant program for heavy-duty ZEVs and associated infrastructure. Grant award amounts vary and may cover up to 100% of total project costs.

The Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act invests $1 billion to replace dirty heavy-duty vehicles with clean, zero-emission vehicles, support zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, and to train and develop workers. The EPA will be distributing this $1 billion in funding for clean heavy-duty vehicles between now and 2031. $400 million is designated for communities in nonattainment areas.

Diesel Emissions Reduction Act ("DERA")

The EPA established the DERA Program to reduce pollution emitted from diesel engines through the implementation of varied control strategies and the involvement of national, state, and local partners. DERA includes programs for existing diesel fleets, regulations for clean diesel engines and fuels, and regional collaborations and partnerships. DERA plans to distribute $150 million in 2023.

Other State Incentives

Every state provides a variety of electric vehicle incentives, as well as private enterprises incentives. The states with the most significant state-specific incentives include California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado, South Carolina and Oklahoma.

Government Regulation

Our products are designed to comply with a significant number of governmental regulations and industry standards, some of which are evolving as new technologies are deployed. Government regulations regarding the manufacture, sale and implementation of products and systems similar to ours are subject to future change. We cannot predict what impact, if any, such changes may have upon our business. We believe that vehicles that utilize our technology are in conformity with all applicable laws in all relevant jurisdictions.

Emission and Fuel Economy Standards

Government regulation related to climate change is under consideration at the U.S. federal and state levels. The EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) issued a final rule for greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy requirements for trucks and heavy-duty engines on August 9, 2011, which had an initial phase-in starting with model year 2014 and a final phase-in occurring in model year 2017. NHTSA standards for model years 2014 and 2015 were voluntary, while mandatory standards first went into effect in 2016. In August 2016, the EPA and NHTSA jointly finalized Phase 2 standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles through model year 2027 to improve fleet fuel efficiency and cut carbon emissions.

The rule provides emission standards for carbon dioxide and fuel consumption standards for three main categories of vehicles: (i) combination tractors, (ii) heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, and (iii) vocational vehicles. According to the EPA and NHTSA, vocational vehicles consist of a wide variety of truck and bus types, including delivery, refuse, utility, dump, cement, transit bus, shuttle bus, school bus, emergency vehicles, motor homes and tow trucks, and are characterized by a complex build process, with an incomplete chassis often built with an engine and transmission purchased from other manufacturers, then sold to a body manufacturer.

The EPA and NHTSA rule also establishes multiple flexibility and incentive programs for manufacturers of alternatively fueled vehicles, including an engine averaging banking and trading (“ABT”) program, a vehicle ABT program and additional credit programs for early adoption of standards or deployment of advanced or innovative technologies. The ABT programs allows for emission and/or fuel consumption credits to be averaged, banked or traded within defined groupings of the regulatory subcategories. The additional credit programs allow manufacturers of engines and vehicles to be eligible to generate credits if they demonstrate improvements in excess of the standards established in the rule prior to the model year the standards become effective or if they introduce advanced or innovative technology engines or vehicles.

Vehicle Safety and Testing

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (“Safety Act”), regulates motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment in the United States in two primary ways. First, the Safety Act prohibits the sale in the United States of any new vehicle or equipment that does not conform to applicable motor vehicle safety standards established by NHTSA. Meeting or exceeding many safety standards is costly, in part because the standards tend to conflict with the need to reduce vehicle weight in order to meet emissions and fuel economy standards. Second, the Safety Act requires that defects related to motor vehicle safety be remedied through safety recall campaigns. A manufacturer is obligated to recall vehicles if it determines that the vehicles do not comply with a safety standard. Should we or NHTSA determine that either a safety defect or noncompliance exists with respect to any of our modified vehicles, the cost of such recall campaigns could be substantial.

Battery Safety and Testing

We believe our battery packs conform to mandatory regulations that govern transport of “dangerous goods,” which includes lithium-ion batteries that may present a risk in transportation. The governing regulations, which are issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, are based on the United Nations ("UN") Recommendations on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations, and related UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. The requirements for shipments of these goods vary by mode of transportation, such as ocean vessel, rail, truck and air.

Our battery suppliers have completed the applicable transportation tests including:

Item 1A.  RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of all or part of your investment. These risks could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and cause a decline in the market price of our common stock. You should carefully consider all of the risks described in this Annual Report, in addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report, before you make an investment in our securities. In addition to other matters identified or described by us from time to time in filings with the SEC, there are several important factors that could cause our future results to differ materially from historical results or trends, results anticipated or planned by us, or results that are reflected from time to time in any forward-looking statement.

Summary Risk Factors

The following is a summary of the principal risks that could adversely affect our business, operations and financial results. Such risks are discussed more fully below and include, but are not limited to, risks related to:

Risks Related to Our Business

Business interruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely affected, and could continue to adversely affect, our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

In December 2019, a novel strain of a virus named SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), or coronavirus, which causes coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, and has reached multiple other regions and countries, including the United States. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Since that time, the coronavirus pandemic has continued to spread, and to date has led to the implementation of various responses, including government-imposed quarantines, travel restrictions, and other public health safety measures that have adversely affected workforces, organizations, economies, and financial markets globally, leading to economic uncertainty and increased market volatility. Global health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in social, economic and labor instability in the countries in which we or the third parties with whom we engage operate, and resulted in unexpected legal and regulatory changes, such as travel, social distancing and quarantine policies, boycotts, curtailment of trade, and other business restrictions that have negatively affected our ability to procure and sell our products and provide our services. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a disruption of the global supply chain, which has adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact, our ability and that of our manufacturing partners to procure the components needed to produce our vehicles on terms acceptable to us and has resulted in delays in the delivery of our products to customers. If we are unable to effectively address such challenges and mitigate the potentially negative impacts of the pandemic and related supply chain disruptions on our business, it could result in additional delivery delays and canceled orders, reduced demand for our products and solutions, and adversely affect our customers’ ability to pay for our products and solutions.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our ability to market our vehicles to new and existing customers, increased our production and sales cycle times and harmed our business, results of operations, financial condition, and could have other currently unforeseen negative impacts on us. We expect these negative impacts, among others, will continue due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have developed, and continue to develop, plans to address such ongoing effects and help mitigate the potential negative impact of the pandemic on our business, these efforts may not be effective, and a protracted economic downturn will likely limit the ability of our mitigation efforts to be successful. Accordingly, our future performance will depend in part upon our ability to successfully respond and adapt to these challenges and we have developed, and continue to develop, plans to address the ongoing effects and help mitigate the potential negative impact of the pandemic on our business. It is not possible for us to predict the duration or magnitude of the adverse results of the COVID-19 pandemic as new strains of the virus emerge and its effects on our business, results of operations, or financial condition at this time. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.

We may not successfully execute our business plan to generate revenue and create a sustainable growth trajectory.

We did not generate significant revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, due in part to the combined impact of COVID-19 restrictions and the absence of HVIP funding available to our customers. Our ability to continue to generate revenue and grow our revenue will depend, in part, on our ability to execute our business plan, expand our business model and develop new products in a timely manner. We may fail to do so. A variety of factors outside of our control could affect our ability to generate revenue and our revenue growth. Our success in implementing our strategy of producing and selling new purpose-built zero-emission vehicles could also slow our revenue growth.

We have a history of losses and we may not achieve and/or sustain profitability in the future.

For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we incurred net losses of $44.1 million and $7.7 million, respectively. The 2022 loss includes approximately $39.4 million of non-cash expenses, including a goodwill impairment charge of $37.1 million. As of December 31, 2022, we had working capital of approximately $16.9 million and accumulated deficit of approximately $52.2 million. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through capital raises from issuing common stock. We may not achieve profitability in the future as we anticipate that our operating expenses will increase significantly in the foreseeable future as we:

Because we may incur additional costs from these efforts before we receive any significant incremental revenues with respect thereto, our losses in future periods will likely be greater than the losses we would incur if we developed our business at a slower pace. In addition, these efforts may prove more expensive than we currently anticipate and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue sufficiently to offset these higher costs. Even if we are successful in generating revenue and increasing our customer base, we may not become profitable in the future or may be unable to maintain any profitability achieved if we fail to increase our revenue and manage our operating expenses or if we incur unanticipated liabilities. Even if our revenue increases, we may not be able to sustain the rate of revenue growth. Revenue growth may be slower than anticipated or revenue may decline for a number of reasons, including continued problems accessing various incentive programs to assist our customers with their purchase of our vehicles, lack of demand for our zero-emission vehicles and drivetrain systems, increasing competition, lengthening sales cycles, decelerating growth of, or declines in, our overall market, or our failure to capitalize on growth opportunities or to introduce new offerings. Any failure by us to achieve and maintain revenue or profitability could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

While we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2022 will be sufficient to fund our operations during the next twelve months, we may not successfully execute our business plan, and if we do not, we may need additional capital to continue our operations. In February 2022, we acquired a US manufacturing facility in Osceola Arkansas that will require additional debt and/or equity capital in order to purchase related equipment and set up production lines which is expected to require up to $80 million of additional investment through 2027.

Our limited operating history and the pandemic makes it difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects.

Our relatively short operating history, recent changes to our business model, the lack of available HVIP funding to assist our customers, and our inability to predict the ultimate duration and severity of COVID-19 impacts on our business make it difficult to evaluate our current business and our future prospects. It is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, although we recently decreased our operating expenses significantly and intend to only increase these expenses as we perceive that the COVID-19 pandemic is subsiding and that customers are willing to move forward with our vehicles. We have limited insight into other trends that may emerge and affect our business. We have encountered and will continue to encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly developing and changing industries, including challenges in forecasting accuracy, determining appropriate investments of our limited resources, market acceptance of our products and services and future products and services, competition from new and established companies, including those with greater financial and technical resources, acquiring and retaining customers and increasing revenue from existing customers, enhancing and developing our products and services. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and difficulties that we will encounter as we continue to develop our business model. We may not be able to address these risks and difficulties successfully, which would materially harm our business and operating results and cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

We may experience quarterly fluctuations in our operating results due to a number of factors, which make our future results difficult to predict and could cause our operating results to fall below expectations.

Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. As a result, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. You should not consider our past results in any projected growth rate or as indicative of our future performance.

We expect our period-to-period operating results to vary based on our operating costs, which we anticipate will increase significantly in future periods as we, among other things, design and develop our zero-emission vehicles and drivetrain systems, open new design, sales and service facilities, hire additional technology staff, increase our travel and operational budgets, increase our facility costs, hire and train service personnel, increase our sales and marketing activities, and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. As a result of these factors, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results, especially in the short-term, are not necessarily meaningful and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Moreover, our operating results may not meet expectations of equity research analysts or investors. If any of this occurs, the trading price of our stock could decline, either suddenly or over time.

Based upon all of the factors described above, we have a limited ability to forecast our future revenue, costs and expenses and, as a result, our operating results may from time to time fall below our estimates.

Our future growth is dependent upon demand for new mid-sized zero-emission trucks and cargo vans, and other fleet vehicles.

Our growth is highly dependent upon the market acceptance of, and we are subject to an elevated risk of any reduced demand for, new zero-emission trucks and other fleet vehicles. If this market does not develop as we expect or develops slower than expected, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be harmed, and we may need to raise additional capital. This market is relatively new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements and changing consumer demands and behaviors. Factors that may influence the market acceptance of new zero-emission vehicles include:

Additionally, we have limited experience in introducing new products, as we commenced production and deliveries of our products within the most recent few years. To the extent that we are not able to build our products in accordance with customer expectations, our future sales could be harmed.

We may also become subject to regulations that require us to alter the design of our vehicles, which could negatively impact consumer interest in our products.

The influence of any of the factors described above may cause current or potential customers not to purchase our electric vehicles, which would materially adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.

We may not be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors.

The market for commercial zero-emission electric vehicles is relatively new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements and changing consumer demands and behaviors.

Most of our existing and potential competitors, including Ford, Nissan, Navistar, Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz, Odyne Systems, Lightning Systems, Nordresa, Workhorse, Mitsubishi/Fuso, BYD, Proterra, TransPower, Lion Electric Company, Rivian, GreenPower Motor Company, General Motors, Blue Bird, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, PeterBilt, Nikola, and Motiv, have substantially greater financial resources, more extensive engineering, manufacturing, marketing and customer service and support capabilities, longer operating histories and greater name recognition than we do. They may be able to devote greater resources to the design, development, manufacturing, distribution, promotion, sale and support of their products. Virtually all of our competitors have more extensive customer bases and broader customer and industry relationships than we do. Our competitors may be in a stronger position to respond quickly to new technologies and may be able to design, develop, market and sell their products more effectively. As a result, our competitors may be able to compete more aggressively and sustain that competition over a longer period of time than we can. Each of these competitors has the potential to capture market share in our target market, which could have an adverse effect on our position in our industry and on our business and operating results.

We expect competition in our industry to intensify in the future in light of anticipated increased demand for alternative fuel vehicles and to continued globalization and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry.

Factors affecting competition include product quality and features, innovation and development time, pricing, reliability, safety, fuel economy, customer service and financing terms. Increased competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in further downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our ability to successfully compete in our industry will be fundamental to our future success in existing and new markets and to our market share. There can be no assurances that we will be able to compete successfully in our markets. If our competitors introduce new products or services that compete with or surpass the quality, price or performance of our products or services, we may be unable to satisfy existing customers or attract new customers at the prices and levels that would allow us to generate attractive rates of return on our investment. A disruptive technology advancement in the electric vehicle industry by a competitor, such as in energy storage, traction motors or power electronics, could affect the sales of our products.

Demand in the zero-emission electric vehicle industry is volatile, which may lead to lower vehicle unit sales, which could adversely affect our operating results. Volatility of demand in the zero-emission electric vehicle industry may materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. The markets in which we currently compete and plan to compete in the future have been subject to considerable volatility in demand in recent periods. As a low volume producer, we have fewer financial resources than more established providers have to withstand changes in the market and disruptions in demand. Volatility in demand may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in further downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. These effects may have a more pronounced impact on our business given our relatively smaller scale and financial resources as compared to many incumbent providers.

Competition could result in price reductions and revenue shortfalls, loss of customers and loss of market share. If we cannot compete successfully against current and future competitors, our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Our sales cycle can be long and unpredictable and require considerable time and expense before executing a customer agreement, which may make it difficult to project when, if at all, we will obtain new customers and generate revenue from those customers.

The sales cycle for our business, from initial contact with a potential lead to contract execution and implementation, typically takes significant time and is difficult to predict. Our sales cycle in some cases has lasted up to six to nine months or more. Our sales efforts involve educating our customers about the use, capabilities and benefits of our products and services. Some of our customers undertake a significant evaluation process that frequently involves not only our products and services but also the offerings of our competitors. This process can be costly and time-consuming. In addition, once a customer is inclined to purchase our products, their ability in most cases to issue a purchase order is dependent on being granted funding toward the purchase. It is very difficult for us, or our customers, to predict the timing of the release of such funding, and specifically whether they will receive any of it. As a result, it is difficult to predict when we will obtain new customers and begin generating revenue from these new customers. As part of our sales cycle, we may incur significant expenses before executing a definitive agreement with a prospective customer and before we are able to generate any revenue from such agreement. The substantial time and money spent on our sales efforts may not generate significant revenue. If conditions in the marketplace generally or with a specific prospective customer change negatively, it is possible that no definitive agreement will be executed, and we will be unable to recover any of these expenses. If we are not successful in targeting, supporting and streamlining our sales processes, our ability to grow our business, and our operating results and financial condition may be adversely affected. If our sales cycles lengthen, our future revenue could be lower than expected, which would have an adverse impact on our consolidated operating results and could cause our stock price to decline.

Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in the internal combustion engine may materially adversely affect the demand for electric vehicles and our products.

Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, ethanol and other renewable fuels, fuel cells or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine, may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. For example, compressed natural gas or propane, which are abundant and relatively inexpensive in North America, may emerge as consumers’ preference. Any failure by us to develop new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay our development and introduction of new and enhanced zero-emission electric vehicles or drivetrain systems, which could result in the loss of competitiveness of our products, decreased revenue and a loss of market share to competitors.

If we are unable to keep up with advances in zero-emission electric vehicle technology, we may suffer an inability to obtain a competitive position in the market or suffer a decline in our competitive position.

There are companies in the zero-emission electric vehicle industry that have developed or are developing vehicles and technologies that compete or will compete with our vehicles. Our competitors could be able to provide products and services similar to ours more efficiently or at greater scale. We may be unable to keep up with changes in zero-emission electric vehicle technology and, as a result, may suffer a decline in our competitive position. Any failure to keep up with advances in zero-emission electric vehicle technology would result in a decline in our competitive position, which would materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in zero-emission electric vehicle technology. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new vehicles in order to continue to provide vehicles with the latest technology, in particular battery cell technology. However, our vehicles may not compete effectively with alternatives if we are unable to source and integrate the latest technology into our vehicles. For example, we do not currently manufacture the items required to produce our vehicles, including battery cells, which makes us dependent upon other suppliers of technology for our battery packs, motors and other components of our electric vehicles. If for any reason we are unable to keep pace with changes in commercial electric vehicle technology, particularly battery technology, our competitive position may be adversely affected. However, our recently announced plans to acquire certain battery manufacturing equipment from ProGreens mentioned above will mitigate these issues as it pertains to batteries and battery packs.

The demand for commercial zero-emission electric vehicles depends, in part, on the continuation of current trends resulting from historical dependence on fossil fuels. Extended periods of low diesel or other petroleum-based fuel prices could adversely affect demand for vehicles that utilize our technology, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

We believe that much of the present and projected demand for commercial zero-emission electric vehicles results from concerns about volatility in the cost of petroleum-based fuel, the dependency of the United States on oil from unstable or hostile countries, government regulations and economic incentives promoting fuel efficiency and alternative forms of energy, as well as the belief that poor air quality and climate change results in part from the burning of fossil fuels. If the cost of petroleum-based fuel decreased significantly, or the long-term supply of oil in the United States improved, the government may eliminate or modify its regulations or economic incentives related to fuel efficiency and alternative forms of energy. If there is a change in the perception that the burning of fossil fuels does not negatively impact the environment, the demand for commercial zero-emission electric vehicles could be reduced, and our business and revenue may be harmed. Diesel and other petroleum- based fuel prices have been extremely volatile, and we believe this continuing volatility will persist. Lower diesel or other petroleum-based fuel prices over extended periods of time may lower the current perception in government and the private sector that cheaper, more readily available energy alternatives should be developed and produced. If diesel or other petroleum-based fuel prices remain at deflated levels for extended periods of time, the demand for commercial electric vehicles may decrease, which could have an adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

We may not be able to reduce and adequately control the costs and expenses associated with operating our business, including our material and production costs.

If we are unable to reduce and/or maintain a sufficiently low level of costs for designing, manufacturing, marketing, selling and distributing and servicing our zero-emission electric vehicles relative to their selling prices, our operating results, gross margins, business and prospects could be materially and adversely impacted. We have made, and will be required to continue to make, significant investments for the design, manufacture, and sales of our zero-emission vehicles.

We incur significant costs related to procuring the materials and components required to build our vehicles. As a result, without including the impact of government or other subsidies, incentives, or tariffs, our costs and therefore the purchase prices for our commercial zero-emission electric vehicles currently are higher than the purchase prices for gas or diesel-fueled vehicles with comparable features.

Additionally, in the future we may be required to incur substantial marketing costs and expenses to promote our zero-emission vehicles, including the use of traditional media such as television, radio and print even though our marketing expenses to date have been relatively limited. If we are unable to keep our operating costs aligned with the level of revenues we generate, our operating results, business and prospects will be harmed. Many of the factors that impact our operating costs are beyond our control. For example, global demand from all manufacturers of zero-emission vehicles for the same resources could create shortages and drive the costs of our raw materials and certain components, such as lithium-ion battery cells, to a higher level and reduce profit or create or increase losses. Indeed, if the popularity of zero-emission electric vehicles exceeds current expectations without significant expansion in battery cell production capacity and advancements in battery cell technology, shortages could occur which would result in increased material and component parts costs to us and could also negatively impact our ability to meet production requirements if the batteries were simply not available.

If we fail to manage our anticipated growth effectively, we may be unable to execute our business plan, maintain high levels of service or address competitive challenges adequately.

Any failure to manage our anticipated growth effectively could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. During the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, we significantly shrunk our operations in response to poor business conditions, but we began expanding our operations in the fourth quarter of 2021 as our business prospects improved and we believe that further expansion will be required, especially in connection with electric vehicle component assembly and manufacturing, service and warranty requirements. The requirements of being a public company have significantly increased our general and administrative costs. Our future operating results depend to a large extent on our ability to manage this expansion and growth successfully. Risks that we face in undertaking this expansion include:

We may in the future hire a significant number of additional personnel, including design and manufacturing personnel and service technicians for our zero-emission electric vehicles, the timing of which will depend on the success of our sales efforts. Because vehicles that utilize our technology are based on a different technology platform than traditional internal combustion engines, individuals with sufficient training in zero-emission electric vehicles may not be available to hire, and we may need to expend significant time and expense in training the employees we hire. Competition for individuals with experience designing, manufacturing and servicing zero-emission electric vehicles is intense, and we may not be able to attract, assimilate, train or retain additional highly qualified personnel in the future, which could seriously harm our business and prospects.

In this regard, we will be required to continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls and our reporting procedures and we may not be able to do so effectively. Further, to accommodate our expected growth we must continually improve and maintain our technology, systems and network infrastructure. We therefore may be unable to manage our expenses effectively in the future, which would negatively impact our gross margin or operating expenses in any particular quarter. If we fail to manage our anticipated growth and change in a manner that preserves the quality of our zero-emission vehicles and services and our ability to deliver in a timely manner, it will negatively affect our brand and reputation and harm our ability to retain and attract customers.

If our zero-emission electric vehicles fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our vehicles could be harmed.

Our zero-emission vehicles may not perform in a manner that is consistent with our customers’ expectations for a variety of reasons. If our vehicles were to contain defects in design and manufacture that cause them not to perform as expected or that require repair, or experience any other failure to perform as expected, it could harm our reputation and result in delivery delays, product recalls, product liability claims, significant warranty and other expenses, which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to develop, market and sell our zero-emission vehicles. For example, should we have a significant sale of either new vehicles or re-power conversion kits and a defect (from a supplier-purchased product or internally assembled components) were to be discovered after delivery that could not be corrected in a timely manner, we could suffer an adverse public relations event that harms the company in a way that it may not be able to recover from, or which turns out to be so costly as to cause a significant loss. Although we attempt to remedy any issues we observe in our products as effectively and as rapidly as possible, such efforts may not be timely, may hamper production or may not provide satisfaction to our customers. While we have performed extensive internal testing, we currently have a limited frame of reference by which to evaluate the long-term performance of our zero-emission products. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any defects in our products prior to their sale to customers. Further, the performance of our zero-emission products may be negatively impacted by other factors, such as limitations inherent in existing battery technology and extreme weather conditions.

Any vehicle product defects or any other failure of our commercial zero-emission electric vehicles to perform as expected could harm our reputation and result in delivery delays, product recalls, product liability claims, significant warranty and other expenses, customer losses and lost revenue, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

We are dependent on third parties to deliver raw materials, parts, components and services in adequate quantity in a timely manner and at reasonable prices, quality levels and volumes acceptable to us. Our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected if we experience disruptions in our supply chain.

We provide zero-emission electric vehicles assembled from components supplied by third parties. For example, we rely on third parties for batteries, traction motors, power electronics, connectors, cables, and metal fabrication for battery storage boxes. As a result, we are particularly dependent on those third parties to deliver raw materials, parts, components and services in adequate quality and quantity in a timely manner and at reasonable prices. Some components of our vehicles and drivetrain systems include materials such as copper, lithium, rare-earth and strategic metals that have historically experienced price volatility and supply interruptions. In addition, we do not currently maintain long-term agreements with our suppliers with guaranteed pricing because we cannot at this time guarantee them adequate volume, which exposes us to fluctuations in component, materials and equipment prices and availability.

There have been significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs, which have resulted in uncertain economic and political conditions that have made it difficult for us and our suppliers to accurately forecast and plan future business activities. For example, the U.S. has imposed tariffs on certain products imported into the U.S. from China, the European Union and other countries, and could impose additional tariffs or trade restrictions. Such changes to U.S. policies related to global trade and tariffs have resulted in uncertainty surrounding the future of the global economy and have resulted in certain retaliatory trade measures and tariffs implemented by other countries. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the United States.

Any of these factors could depress economic activity and have a material adverse effect on the business and financial condition of our suppliers, which, in turn, would negatively impact us.

Furthermore, currency fluctuations weakening the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies may adversely affect our purchasing power for such raw materials, parts and components and manufacturing equipment from foreign suppliers. Substantial increases in the prices for such raw materials, components and equipment would increase our operating costs, and could reduce our margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs through increased prices. We may not be able to recoup these increased costs by increasing the prices of our products.

In addition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a disruption of the global supply chain, which has adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact, our ability and that of our manufacturing partners to procure the components needed to produce our vehicles on terms acceptable to us and has resulted in delays in the delivery of our products to customers. If we are unable to effectively address such challenges and mitigate the potentially negative impacts of the pandemic and related supply chain disruptions on our business, it could result in additional delivery delays and canceled orders, reduced demand for our products and solutions, and adversely affect our customers’ ability to pay for our products and solutions.

In cases where we rely on a sole supplier for a component or system, if there is an interruption of supply or increased industry demand it may be difficult for us to substitute one supplier for another, increase the number of suppliers or change one component for another in a timely manner or at all. Additionally, many of our current suppliers are small companies that produce a limited number of specialized products. If any of these suppliers were to go out of business or be acquired by a competitor of ours or any other third party that decides to discontinue our supply relationship, we would need to find an alternative supplier, which we may not be able to do.

This limited supply chain exposes us to multiple potential sources of delivery failure or component shortages for the production of our zero-emission electric products. We may experience delays due to supply chain disruptions with respect to any of our zero-emission electric products we may produce. In addition, our currently ongoing transition from low to high volume production tooling for our zero-emission electric products may take longer than expected, which may adversely impact our short-term financial results.

Changes in business conditions, domestic and foreign regulations (including tariffs), labor issues, wars, governmental changes, natural disasters and other factors beyond our control or which we do not presently anticipate, could also affect our suppliers’ ability to deliver components to us on a timely basis. Furthermore, if we experience significantly increased demand, or need to replace certain existing suppliers, there can be no assurance that additional supplies of component parts will be available when required on terms that are favorable to us, or that any supplier would allocate sufficient supplies to us in order to meet our requirements or fill our orders in a timely manner, or that we could engineer replacement components ourselves.

Changes in our supply chain may result in increased future costs. We have also experienced cost increases from certain of our suppliers in order to meet our quality targets and development timelines as well as due to design changes that we made, and we may experience similar cost increases in the future. Additionally, we are negotiating with existing suppliers for cost reductions, seeking new and less expensive suppliers for certain parts, and attempting to redesign certain parts to make them less expensive to produce. If we are unsuccessful in our efforts to control and reduce supplier costs, our operating results will suffer.

If we encounter unexpected difficulties with our current suppliers, and if we are unable to fill these needs from other suppliers, we could experience production delays, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating results.

The inability of these suppliers to deliver, or their refusal to deliver, necessary raw materials, parts and components of our zero-emission drivetrain systems and services in a timely manner at prices, quality levels, and volumes acceptable to us would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating results. Our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected if we experience disruptions in our supply chain.

The facilities or operations of our third party providers could be damaged or adversely affected as a result of disasters or unpredictable events.

If major disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods, hurricanes, wars, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, pandemics or other events occur, the production facilities of some of our third party providers may be seriously damaged, or they may have to stop or delay production and shipment of our products. We may also experience downtime due to a third party provider’s delay in production and shipment of our products due to, among other reasons, their inability to obtain supplies and materials. Either of these delays could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

We have become increasingly dependent on information technology and any breakdown, interruption or breach of our information technology systems could subject us to liability or interrupt the operation of our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

We are increasingly dependent upon information technology systems and infrastructure in connection with the conduct of our business. We must routinely update our information technology infrastructure and our various information technology systems throughout the organization may not continue to meet our current and future business needs. Furthermore, modification, upgrade or replacement of such systems may be costly. In addition, any breakdown, interruption, corruption or unauthorized access to or cyber-attack on these systems could create system disruptions, shutdowns or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. While we attempt to take appropriate security and cyber-security measures to protect our data and information technology systems and to prevent such breakdowns and unauthorized breaches and cyber-attacks, these measures may not be successful and these breakdowns and breaches in, or attacks on, our systems and data may not be prevented. Such breakdowns, breaches or attacks may cause business interruption and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and could cause the market value of our common stock to decline, and we may suffer financial damage or other losses as a result of lost or misappropriated information.

If our suppliers fail to use ethical business practices and comply with applicable laws and regulations, our brand image could be harmed due to negative publicity.

We do not control our independent suppliers or their business practices and, as such, they may not comply with ethical or legal business practices, such as environmental responsibility, fair wage practices, appropriate sourcing of raw materials, and compliance with child labor laws, among others. A lack of demonstrated compliance could lead us to seek alternative suppliers, which could increase our costs and result in delayed delivery of our products, product shortages or other disruptions of our operations.

Violation of labor or other laws by our suppliers or the divergence of an independent supplier’s labor or other practices from those generally accepted as ethical in the U.S. or other markets in which we do business could also attract negative publicity for us and our brand. This could diminish the value of our brand image and reduce demand for our zero-emission vehicles and drivetrain systems technology if, as a result of such violation, we were to attract negative publicity. If we, or others in our industry, encounter similar problems in the future, it could harm our brand image, business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Our business success will depend in part on the success of our strategic relationships with third parties. We may not be able to identify adequate strategic relationship opportunities, or form strategic relationships, in the future.

Our business success will depend in part on our ability to continue to successfully manage and enter into productive strategic relationships with third parties. We depend on various third parties to provide critical parts for our process. We currently maintain strategic relationships with key manufacturers of components we require for our zero-emission electric products. Maintaining and expanding our strategic relationships with third parties is critical to our continued success. Further, our relationships with these third parties are typically non-exclusive and do not prohibit the other party from working with our competitors. These relationships may not result in additional customers or enable us to generate significant revenue. Identifying suitable business partners and negotiating and documenting relationships with them require significant time and resources. If we are unsuccessful in establishing or maintaining our relationships with these third parties, our ability to successfully sell our products and services, compete in the marketplace or to grow our revenue could be impaired and our operating results would suffer.

While we may be able to establish alternate supply relationships or engineer replacement components for any single source components, we may be unable to do so in the short term, or at all, at prices or costs that are favorable to us. In particular, while we believe that we will be able to secure alternate sources of supply for most of our single sourced components in a relatively short time frame, qualifying alternate suppliers or developing our own replacements for certain highly customized components of our products may be time consuming, costly and may force us to make additional modifications to a product’s design, or at a minimum require us to delay delivery of orders.

We currently have and are seeking to establish new relationships with third parties to provide alternative parts sources, such as batteries, controllers and battery management systems. For example, we continue to test additional battery manufacturers’ products in order to have back-up options should our existing supplier have delivery or quality issues. However, we may not be able to identify or secure suitable business relationship opportunities in the future or to ensure that our competitors will not capitalize on such opportunities before we do. Our strategic relationships for batteries, motors and controllers will keep us competitive if maintained properly. We may not be able to offer benefits to companies that we would like to establish and maintain strategic relationships with. Moreover, identifying such opportunities could demand substantial management time and resources, and negotiating and financing relationships involves significant costs and uncertainties. If we are unable to successfully source and execute on strategic relationship opportunities in the future, our overall growth could be impaired, and our business, prospects and operating results could be materially adversely affected.

Our suppliers must scale their zero-emission vehicle manufacturing and assembling processes effectively and quickly from low volume production to high volume production.

Our existing production model utilizing third parties may not be well suited for the high-volume production required to scale our business. We do not know whether we or our existing suppliers will be able to develop efficient, low-cost manufacturing and assembly capability and processes, and reliable sources of component supply that will enable us to meet the quality, price, engineering, design and production standards, as well as the production volumes required, to successfully develop our business. Any failure by us or our suppliers to develop such manufacturing and assembly processes and capabilities and reliable sources of component supply within our projected costs and timelines could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.

The ability of our suppliers to scale their manufacturing and assembling processes is in part dependent on ours and their supply chain and on our collective ability to execute on our decentralized production strategy. Even if we and our suppliers are successful in developing our high-volume manufacturing and assembly capability and processes, and reliable sources of component supply, we do not know whether we will be able to do so in a manner that avoids significant delays and cost overruns, including, as a result of factors beyond our control, such as problems with suppliers and vendors, in time to meet our commercialization schedules or to satisfy the requirements of customers. In addition, certain components we or our third-party suppliers integrate may not be available on a consistent basis or in large quantities. Our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected if we or our suppliers experience disruptions in our respective supply chains or if we or they cannot obtain materials of sufficient quality at reasonable prices.

The complexity in our business is expected to grow as we introduce new products and services. We have limited experience in simultaneously designing, testing, manufacturing, upgrading, adapting and selling our zero-emission products as well as limited experience allocating our available resources among the design and production of multiple zero-emission units. As we add complexity to our product line and introduce new products and services, we may experience unexpected delays.

If we and our suppliers are unable to scale our respective existing assembly processes and systems quickly while maintaining our current quality level, including supply chain constraints and the inability to manage complexity in our business, we may be unable to meet our customers’ vehicle quality and quantity requirements or our forecasted production schedule or lower our cost of sales. As a result, we may not be able to meet our customers’ delivery schedules and could face the loss of customers, or be exposed to liability to customers to which we promised delivery, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims. The zero-emission electric vehicle industry may experience significant product liability claims and we face inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event our zero-emission products do not perform as expected or malfunction and personal injury or death results. Our risks in this area are particularly pronounced given the limited field experience of our zero-emission vehicles, number of vehicles delivered to date and limited field experience of those vehicles. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay a substantial monetary award. Moreover, a product liability claim could generate substantial negative publicity about our products and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of other future vehicle candidates, which would have a material adverse effect on our brand, business, prospects and operating results. We have added product liability insurance on a claims-made basis for all our zero-emission products with appropriate annual limits. However, our insurance may not be sufficient to cover all potential product liability claims. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages either in excess of our coverage, or outside of our coverage, may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business and financial condition.

In connection with the development and sale of our zero-emission products, we may need to comply with various safety regulations and requirements with which it may be expensive or difficult to comply. For example, we may be subject to compliance from CARB. In addition, we may be subject to various other federal and state-level requirements.

We may be compelled to undertake product recalls.

Any product recall in the future may result in adverse publicity, damage our brand and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. We may at various times, voluntarily or involuntarily, initiate a recall if any of our zero-emission drivetrain system components prove to be defective. Such recalls, voluntary or involuntary, involve significant expense and diversion of management attention and other resources, which would adversely affect our brand image in our target markets and could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Our warranty reserves may be insufficient to cover future warranty claims, which could adversely affect our financial performance.

If our warranty reserves are inadequate to cover future warranty claims on vehicles that utilize our technology, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected. We provide a three-year warranty on parts and workmanship and a five-year warranty on powertrain and batteries with every zero-emission electric product. Most of our warranty offering, with the exception of workmanship, is covered by the component manufacturers’ warranty. In addition, customers have the opportunity to purchase an Extended Service Plan for the period after the end of the standard warranty to cover additional services for an additional three-year period or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. The warranty is similar to other providers’ warranty programs and is intended to cover all parts and labor to repair defects in material or workmanship in the product. We plan to record and adjust warranty reserves based on changes in estimated costs and actual warranty costs. However, because we have only recently begun delivering our first zero-emission vehicles, and we have extremely limited operating experience with them, we therefore have little experience with warranty claims for these zero-emission vehicles or with estimating warranty reserves. We will monitor our warranty reserves based on our actual warranty claim experience. We may be required to provide for increases in warranty reserves in the future. Our future warranty reserves may not be sufficient to cover all claims or our limited experience with warranty claims may not adequately address the needs of our customers to their satisfaction.

Our insurance strategy may not be adequate to protect us from all business risks.

We may be subject, in the ordinary course of business, to claims resulting from products liability, employment-related actions, class-action lawsuits, accidents, acts of God and other actions against us. Additionally, our insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all existing and future claims against us. We may be compelled to expend significant time and resources defending any such claims, and a loss that is uninsured or which exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

If we are unable to design, develop, market and sell zero-emission electric vehicles and other product offerings that address additional market opportunities, our business, prospects and operating results will suffer.

We may not be able to successfully develop new zero-emission electric vehicles or address new market segments or develop a broader customer base. We will need to address additional markets and expand our customer demographic in order to further grow our business. In particular, we have recently transitioned to target owners of trucks (all classes inclusive of 3–7) and vans between 10,000 pounds GVWR to 19,500 pounds GVWR, commercial fleets, including white fleets of school districts and other fleet users of these vehicles, including government entities. Successfully offering all electric vehicles in this market requires delivering a vehicle with different characteristics than an ICE-powered vehicle at a price that is competitive with other similar vehicles. Because the markets are only recently increasing acceptance of our new all-electric products, it is difficult to project increases in market acceptance and our ability to generate sales in volumes as we currently intend. Our failure to address additional market opportunities would harm our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

Our growth depends in part on the availability and amounts of government subsidies and incentives and the application of regulations that encourage conversion to electric vehicles. These subsidies and incentives are limited and unpredictable and could expire or change to benefit competing technologies.

We believe that the availability of government subsidies, rebates, and economic incentives is currently a critical factor considered by our customers when purchasing our zero-emission systems or converting their existing vehicles to zero-emission-electric or hybrids, and that our growth depends in large part on the availability and amounts of these subsidies and economic incentives. Any unavailability, reduction, elimination or adverse application of government subsidies, rebates, and economic incentives because of administrative mistakes made by those in charge of the programs, budgetary challenges, expiration, policy changes, the reduced need for such subsidies, rebates, and incentives due to the perceived success of electric or hybrid vehicles or other reasons may result in the diminished price competitiveness of the alternative fuel vehicle industry generally and our zero-emission electric and hybrid vehicles in particular, especially prior to our ability to significantly reduce our costs. For example, in the United States, we and our customers benefit from significant subsidies in connection with the purchase of our vehicles under the California HVIP, CARB, New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (“NYTVIP”), New York City Clean Trucks Voucher Program (“NYCCTP”), New Jersey Zero Emissions Incentive Program (“NJ-Zip”), Maryland Clean Fuels Incentive Program (“CFIP”), local air quality management districts, the EV Demonstration Project, and state-level Clean Cities programs. Under these programs, purchasers of qualifying vehicles and those who convert their existing vehicles are eligible to receive subsidies or incentives from $55,000 to $385,000 per qualifying vehicle purchased or converted. Certain regulations and programs that encourage sales of zero-emission electric and hybrid vehicles could expire, be exhausted, be eliminated or applied in a way that adversely impacts sales of our commercial zero-emission electric and hybrid vehicles, either currently or at any time in the future. For example, the U.S. federal government and many state governments, as well as many national governments within the European Union, are facing political changes, fiscal crises and budgetary constraints, which could result in the elimination of programs, subsidies and incentives that encourage the purchase or conversion of zero-emission electric and hybrid vehicles. In addition, grants made by the DOE under the U.S. Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to clean technology companies, such as the EV Demonstration Project grant, may be subject to a high level of scrutiny in part due to recent financial difficulties experienced by recipients of DOE loan guarantees. In addition, currently some purchase subsidies are limited in total annual amounts and have been exhausted before all willing buyers have been able to consummate a purchase. We currently benefit from certain government and economic incentives supporting the development and adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles. If government subsidies and economic incentives to produce and purchase zero-emission electric vehicles were no longer available to us or our customers, or the amounts of such subsidies and incentives were reduced or eliminated, it would have a negative impact on demand for our vehicles and our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results would be adversely affected.

In addition, we anticipate that in the future there may be new opportunities for us to apply for grants, loans and other incentives from federal, state, local and foreign governments on our own behalf and on behalf of our customers. Our ability to obtain funds or incentives from government sources is subject to the availability of funds under applicable government programs and approval of our applications to participate in such programs.

The application process for these funds and other incentives is and will continue to be highly competitive.

Our service model may be costly for us to operate and may not address the service requirements of our prospective customers.

Our business plan is not to develop company owned and operated service and warranty centers but to leverage existing third-party bus and truck facilities to sell and to service our new vehicles through our FAR network. This plan, while off to a good start, may not prove to be workable and we may be forced to establish our own facilities at some point, resulting in substantial capital expenditures and increased operating costs. Zero-emission electric commercial vehicles incorporate new and evolving technologies and require specialized service. These special service arrangements now and in the future may continue to be costly and we may not be able to recoup the costs of providing these services to our customers. In addition, a number of potential customers may choose not to purchase our commercial zero-emission electric vehicles because of the lack of a more widespread service network. If we are unable to satisfactorily service vehicles that utilize our technology, our ability to generate customer loyalty, grow our business and sell additional vehicles could be impaired. There can be no assurance that these service arrangements or our limited experience servicing vehicles that utilize our technology will adequately address the service requirements of our customers to their satisfaction, or that we will have sufficient resources to meet these service requirements in a timely manner as the volume of vehicles we are able to deliver annually increases. If we do not adequately address our customers’ service needs, our brand and reputation may be adversely affected, which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Traditional providers do not necessarily provide maintenance and repair services directly. Customers must instead service their vehicles through franchised dealerships or through third party maintenance service providers. We are pursuing agreements to provide third party service for us. However, it is unclear when or even whether such third party service providers will be able to acquire the expertise to service our zero-emission electric commercial vehicles. As vehicles that utilize our technology are placed in more locations, we may encounter negative reactions from our customers who are frustrated that they cannot use local service locations to the same extent as they have with their conventional commercial vehicles and this frustration may result in negative publicity and reduced sales, thereby harming our business and prospects.

Our decentralized assembly, sales and service model will present numerous challenges and we may not be able to execute on our plan to establish sales, service and assembly facilities in the urban areas we have targeted and our facilities in any of those markets may underperform relative to our expectations.

Our strategy of establishing sales, service, and assembly facilities in selected urban areas in the United States is substantially different from the prevailing centralized manufacturing and franchised distribution and service model used currently by our zero-emission manufacturing competitors. For example, we may not be able to utilize long established sales channels developed through a traditional franchise system to increase our sales volume, which may harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. Moreover, we will be competing with companies with well established distribution channels. If we determine that our decentralized model is inadequate, opening our own sales, service and assembly facility in any market generally will be capital intensive and require, among other things, establishing a local order volume that is sufficient to support the facility, finding a suitable and available location, negotiating a satisfactory lease agreement for the facility, obtaining permits and approvals from local and state authorities (which, in the case of facilities to be opened in foreign countries, may require obtaining approvals from national governments), building out the facility to our specifications and hiring and training employees to assemble, sell and service our zero-emission electric vehicles and converting existing vehicles to zero-emission electric vehicles. If we decide we must open our own facilities, we plan to seek state and local government incentives to defray the costs of opening facilities in the markets we have selected, but we may not be successful in this effort, or the incentives may not be as significant as we would like. As with any development project, the development and build-out of a facility will subject us to the risk of cost overruns and delays, which may be significant. Once our sales, service and assembly facilities are open for business, we will need to ensure that they maintain a high level of quality in order to satisfy customers and enhance the brand. Even if we are able to address all of the challenges discussed above, we have little experience in sales, service or assembly and our sales, service and assembly facilities in one or more markets may not adequately address customer service needs or be profitable and we may lose sales and our entire investment in such facilities, and therefore, damaging our reputation in the process. If we are unable to establish the local order volume we require in order to open new sales, service and assembly facilities or are unable to successfully assemble, sell, and service our zero-emission electric commercial vehicles adequately for customers and profitably operate these new facilities in our target markets, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results may be adversely affected. If we do not adequately address our customers’ service needs, our brand and reputation will be adversely affected, which in turn could have a material and adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

We are subject to substantial regulation, which is evolving, and unfavorable changes or any failure by us to comply with these regulations could substantially harm our business and operating results.

Our commercial zero-emission electric vehicles, the sale of motor vehicles in general and the electronic components used in vehicles are subject to substantial regulation under international, federal, state and local laws. We may incur in the future increased costs in complying with these regulations. Regulations related to the electric vehicle industry and alternative and renewable energy currently are evolving and we face risks associated with changes to these regulations or new regulations. These risks include the following:

To the extent the laws governing our business and vehicles change, some or all of our zero-emission electric products may not comply with applicable international, federal, state or local laws, and certain of the competitive advantages of our products may be reduced or eliminated, which could have an adverse effect on our business. Furthermore, compliance with changing regulations could be burdensome, time consuming, and expensive. To the extent compliance with changes in regulations or new regulations is cost prohibitive, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be adversely affected.

Vehicle dealer and distribution laws could adversely affect our ability to sell our commercial zero-emission electric vehicles.

Sales of our zero-emission electric vehicles are and/or may be subject to international, state and local vehicle dealer and distribution laws. To the extent such laws prevent us from selling our vehicles to customers located in a particular jurisdiction or require us to retain a local dealer or distributor or establish and maintain a physical presence in a jurisdiction in order to sell vehicles in that jurisdiction, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected. We intend to contract with vehicle dealers to sell and/or service our vehicles, but we have no assurance at this time that we will successfully contract with vehicle dealers and distributors to sell and/or service our vehicles.

We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations that could impose substantial costs upon us and cause delays in opening our sales, service and assembly facilities.

We and our operations are subject to federal, state and/or local environmental laws and regulations, including laws relating to the use, handling, storage, transportation, disposal and human exposure to hazardous substances and wastes. Environmental and health and safety laws and regulations can be complex, and we expect that our business and operations may be affected by future amendments to such laws or other new environmental and health and safety laws which may require us to change our operations. These laws can give rise to liability for investigatory costs, administrative oversight costs, cleanup costs, property damage, bodily injury and fines and penalties. Capital and operating expenses needed to comply with environmental laws and regulations can be significant, and violations may result in substantial fines and penalties, third party damages, responsibilities to investigate and take corrective or remedial actions, suspension of production or a cessation of our operations.

Contamination at our facilities may result in liability for us under environmental laws and regulations, including, but not limited to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, which can impose liability for the full amount of remediation-related costs without regard to fault, for the investigation and cleanup of contaminated soil and ground water, for building contamination and impacts to human health and for damages to natural resources. The costs of complying with environmental laws and regulations and any claims concerning noncompliance, or liability with respect to contamination in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or operating results. We may face unexpected delays in obtaining the necessary permits and approvals required by environmental laws and regulations in connection with any planned manufacturing or operational facilities that could require significant time and financial resources and delay our ability to operate these facilities, which would adversely impact our business prospects and operating results.

Any failure to protect our intellectual property rights could impair our ability to protect our proprietary technology.

Our success and ability to compete depend in part upon our intellectual property. We primarily rely on intellectual property laws, including trade secret, copyright, trademark and patent laws in the United States and abroad, and use contracts, confidentiality procedures, non-disclosure agreements, employee disclosure and invention assignment agreements and other contractual rights to protect our intellectual property. However, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property rights may be inadequate or we may be unable to secure intellectual property protection for all of our products and services.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our competitors could use our intellectual property to market products, services or products and services similar to ours and our ability to compete effectively would be impaired. Moreover, others may independently develop technologies that are competitive to ours or infringe our intellectual property. Any of our intellectual property rights may be challenged by others or invalidated through administrative processes or litigation. The enforcement of our intellectual property rights depends on our legal actions against these infringers being successful, but these actions may not be successful, even when our rights have been infringed. In addition, we might be required to spend significant resources to monitor and protect our intellectual property rights, and our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property rights. Litigation to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could be costly, time-consuming and distracting to management, whether or not it is resolved in our favor, and could ultimately result in the impairment or loss of portions of our intellectual property. Any patents issued in the future may not provide us with competitive advantages or may be successfully challenged by third parties.

Furthermore, legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property rights are uncertain. Effective protection of our intellectual property may not be available to us in every country in which our products and services are available. The laws of some foreign countries may not be as protective of intellectual property rights as those in the U.S., and mechanisms for enforcement of intellectual property rights may be inadequate. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property.

We could incur substantial costs as a result of any claim of infringement of another party’s intellectual property rights.

Companies, organizations or individuals, including our competitors, may hold or obtain patents, trademarks or other proprietary rights that could prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to produce, use, develop or sell our zero-emission electric or hybrid vehicles or components, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. Companies in our industry are increasingly bringing and becoming subject to suits alleging infringement of proprietary rights, particularly patent rights, and our competitors may hold patents or have pending patent applications, which could be related to our business. These risks have been amplified by the increase in third parties, or non-practicing entities, whose sole primary business is to assert such claims. We have not received in the past, but may receive in the future, notices that claim we or our customers using our products and services have misappropriated or misused other parties’ intellectual property rights. In those cases, we intend to investigate the validity of these claims and, if we believe these claims have merit, to respond through licensing or other appropriate actions. If we are sued by a third party that claims that our technology infringes its rights, the litigation could be expensive and could divert our management resources. We do not currently have an extensive patent portfolio of our own, which may limit the defenses available to us in any such litigation.

In addition, in many instances, we have agreed to indemnify our customers against certain claims that our products and services infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. The results of any intellectual property litigation to which we might become a party, or for which we are required to provide indemnification, may require us to do one or more of the following:

If we are required to make substantial payments or undertake any of the other actions noted above as a result of any intellectual property infringement claims against us or any obligation to indemnify our customers for such claims, such payments or costs could have a material adverse effect upon our business and financial results. Furthermore, our business could be adversely affected by any significant disputes between us and our customers as to the applicability or scope of our indemnification obligations to them.

We may be involved in legal proceedings that could result in substantial liabilities.

We may be involved from time to time in various legal and other proceedings, such as title, royalty or contractual disputes, regulatory compliance matters and personal injury or property damage matters, in the ordinary course of business. Such proceedings are inherently uncertain, and their results cannot be predicted. Regardless of the outcome, such proceedings could have an adverse impact on us because of legal costs, diversion of management and other personnel and other factors. In addition, it is possible that a resolution of one or more such proceedings could result in liability, penalties or sanctions, as well as judgments, consent decrees or orders requiring a change in our business practices, which could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. Accruals for such liability, penalties or sanctions may be insufficient, and judgments and estimates to determine accruals or range of losses related to legal and other proceedings could change from one period to the next, and such changes could be material.

Current or future litigation or administrative proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, our financial condition and our results of operations.

We may be involved in legal proceedings, administrative proceedings, claims, and other litigation that arise in the ordinary course of business. In addition, we may become involved in securities class action litigation or shareholder litigation in connection with our offering of common stock under Regulation A. Such legal proceedings could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation. Further, if any such proceedings were to result in an unfavorable outcome, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

In many of our zero-emission electric vehicles we use battery packs composed of lithium-ion battery cells, which, if not appropriately managed and controlled, on rare occasions have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flames. If any such events occur in our commercial electric vehicles, we could face liability for damage or injury, adverse publicity and a potential safety recall.

The battery packs in our manufactured vehicles use lithium-ion cells, which have been used for years in laptop computers, cell phones and electric vehicles. On rare occasions, if not appropriately managed and controlled, lithium-ion cells can rapidly release the energy they contain by venting smoke and flames in a manner that can ignite nearby materials as well as other lithium-ion cells. Highly publicized incidents of laptop computers, cell phones, and Tesla, Inc.’s electric vehicles bursting into flames have focused consumer attention on the safety of these cells. More recently, a limited number of side-impact tests carried out by NHTSA on non-commercial passenger vehicles containing lithium-ion batteries and thermal management systems containing liquid coolant have resulted in post-collision fires under certain conditions. Any failure of a competitor’s electric vehicle may cause indirect adverse publicity for us and our electric vehicles. These events have raised questions about the suitability of lithium-ion cells for automotive applications. A field failure of our battery packs may occur, particularly if one of our manufactured or converted vehicles is involved in a collision, which could damage the vehicle or lead to personal injury or death and may subject us to lawsuits, product recalls, or redesign efforts, all of which would be time consuming and expensive. Furthermore, there is some risk of electrocution if individuals who attempt to repair battery packs on our manufactured or converted vehicles do not follow applicable maintenance and repair protocols. Any such damage or injury would likely lead to adverse publicity and potentially a safety recall. Any such adverse publicity or negative public perceptions regarding the suitability of lithium-ion cells for automotive applications or any future incident involving lithium-ion cells such as a vehicle or other fire, even if such incident does not involve vehicles that utilize our technology, could seriously harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Unfavorable conditions in the global economy, rising interest rates and capital market liquidity issues could limit our ability to grow our business and negatively affect our operating results.

Revenue growth and potential profitability of our business depends on the level of demand in the markets we serve. To the extent that weak economic conditions cause our customers and potential customers to freeze or reduce their capital expenditure or operational budgets, particularly those for zero-emission electric vehicles, demand for our products and services may be negatively affected. Historically, economic downturns have resulted in overall reductions in these budgets and corresponding spending. If economic conditions deteriorate or do not materially improve, our customers and potential customers may elect to decrease their operational budgets or defer or reconsider product and service purchases, which would limit our ability to grow our business and negatively affect our operating results.

Our business depends on our Chief Executive Officer and management team, retaining and attracting qualified management, key employees and technical personnel and expanding our sales and marketing capabilities.

Our success depends upon the continued service of Mr. Phillip Oldridge, our Chief Executive Officer, as well as other members of our senior management team. It also depends on our ability to continue to attract and retain additional highly qualified management, technical, engineering, operating and sales and marketing personnel. We do not currently maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our employees. We entered into employment agreements with Mr. Oldridge and with Mrs. Susan M. Emry, our Executive Vice President, effective January 1, 2022. Our business also requires skilled technical, engineering, product and sales personnel, who are in high demand and are difficult to recruit and retain. As we continue to innovate and develop our products and services and develop our business, we will require personnel with expertise in these areas. There is increasing competition for talented individuals such as design engineers, manufacturing engineers, and other skilled employees with specialized knowledge of electric vehicles. This competition affects both our ability to retain key employees and hire new ones. Key talent may leave us due to various factors, such as a very competitive labor market for talented individuals with automotive or transportation experience. Our success depends upon our ability to hire new employees in a timely manner and retain current employees. Additionally, we compete with both mature and prosperous companies that have far greater financial resources than we do and start-ups and emerging companies that promise short-term growth opportunities. The loss of Mr. Oldridge or Mrs. Emry or an inability to attract, retain and motivate additional highly skilled employees required for the planned development and expansion of our business, could delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives and could materially harm our business.

The forecasts of market growth may prove to be inaccurate, and even if the markets in which we compete achieve the forecasted growth, our business may not grow at similar rates, if at all.

Growth forecasts are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates, which may not prove to be accurate. Forecasts relating to the expected growth in zero-emission electric vehicles, electric drivetrain systems and conversions and other markets may prove to be inaccurate. Even if these markets experience the forecasted growth, we may not grow our business at similar rates, or at all. Our growth is subject to many factors, including our success in implementing our business strategy, which is subject to many risks and uncertainties.

We may require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on acceptable terms, if at all.

We need sufficient capital to fund our ongoing operations and continue our development, especially if we begin manufacturing our vehicles in the United States. We intend to continue to make investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to respond to business challenges, such as keeping pace with technological developments in order to remain competitive in our evolving industry, improve our operating infrastructure or acquire complementary businesses and technologies. While we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operations during the next twelve months, we may need to engage in additional equity or debt financing to secure additional funds. We do not expect to be able to satisfy our cash requirements solely through product sales in the near future, therefore we expect to rely on the net proceeds from our previous offerings and available debt financing to fund our operations. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders will suffer dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. In addition, we may not be able to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, when and if we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth, and to respond to business challenges could be significantly impaired.

We may selectively pursue acquisitions of complementary businesses and technologies, which could divert capital and our management’s attention, result in additional dilution to our stockholders and otherwise disrupt our operations and adversely affect our operating results.

We may selectively pursue acquisitions of complementary businesses and technologies that we believe could complement or expand our applications, enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. The pursuit of potential acquisitions may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses in identifying, investigating and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not they are consummated.

In addition, we have limited experience with acquiring other businesses or technologies. If we acquire businesses or technologies, we may not be able to integrate the acquired personnel, operations and technologies successfully, or effectively manage the combined business following the acquisition. We also may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the acquired business due to a number of factors, including:

In addition, a significant portion of the purchase price of companies we acquire may be allocated to acquired goodwill and other intangible assets, which must be assessed for impairment at least annually. In the future, if our acquisitions do not yield expected returns, we may be required to record impairment charges to our operating results based on this impairment assessment process, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of equity securities, as in the case of our recent acquisition of EVT per the Merger Agreement, and/or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our operating results. We may also unknowingly inherit liabilities from acquired businesses or assets that arise after the acquisition and that are not adequately covered by indemnities. In addition, if an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, our operating results, business and financial position may suffer.

Our management has determined that our disclosure controls were not effective as of December 31, 2022. If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and effective disclosure controls and procedures, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock may be negatively affected.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles un the U.S. ("GAAP") Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) requires that we evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and provide a management report on the internal control over financial reporting. Once we are no longer either an “emerging growth company” or a “smaller reporting company,” such report must be attested to by our independent registered public accounting firm. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act also requires that our principal executive officer and principal financial officer conclude as to the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures on a quarterly basis.

Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, our disclosure controls and procedures (a) were not effective to ensure that information that we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and (b) include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

In making such conclusion, our management determined that such deficiencies were primarily due to certain staff reductions and voluntary resignations we experienced beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020 and continuing through the closing of the Merger in March 2021, during such periods and for all periods thereafter through the date of such determination, we increased our reliance on outsourced accounting help. As a result of such changes, our management concluded that we were unable to maintain the levels of segregation of duties during such periods at the levels of prior periods, and that such changes to our disclosure controls and procedures significantly affected our internal control over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Although we have yet to fully resolve such deficiencies as of the date of this report, we have engaged, and continue to seek the assistance of additional, experienced accounting professionals with relevant expertise to supplement our efforts and mitigate the negative effects of the above-described deficiencies in the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures.

If we fail to detect errors on a timely basis, our financial statements may be materially misstated and if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, if and when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected, and we could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

We may not be able to utilize a significant portion of our net operating loss or research and development tax credit carryforwards, which could adversely affect our profitability.

As of December 31, 2022, we had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) due to prior period losses. Federal and state NOLs generated prior to 2018 have a 20-year carryforward and, if not utilized, will begin to expire in 2032. Similarly, state NOLs generated for tax years 2018 and after will also have a 20-year carryforward and, if not utilized, will begin to expire in 2038. These NOLs may go unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities, which could adversely affect our profitability.

Federal NOLs generated for tax years beginning with 2018 will carryforward indefinitely due to changes in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security ("CARES") Act of 2020. California tax law has not changed to conform to the new federal law on carryforward of NOLs generated in tax years beginning with 2018.

In addition, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, our ability to utilize NOL carryforwards or other tax attributes in any taxable year may be limited if we experience an “ownership change.” A Section 382 “ownership change” generally occurs if one or more stockholders or groups of stockholders who own at least 5% of our stock increase their ownership by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest ownership percentage within a rolling three-year period. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. As discussed elsewhere in this report, the Merger with Envirotech Drive Systems, Inc. resulted in their shareholders owning approximately 56% of the Company’s outstanding shares at the Merger closing date, which is an ownership change under Section 382. As a result, the future utilization of the ADOMANI, Inc. NOL carryforwards will be limited to a number of factors, which cannot be calculated at this time.

Following the completion of the Merger, we assessed our ability to use certain deferred tax benefits from net operating losses that were recorded by EVTDS in certain prior periods and determined that, in light of the uncertainty of generating future taxable income against which those losses can be offset in order to realize such benefits, recording a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred income tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized is appropriate. In making such determination, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. The Company recognized a full valuation allowance for all deferred tax assets for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

In addition, future issuances of our stock could cause an “ownership change.” It is possible that any future ownership change could have a material effect on the use of our net operating loss carryforwards or other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our profitability.

Our reported financial results may be adversely affected by changes in GAAP.

GAAP is subject to interpretation by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC, and various bodies formed to promulgate and interpret appropriate accounting principles. A change in these principles or interpretations could have a significant effect on our reported financial results and could affect the reporting of transactions completed before the announcement of a change.

We may be subject to additional environmental, social and corporate governance (“ESG”) disclosure requirements which may increase our costs of compliance.

There is an increasing focus from certain investors, employees, partners, and other stakeholders concerning ESG matters. We may be, or be perceived to be, not acting responsibly in connection with these matters, which could negatively impact us.  Moreover, the SEC has recently proposed rule changes that would require registrants to include certain climate-related disclosures in their registration statements and periodic reports, including information about climate-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on their business, results of operations, or financial condition, and certain climate-related financial statement metrics in a note to their audited financial statements. If approved, these new disclosure requirements  will likely increase our costs of compliance which would then increase our operating expenses. The increase in operating expenses may have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to the Ownership of Our Securities

The price of our common stock is and is likely to continue to be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for our stockholders and may prevent you from reselling your shares at or above the price you paid for your shares.

The market price of our common stock is and is likely to remain volatile and may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:

The market price and volume of our common stock could fluctuate, and in the past has fluctuated, relative to our limited public float. We are particularly subject to fluctuations as reported on the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC. During the period January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022, the closing price of a share of our common stock reached a high of $7.40 and a low of $1.98, with daily trade volumes reaching a high of 430,809 and a low of 2,476. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the closing price of a share of our common stock reached a high of $16.20 and a low of $3.80, with daily trade volumes reaching a high of 351,028 and a low of 3,594. In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many technology companies. Stock prices of many technology companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies.

We have and will continue to incur increased costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies, which adversely affect our operating results.

As a public company, and particularly after we are no longer an emerging growth company, we are incurring and will continue to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting, corporate governance requirements, and investor relations expenses. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of Nasdaq and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel have adapted to the requirements of being a public company and devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations have increased our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, these rules and regulations have made it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we have incurred substantially higher costs to obtain increased coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as our executive officers.

The increased costs associated with operating as a public company have and will continue to decrease our net income or increase our net loss, and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business or increase the prices of our products or services. Additionally, if these requirements divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If few securities analysts commence coverage of us, or if industry analysts cease coverage of us, the trading price for our common stock would be negatively affected. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our common stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which might cause our common stock price and trading volume to decline.

We may fail to meet our publicly announced guidance or other expectations about our business, which would cause our stock price to decline.

We may provide guidance regarding our expected financial and business performance, such as projections regarding sales and production, as well as anticipated future revenues, gross margins, profitability and cash flows. Correctly identifying key factors affecting business conditions and predicting future events is inherently an uncertain process and our guidance may not ultimately be accurate. Our guidance is based on certain assumptions such as those relating to anticipated production and sales volumes and average sales prices, supplier and commodity costs, and planned cost reductions. If our guidance is not accurate or varies from actual results due to our inability to meet our assumptions or the impact on our financial performance that could occur as a result of various risks and uncertainties, the market value of our common stock could decline significantly.

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.

We have never declared nor paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, stockholders must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment.

Provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could discourage a takeover that stockholders may consider favorable.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management. These provisions include the following:

In addition, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in a broad range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder becomes an “interested” stockholder.

Item 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

Item 2.  PROPERTIES

In February 2022, we announced the acquisition of a manufacturing facility located in Osceola, Arkansas. The facility of approximately 580,000 square feet is currently the headquarters and is planned to become our primary manufacturing facility. The leased warehouse and production facility in Corona, California was assigned to our former sub-lease tenant effective April 1, 2022. We also lease other office and storage space on month-to-month leases or for terms expiring within one year.

Item 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Except as set forth below, we know of no material, existing or pending, legal proceedings against our Company, nor are we involved as a plaintiff in any material proceeding or pending litigation. There are no proceedings in which any of our directors, officers or affiliates, or any registered or beneficial stockholder, is an adverse party or has a material interest adverse to our interest.

GreenPower Actions:

On December 17, 2019, GreenPower Motor Company Inc., a public company incorporated under the laws of British Columbia (“GreenPower”), of which Phillip W. Oldridge, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, and a member of its board of directors, previously served as a senior officer and a member of its board of directors, filed a notice of civil claim, captioned GreenPower Motor Company Inc. v. Phillip Oldridge et al., Action No. S-1914285, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, against Phillip Oldridge, his trust, EVTDS and certain other companies affiliated therewith. The notice of civil claim alleges that Mr. Oldridge breached certain fiduciary duties owed to GreenPower by working with certain parties in direct competition with and at the expense of GreenPower. GreenPower alleges that the Company conspired with Mr. Oldridge to build its business, competing products and unfairly compete with GreenPower. GreenPower seeks general damages, special damages and punitive damages, plus interest and costs against EVTDS. On February 2, 2020, the Company and the other companies affiliated therewith named in the notice of civil claim filed a response to the civil claim in which they denied certain of the allegations and asserted that certain other facts were outside of their knowledge. Fact discovery, through document disclosure and examinations for discoveries, in this matter remain ongoing. We believe that the lawsuit is without merit and intend to vigorously defend the action.

On or about July 18, 2021, GreenPower and GP GreenPower Industries Inc. (collectively “the GreenPower entities”), filed a counterclaim against David Oldridge, Phillip Oldridge, the Company and other companies in Supreme Court of British Columbia Action No. S207532. The counterclaim alleges that David Oldridge, Phillip Oldridge, the Company and other companies committed the tort of abuse of process by causing 42 Design Works Inc., to commence a lawsuit against the GreenPower entities. Additionally, the GreenPower entities also advanced claims against David Oldridge, Phillip Oldridge, the Company and other companies for conspiracy. The pleadings in this lawsuit have not closed and we intend to vigorously defend the counterclaim.

On February 8, 2022, GreenPower Motor Company, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, and GreenPower Motor Company Inc., a Canadian Corporation, filed a complaint captioned GreenPower Motor Company, Inc. v. Phillip Oldridge, et al., Case No. 5:22-cv-00252 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint names the Company and the following affiliated entities, officers, or directors: Phillip Oldridge, Envirotech Electric Vehicles Inc., Envirotech Drive Systems Incorporated US, Envirotech Drive Systems Incorporated Canada, Sue Emry, David Oldridge, S&P Financial and Corporate Services, Inc. GreenPower also named the Phillip Oldridge Trust and a purported entity called EVT Motors, Inc., but has since dismissed those parties. The complaint alleges (i) RICO violations, (ii) conspiracy to commit RICO violations, (iii) breach of fiduciary duties, (iv) breach of an employment contract, (v) conversion of GreenPower property, (vi) violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and (vii) violations of California’s Business and Profession Code. The complaint seeks an undisclosed amount of compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief to prevent the alleged anti-Competitive behavior, restitution for harm, an award of treble damages, and associate fees and costs. The complaint’s allegations are centered around the same assertions in the pending Canadian litigation.

On May 10, 2022, the Company, together with other defendants, filed a Motion to Dismiss and/or Stay the lawsuit pending the outcome of the Canadian litigation. The Court issued stay of this case pending resolution of parallel litigation in Canada between similar parties. GreenPower and defendants have agreed that the U.S. GreenPower case will not proceed while Canadian litigation is pending. We believe that the lawsuit is without merit and intend to vigorously defend the action.

Mollik/Electric DriveTrain Action:

On August 23, 2018, a purported class action lawsuit captioned M.D. Ariful Mollik v. ADOMANI, Inc. et al., Case No. RIC 1817493, was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Riverside against us, certain of our executive officers, Edward R. Monfort, the former Chief Technology Officer and a former director of ADOMANI, Inc., and the two underwriters of our offering of common stock under Regulation A in June 2017. This complaint alleges that documents related to our offering of common stock under Regulation A in June 2017 contained materially false and misleading statements and that all defendants violated Section 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act, and that we and the individual defendants violated Section 15 of the Securities Act, in connection therewith. The plaintiff seeks on behalf of himself and all class members: (i) certification of a class under California substantive law and procedure; (ii) compensatory damages and interest in an amount to be proven at trial; (iii) reasonable costs and expenses incurred in this action, including counsel fees and expert fees; (iv) awarding of rescission or rescissionary damages; and (v) equitable relief at the discretion of the court.

Plaintiff’s counsel subsequently filed a first amended complaint, a second amended complaint, a third amended complaint, and a fourth amended complaint. Plaintiff Mollik was replaced by putative class representatives Alan K. Brooks and Electric Drivetrains, LLC. Alan K. Brooks was subsequently dropped as a putative class representative. On October 27, 2020, the Company answered the fourth amended complaint, generally denying the allegations and asserting affirmative defenses.

On July 13, 2021, Electric Drivetrains’ counsel moved to be relieved as counsel and on August 23, 2021, the court granted this motion. On August 23, 2021, the Clerk of Court issued an order to show cause why the complaint should not be stricken and matter dismissed for failure to retain new counsel to Electric Drivetrains. On October 28, 2021, Electric Drivetrains filed a substitution of attorney, substituting J. Ryan Gustafson of Good Gustafson Aumais LLP as its new counsel. On December 10, 2021, the Court vacated the order to show cause. Over the tenure of the action, Electric Drivetrain has dismissed all defendants in the action except for the Company and two former Company executives. Any and all pending cross claims between or among defendants have been resolved and dismissed.

On August 31, 2022, Electric Drivetrains filed its Fifth Amended Complaint, which: i) drops certain class allegations; ii) adds certain state law claims; iii) and drops certain factual allegations but leaves the remaining claims against defendants intact. On October 6, 2022, the Company and remaining defendants filed their respective answer denying the allegations and asserting counterclaims. On the same day, the Company cross claimed against Electric Drivetrains and its managing member.

On June 19, 2023, counsel for Electric Drivetrains and counsel for the Company participated in a mediation before mediator Mark LeHockey, Esq. At that mediation, Electric Drivetrains and the Company executed a binding term sheet to completely resolve this matter. On July 18, 2023, Electric Drivetrains and all Defendants executed a Settlement Agreement for complete resolution of the case and dismissal against all Defendants with prejudice. No Company proceeds will be used to resolve this matter. Based on the Settlement Agreement, Electric Drivetrains will dismiss this case, with prejudice, on or about August 23, 2023. On September 30, 2023, the Court dismissed this action with prejudice and the matter is completely resolved,

Except as set forth above, we know of no material, existing or pending, legal proceedings against our Company, nor are we involved as a plaintiff in any material proceeding or pending litigation. There are no proceedings in which any of our directors, officers or affiliates, or any registered or beneficial stockholder, is an adverse party or has a material interest adverse to our interest.

Item 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable

Part II

Market Information

Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol “EVTV.” Over-the-counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

Holders

As of September 19, 2023, we had approximately 160 record holders of our common stock. The actual number of stockholders is greater than this number of record holders and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners, but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees. The number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities.

Dividend Policy

We have never declared or paid any dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate that we will pay any dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Instead, we currently plan to retain any earnings to finance the growth of our business. Any future determination relating to dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations and capital requirements as well as other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

Repurchases of Equity Securities

We did not purchase any of our equity securities during the period covered by this Annual Report.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates, beliefs and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including, but not limited to, those discussed in Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of Part I of this Annual Report.

Overview

We are a provider of purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles focused on reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership and helping fleet operators unlock the benefits of green technology. We serve commercial and last-mile fleets, school districts, public and private transportation service companies and colleges and universities to meet the increasing demand for light to heavy-duty electric vehicles. Our vehicles address the challenges of traditional fuel price instability and local, state and federal regulatory compliance.

As discussed in Item 8, Notes 2 and 3 to the consolidated financial statements of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as a result of the closing of the Merger on March 15, 2021, the historical results discussed in this section of the Annual Report are those of Envirotech Drive Systems, Inc. (“EVTDS”) as of and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, including the balance sheet accounts of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.), at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and including the consolidated results of operations of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) and EVTDS for the entire annual period ended December 31, 2022. The consolidated results of operations for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2021, include the results of operations of EVTDS for the entire annual period and include the consolidated results of operations of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) and its subsidiaries for the post-merger period March 16, 2021 through December 31, 2021. On May 26, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to change its name from ADOMANI, Inc., to Envirotech Vehicles, Inc., effective as of May 26, 2021.

For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, we generated sales revenue of approximately $4.5 million and $2.0 million, respectively, and our net losses were $43.8 million and $7.7 million, respectively. The 2022 loss includes approximately $39.1 million of non-cash expenses, including a goodwill impairment charge of approximately $37.1 million.

Factors Affecting Our Performance

We believe that the growth and future success of our business depend on various opportunities, challenges and other factors, including the following:

Components of Results of Operations

Sales

Sales are recognized from the sales of new, purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles and from providing vehicle maintenance and safety inspection services. Sales are recognized in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, as discussed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales includes those costs related to the development, manufacture, and distribution of our products. Specifically, we include in cost of sales each of the following: material costs (including commodity costs); freight costs; labor and other costs related to the development and manufacture of our products; and other associated costs. Cost of sales also includes costs related to the valuation of inventory due to impairment, obsolescence, or shrinkage.

General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses include all corporate and administrative functions that support our company, including personnel-related expense and stock-based compensation costs; costs related to investor relations activities; warranty costs, including product recall and customer satisfaction program costs; consulting costs; marketing-related expenses; and other expenses that cannot be included in cost of sales.

Consulting and Research and Development Costs

These expenses are substantially related to our external consulting and research and development activity.

Other Income/Expenses, Net

Other income/expenses include non-operating income and expenses, including interest income and expense.

Provision for Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC 740 “Income Taxes,” which requires the recognition of deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Under ASC 740, the effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period the enactment occurs. A valuation allowance is provided for certain deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that we will not realize tax assets through future operations. Because we have incurred only losses to this point, no provision for income taxes has been made in 2022, and the income tax benefit recorded in 2020 has been reversed in 2021 and effectively reserved as well.

Results of Operations

The following discussion compares operating data for the year ended December 31, 2022 to the data for the year ended December 31, 2021:

Sales

Sales were approximately $4.50 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $2.04 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of [58] logistic cargo vans sold primarily to customers in New Jersey who utilized a voucher from the NJ ZIP program, [5] cab and chassis trucks sold to FAR distributors and other customers and three used buses. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted of 21 vehicles, (cargo vans and trucks) sold to customers and FAR distributors, as well as maintenance and inspection services provided. 

Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of sales related to the sales revenue described above were approximately $2.77 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, which resulted in gross profit of $1.73 million and a gross margin percentage of 38%, compared to $1.28 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which resulted in gross profit of $0.76 million and a gross margin percentage of 37%.

Operating Expenses

¹ Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $7,996,906, compared to $8,238,531 for 2021, a decrease of $241,625, which was primarily related to a decrease in non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1,799,595 and to the effect of $685,000 of lawsuit settlement expense in 2021, partially offset by increases in other general administrative expenses which increased in order to prepare for future expected growth.

Consulting

Consulting expenses were $339,505 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $188,703 for 2021, due primarily to payments to an Arkansas state relationship and incentive consulting firm that assisted the Company in securing the manufacturing facility in Osceola, Arkansas and payments to another firm that assists the Company with public affairs, media and public relations.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses were $149,912 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $58,139 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increased expense in 2022 was due to the development of new product lines, which includes a school bus and Class 5 cab over chassis truck.

Goodwill Impairment Charge

Based on the annual impairment test, we recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $37,093,047 as of December 31, 2022.

Other Income (Expense)

Interest income, net consists primarily of interest earned on short-term investments, partially offset by interest expense on debt. Interest income, net increased to $45,026 for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $4,412 for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to higher interest rates earned on short-term investments during 2022.

Other income of $288,185 for the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily consists of a gain of $290,520 on forgiveness of the Company’s loan under the Paycheck Protection Program established pursuant to the CARES Act.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax for the year ended December 31, 2021 consists primarily of $218,300 of EVTDS deferred income tax benefits reversed following the Merger.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents of $2,765,068 and short-term investments of $2,336,402, a combined total of $5,101,470, and working capital of $16,867,201. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments will be sufficient to fund our present operations during the next 12 months and beyond. However, we may not successfully execute our business plan, and if we do not, we may need additional capital to continue our operations and support the increased working capital requirements associated with the fulfillment of purchase orders.

In February 2022, we announced Osceola, Arkansas as the site of our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and new corporate offices. We moved into an approximately 580,000 square foot facility and is currently in final stages of due diligence and contract negotiation with the City of Osceola and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. However, additional debt and/or equity capital will be required in order to purchase related equipment and set up production lines and is expected to require up to $80 million of additional investment through 2027. Investments and employee hiring requirements over the next 10 years will provide an opportunity for us to obtain local tax incentives granted to the Company of up to $27 million, provided that the qualifying expenditures are made. We are not not currently contractually obligated to make the expenditures.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Operating Activities

Cash used in operating activities is primarily the result of our operating losses, reduced by the impact of non-cash expenses, including non-cash goodwill impairment charges and stock-based compensation, and changes in the asset and liability accounts.

Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $7,432,087 compared to $12,936,755 for the year ended December 31, 2021, a decrease of cash used of $5,504,668. The decrease in net cash used in operating activities was due primarily to lower cash used by changes in our operating assets and liabilities, primarily related to accounts receivable, inventory and inventory deposits. The net cash used by changes in our operating assets and liabilities was $2,668,276 for the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to increases of $890,880 in accounts receivable and $1,820,785 in inventory. This compares to net cash used by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $8,787,406 for 2021, due primarily to increases of $4,503,079 in inventory deposits, $3,198,877 in inventory and $1,415,657 in accounts receivable. The remainder of the decrease in net cash used in operating activities compared to 2021 was due to a lower net loss in 2022 after accounting for non-cash expenses. Although we reported a net loss of $43,804,160 for the year ended December 31, 2022, the loss included $39,040,349 of non-cash expenses, including a goodwill impairment charge of $37,093,047 and stock-based compensation of $1,614,845. Net loss for 2021 was $7,652,100, which included net non-cash expenses of $3,502,751, including stock-based compensation of $3,414,440.

We expect cash used in operating activities to fluctuate significantly in future periods as a result of a number of factors, some of which are outside of our control, including, among others: the success we achieve in generating revenue; the success we have in helping our customers obtain financing to subsidize their purchases of our products; our ability to efficiently develop our dealer and service network; the costs of batteries and other materials utilized to make our products; the extent to which we need to invest additional funds in research and development; and the amount of expenses we incur to satisfy future warranty claims.

Investing Activities

Net cash provided by investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2022 was $5,507,719, as compared to cash used in investing activities of $4,677,839 during the year ended December 31, 2021. Net cash provided in 2022 consisted of proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities of $9,619,242, partially offset by purchases of marketable securities of $3,942,940 and capital expenditures of $168,583. Net cash used in 2021 consisted of purchases of marketable securities of $16,233,213 and capital expenditures of $27,958, partially offset by proceeds from sales of and maturities of marketable securities of $8,210,000 and cash acquired in the merger of $3,373,332.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2022 was $156,690 and net cash provided by financing activities in 2021 was $20,590,987. Net cash used in financing for 2022 primarily consisted of principal repayments of debt of $276,690, partially offset by proceeds from the issuance of common stock for options exercised of $120,000. Net cash provided by financing activities in 2021 consisted primarily of the pre-merger $4,621,200 proceeds from the issuance of common stock raised by EVTDS in 2021 in anticipation of the Merger; a second common stock offering post-merger which raised $16,274,991, and $211,219 raised in 2021 from the issuance of stock for stock options that were exercised, partially offset by offering costs of $188,015 and debt repayments of $328,408.

Line of Credit

Effective August 4, 2022, the Company secured a line of credit from Centennial Bank. Borrowings under the line of credit bear interest at 2.75% annually. There is no maturity date for the line, but Centennial Bank may at any time, in its sole discretion and without cause, demand the Company to immediately repay any and all outstanding obligations under the line of credit in whole or in part. The line is secured by the cash and cash equivalents maintained by the Company in its Centennial Bank accounts. Borrowings under the line may not exceed cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances up to $1,000,000. There was no principal amount outstanding on December 31, 2022 and there is no current plan to borrow from it.

Capital Expenditures

We do not have any contractual obligations for ongoing capital expenditures at this time. We do, however, purchase equipment necessary to conduct our operations on an as needed basis and will begin increasing those expenditures as the Company transfers assembly and corporate functions to the newly announced Osceola Arkansas facility.

Contractual Obligations

Other than as disclosed in the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company has no contractual obligations.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Indemnification Agreements

As we have generated sales, we have provided customers with indemnification of varying scope against claims of intellectual property infringement by third parties arising from the use of our products. We do not estimate the costs related to these indemnification provisions to be significant and are unable to determine the maximum potential impact of these indemnification provisions on our future results of operations. In addition, we have directors and officers liability coverage to further mitigate our indemnification exposure. No demands have been made upon us to provide indemnification and there are no claims that we are aware of that could have a material effect on our consolidated balance sheet, consolidated statement of operations, or consolidated cash flows.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, costs and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We define our critical accounting policies as those accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America that require us to make subjective estimates and judgments about matters that are uncertain and are likely to have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations as well as the specific manner in which we apply those principles. No critical accounting policies existed at December 31, 2022.

Smaller Reporting Company Status

We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company if either (i) the market value of our shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue is less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter. We may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies, including reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Management has considered all recent accounting pronouncements issued, but not effective, and does not believe that they will have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. We do not currently face material market risks such as interest rate fluctuation risk and foreign currency exchange risk. Our cash and cash equivalents include cash in readily available checking and money market accounts. These investments are not dependent on interest rate fluctuations that may cause the principal amount of these investments to fluctuate, and we do not expect such fluctuation will have a material impact on our financial conditions. If we issue additional debt in the future, we will be subject to interest rate risk. The majority of our expenses are denominated in the U.S. dollar.

We may face risks associated with the costs of raw materials, primarily batteries, as we go into production. To the extent these and other risks materialize, they could have a material effect on our operating results or financial condition. We currently anticipate that our international selling, marketing and administrative costs related to foreign sales will be largely denominated in the same foreign currency, which may mitigate our foreign currency exchange risk exposure.

ENVIROTECH VEHICLES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

ENVIROTECH VEHICLES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

ENVIROTECH VEHICLES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

ENVIROTECH VEHICLES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

ENVIROTECH VEHICLES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Organization and Operations

Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) is a provider of purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles focused on reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership and helping fleet operators unlock the benefits of green technology. The Company serves commercial and last-mile fleets, school districts, public and private transportation service companies and colleges and universities to meet the increasing demand for light to heavy-duty electric vehicles. The Company’s vehicles address the challenges of traditional fuel price cost instability and local, state and federal regulatory compliance.

On March 15, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of Envirotech Drive Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“EVTDS”), a supplier of zero-emission trucks, cargo vans, chassis and other commercial vehicles. The transaction was completed in accordance with an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated February 16, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, EVTDS and EVT Acquisition Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”). See Note 3 - Merger.

The Company was formerly known as ADOMANI, Inc. On May 26, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation the Company with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to change its name from ADOMANI, Inc. to Envirotech Vehicles, Inc., effective as of May 26, 2021.

On February 22, 2022, the Company announced Osceola, Arkansas, as the site of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and new corporate offices. The Company has moved into an approximately 587,000 square foot facility.

On June 28, 2022, we effected a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of our common stock with no change to authorized shares of common stock. All share, restricted stock unit (“RSU”), and per share or per RSU information through this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split. The shares of common stock retain a par value of $0.00001 per share. Accordingly, an amount equal to the par value of the decreased shares resulting from the reverse stock split was reclassified from “Common stock” to “Additional paid-in capital.”

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation—The consolidated financial statements and related disclosures as of December 31, 2022 include the Consolidated Balance Sheet of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) and subsidiaries, including EVTDS (see Note 3 - Merger), and for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2022, include the Consolidated Results of Operations of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) and EVTDS for the entire annual period. The consolidated financial statements and related disclosures as of  December 31, 2021 include the Consolidated Balance Sheet of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) and its subsidiaries, including EVTDS. The Consolidated Results of Operations for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2021, include the results of operations of EVTDS for the entire annual period and include the consolidated results of operations of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) and its subsidiaries for the post-merger period March 16, 2021 through December 31, 2021.

Principles of Consolidation—The accompanying financial statements reflect the consolidation of the financial statements of EVTDS, its wholly-owned subsidiary Envirotech Drive Systems, Incorporated, and, from March 16, 2021 forward, the financial statements of Envirotech Vehicles, Inc., ADOMANI California, Inc., Adomani (Nantong) Automotive Technology Co. Ltd. (dissolved in December, 2021), ADOMANI ZEV Sales, Inc., Zero Emission Truck and Bus Sales of Arizona, Inc., and ZEV Resources, Inc. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates—The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments—The carrying values of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments. Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) No. 820, “Fair Value Measurement” defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. It also establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets;

Level 2: Inputs, other than the quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market data and that require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

The Company does not have any assets or liabilities that are required to be measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis.

Revenue Recognition—The Company recognizes revenue from the sales of zero-emission electric vehicles and vehicle maintenance and inspection services. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, which requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. For the year ended December 31, 2022, three customers accounted for approximately 43 percent of the annual revenue recorded. At December 31, 2021, the Company did have a concentration of customers; four customers’ balances account for approximately 81 percent of the outstanding accounts receivable; for the year ended December 31, 2021, four customers accounted for approximately 63 percent of the annual revenue recorded.

In applying ASC Topic 606, the Company is required to:

Product revenue consists primarily of the sale of electric trucks and cargo vans. These sales represent a single performance obligation with revenue recognition occurring at the time title transfers. Transfer of title generally occurs when the customer has accepted the vehicle and signed the appropriate documentation acknowledging receipt. At this time, the title of the vehicle is transferred to the customer.

The Company provides the option of financing (flooring) to Factory Authorized Representatives (“FARs”) for demo vehicles that are used in their selling process. Flooring agreements are made either expressly or implicitly and last no longer than one year with respect to specific vehicles, as payment for the vehicles is due in full before the first anniversary of the agreement, or upon sale by the FAR of the demo vehicle. The interest rate associated with the flooring agreement is agreed upon at the time of executing the FAR agreement. The Company has elected the practical expedient allowed by ASC Topic 606 where consideration does not need to be adjusted for financing components of the agreement.

Other revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 included performing basic vehicle maintenance and detailing, as well as safety inspections for compliance with United States Department of Transportation guidelines. These sales represent a single performance obligation with revenue recognition occurring at the time services are invoiced. These sales were approximately $118,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, and did not recur in 2022. The Company has therefore not provided any additional disaggregation information, as all other revenue relates to the sale of vehicles as discussed above.

Cash and Cash Equivalents—The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The recorded value of our restricted cash and cash equivalents approximates their fair value. 

Restricted Cash—The Company classifies certain bank balances as restricted cash as these balances are required to support certain minor activities. See Concentration of Credit Risk below in this Note. The Company had $60,399 and $60,035 of restricted cash at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

Short-term Investments—The Company invests in short-term, highly liquid, marketable securities, such as U.S. Treasury notes, U.S. Treasury bonds, and other government-backed securities. The Company also invests in bank certificates of deposit. The Company classifies these short-term investments as held-to-maturity, as the intent is not to liquidate them prior to the respective stated maturity date. These securities had original maturity dates ranging from 158 days to 200 days, and at December 31, 2022, the remaining maturity dates on these securities ranged from 1 day to 90 days. At December 31, 2021, the aggregate amount of the Company’s investments in marketable securities was $8,002,700. These securities had original maturity dates ranging from 143 days to 364 days, and at December 31, 2021, the remaining maturity dates on these securities ranged from 13 days to 167 days.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts—The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts through a review of several factors including historical collection experience, current aging status of the customer accounts, and financial condition of its customers. The Company does not generally require collateral for its accounts receivable. A significant portion of the Company’s sales are made to customers who qualify for state-sponsored grant programs which can cover a significant portion, up to most of, a vehicle’s purchase price. Grant monies are paid directly to vehicle dealers like the Company after the customer and the dealer meet state requirements related to the transaction; reimbursements to the dealer may take two to nine months from the date of request before being received. The Company does not provide an allowance for doubtful accounts related to sales made utilizing state grant funds, as those funds are guaranteed by the state(s) once awarded. The Company had trade accounts receivable of $2,344,909 and an allowance for doubtful accounts of $271,218 at December 31, 2022. The Company had trade accounts receivable of $1,428,030 as of December 31, 2021 with no allowance for bad debt. The trade accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2022 is primarily from credit-worthy customers many of whom are fully or partially funded through state government sponsored programs and the December 31, 2021 balance was in the collection process for guaranteed state grant funding subsequent to that date. The Company did have a concentration of customers; three customers’ balances account for approximately 37 percent of the outstanding accounts receivable; for the year ended December 31, 2022, At December 31, 2021, four customers’ balances account for approximately 81 percent of the outstanding accounts receivable; for the year ended December 31, 2021, four customers accounted for approximately 63 percent of the annual revenue recorded.

Inventory and Inventory Valuation Allowance—The Company records inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value, uses a First In, First Out (“FIFO”) accounting valuation methodology and establishes an inventory valuation allowance for vehicles that it does not intend to sell in the future. The Company had finished goods inventory on hand of $5,683,755 as of December 31, 2022 and recorded an inventory valuation allowance of $12,429 related to three vehicles that the Company does not intend to support in the future, resulting in a net inventory balance of $5,671,326 at  December 31, 2022. The Company had finished goods inventory on hand of $3,862,970 as of  December 31, 2021 and recorded an inventory ,valuation allowance of $12,429 resulting in a net inventory balance of $3,850,541 as of December 31, 2021.

Inventory Deposits—Certain of our vendors require the Company to pay upfront deposits before they will commence manufacturing our vehicles, and then require progress deposits through the production cycle and before the finished vehicles are shipped. These deposits are classified as inventory deposits in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon completion of production, acceptance by the Company, and passage of title to the Company, deposits are reclassified to inventory. Deposits paid to three vendors accounted for 70 percent of the deposits outstanding at December 31, 2022. Inventory deposits made in 2021 accounted for $2,731,294 of the balance outstanding at December 31, 2022. The Company had inventory deposits of $4,829,933 and $4,503,079 as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Deposits paid to two vendors accounted for 96 percent of the deposits outstanding at December 31, 2021; one different vendor with an affiliation to the two vendors just mentioned accounted for approximately 85 percent of the cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Income Taxes—The Company uses the liability method, where deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial and income tax reporting purposes.

EVTDS previously recorded deferred tax benefits from net operating losses in current and prior periods. The Company, in light of the uncertainty of generating future taxable income against which those losses can be offset in order to realize such benefits, has determined that recording a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred income tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized is appropriate. In making such determinations, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. As of December 31, 2020, EVTDS did not recognize a full valuation allowance for all deferred tax assets. In March 2021, the Company recognized a full valuation allowance for all deferred tax assets, and as a result, recorded income tax expense of $218,300 for the year ended December 31, 2021. A full valuation allowance is also recorded at December 31, 2022.

Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—The Company evaluates its uncertain tax positions and will recognize a loss contingency when it is probable that a liability has been incurred as of the date of the financial statements and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The amount recognized is subject to estimate and management judgment with respect to the likely outcome of each uncertain tax position. The amount that is ultimately sustained for an individual uncertain tax position or for all uncertain tax positions in the aggregate could differ from the amount recognized. At December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, management did not identify any uncertain tax positions.

Net Loss Per Share—Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the Company’s net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period.

Diluted net loss per share is calculated by dividing the Company’s net loss applicable to common stockholders by the diluted weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The diluted weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding is the basic weighted number of shares of common stock adjusted for any potentially dilutive debt or equity securities. As of December 31, 2022, 608,266 shares of the Company’s common stock were subject to issuance upon the exercise of stock options then outstanding and 1,402,417 shares of the Company’s common stock were subject to issuance upon the exercise of warrants then outstanding. As of December 31, 2021, 338,500 shares of the Company’s common stock were subject to issuance upon the exercise of stock options then outstanding and 1,429,900 shares of the Company’s common stock were subject to issuance upon the exercise of warrants then outstanding. Stock options and warrants were not included in the diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, as the effect would be anti-dilutive.

Concentration of Credit Risk—The Company has credit risks related to cash and cash equivalents on deposit with a federally insured bank, as at times it exceeds the $250,000 maximum amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Additionally, the Company maintains cash and short-term securities invested at Arvest Bank, National Association (“Arvest”). Between FDIC and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) coverage, funds up to $750,000, which may include cash up to $500,000, are insured. In addition, Arvest provides excess insurance acquired by them from SIPC for unlimited per customer securities up to a $1 billion cap.

The Company’s bank requires compensating balances, which are reported as Restricted Cash on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets as disclosed above, for a subsidiary’s potential lease exposure and for the Company’s credit card limit, resulting in restricted cash of $60,399 and approximately $60,000 at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets—Long-lived assets, including property and equipment, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company evaluates these assets to determine potential impairment by comparing the carrying amount to the undiscounted estimated future cash flows of the related assets. If the estimated undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value of the assets, the assets are written down to their fair value. There was no impairment of long-lived assets, or property and equipment, as of  December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

Goodwill—Goodwill represents the excess of acquisition cost over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to annual impairment testing on or between annual tests if an event or change in circumstance occurs that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. In testing for goodwill impairment, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, the Company concludes that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it can conclude the assessment. If the Company concludes otherwise, the Company is required to perform a quantitative analysis to determine the amount of impairment. A quantitative analysis is performed at the reporting unit level by comparing the estimated fair value of a reporting unit with its respective carrying value to determine the amount of impairment, if any. The Company has determined that it has one reporting unit. Based on the annual impairment test, which predominantly utilized the Company's quoted market price and the number of outstanding shares toward the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 as inputs, the Company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $37,093,047 as of December 31, 2022. See Note 3 - Merger.

Research and Development ("R&D")—Costs incurred in connection with the development of new products and manufacturing methods are charged to operating expenses as incurred. R&D expenses were $149,912 and $58,139 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation—The Company accounts for employee stock-based compensation in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation”, which requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the financial statements based on their grant date fair values using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and is recognized as compensation expense ratably over the requisite service period, which is generally the option or warrant vesting period. With respect to options to purchase 340,893 shares of common stock issued on January 7, 2022 and options to purchase 3,874 shares of common stock issued on January 31, 2022 (see Note 9 - Stock Options), the Company recorded non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1,614,845 for the year ended December 31, 2022. With respect to the options to purchase 22,000 shares of common stock issued on August 4, 2021 (see Note 9 - Stock Options), non-cash stock-based compensation expense was $121,132 for the year ended December 31, 2021. An additional $3,293,308 was recorded related to the value of certain options assumed by the merged entity, bringing the total amount recorded for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $3,414,440. 

Property and Equipment—Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. The Company provides for depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from three to five years, except leasehold improvements, which are being amortized over the shorter of its useful life or the lease term. Major repairs and replacements, which extend the useful lives of equipment, are capitalized and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the property. All other maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred.

Leases—The Company accounts for leases as required by ASC Topic 842 - Leases. The guidance requires companies to recognize leased assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and to disclose key information regarding leasing arrangements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements—Management has considered all recent accounting pronouncements issued, but not effective, and does not believe that they will have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

3. Merger

On March 15, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of EVTDS, a supplier of zero-emission trucks, cargo vans, chassis and other commercial vehicles. The transaction was completed in accordance with the Merger Agreement, by and among the Company, EVTDS and Merger Sub. As a result of such transaction, Merger Sub was merged with and into EVTDS, with EVTDS surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”). In accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding share of the common stock of EVTDS was automatically converted into the right to receive one share of the common stock of the Company. As a result of the Merger, the Company issued an aggregate of 7,129,887 shares of its common stock to the former EVTDS stockholders, which shares represented approximately 56% of the total issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Company as of immediately following the effective time of the Merger. This exchange of shares and the resulting controlling ownership of EVTDS constitutes a reverse acquisition resulting in a recapitalization of EVTDS and purchase accounting being applied to ADOMANI, Inc. under ASC 805 due to EVTDS being the accounting acquirer and ADOMANI, Inc. being deemed an acquired business. This requires financial reporting from the Merger close date forward to reflect only the historic consolidated results of EVTDS and to include the consolidated results for Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (formerly ADOMANI, Inc.) and subsidiaries from March 16, 2021 forward.

The primary reasons EVTDS consummated the merger with ADOMANI, Inc. were the opportunity to immediately become a public company without the process of doing its own initial public offering, affording it the opportunity to more quickly raise capital (see Note 7 - Common Stock) and provide liquidity options to its stockholders, at the same time acquiring the infrastructure required of a public company run by people experienced in investor relations and the public company regulatory compliance issues and filings required. In addition, since ADOMANI, Inc. had been the sole customer of EVTDS, the two management teams had experience working with each other and anticipated a smooth transition in addition to obtaining synergies, chief of which was a layer of profit required when two separate entities were involved in making and selling a vehicle that was immediately eliminated upon the Merger close, enabling the purchase price of vehicles to customers to be reduced. The combined entity also was able to exert more pressure on suppliers to reduce vehicle costs, which also supported the price reductions to customers.

At December 31, 2020, EVTDS had subscription restricted cash of $1,793,910 on its balance sheet as a result of offering a restricted subscription agreement to the stockholders of Envirotech Electric Vehicles, Inc., a Canadian entity (“EVT Canada”), to have the right to purchase two shares of EVTDS for every one common share of EVT Canada they owned. The purpose of this subscription agreement was to raise the necessary capital to close the Merger and to provide working capital for EVTDS so that it could pay off certain liabilities and pay for ongoing expenses through the closing of the Merger. A corresponding liability account was also recorded as of December 31, 2020. The total amount raised just prior to the Merger closing was $6,415,110. At the closing of the Merger, EVTDS satisfied its obligation to deliver $5 million in cash to ADOMANI, Inc. and repaid the majority of the items discussed above. This number has decreased to zero in both categories as of December 31, 2021.

EVTDS entered into an exclusive 50-year distribution agreement as of October 4, 2017 to become the sole USA distributor of EVT Canada. This agreement grants EVTDS the exclusive right in the United States to promote sales, including the right to use trademarks, trade names, service marks and logos and to obtain orders based on sales targets for orders. The agreement also provides that EVT Canada may not independently appoint additional distributors. The Company obtained this agreement in the Merger.

The following table presents the estimated allocation of the purchase price of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed for the acquisition by EVTDS of ADOMANI, Inc. via the reverse acquisition:

This allocation is based on management’s estimated fair value of the ADOMANI Inc. assets and liabilities at March 15, 2021. ADOMANI, Inc. assets were derived from a total value of $53,509,622, based on 5,635,247 shares of common stock outstanding on March 15, 2021 and the closing price that day of $9.498 per share. The fair value of certain of the stock options assumed by EVTDS in the Merger of $2,228,757 (see Note 9 - Stock Options) was added to reach an adjusted value of $55,738,379. From that amount, total assets acquired of $5,570,628 (including a reduction in the carrying value of finished goods inventory of $26,400 to reflect fair value) was deducted, and total acquired liabilities of $1,607,916 were added, in order to arrive at the $51,775,667 of goodwill recorded, none of which will be deductible for future income tax purposes. The Company incurred approximately $415,472 in transaction costs related to the Merger, which were expensed.

Since the closing of the Merger on March 15, 2021, primarily due to the fact that EVTDS brought no employees or sales people to the merged entity, and that sales and operating activities have been conducted on a company-wide basis, not on the basis of either EVTDS alone or the ADOMANI entities alone, other than nominal expense items related to EVTDS leases assumed in the Merger (see Notes 11 - Commitments and 13 - Leases), all accounting subsequent to the closing of the Merger has been and will continue to be done on a consolidated basis. The Company therefore is not able to segregate the operating results of operations between the formerly separate entities in the current periods.

Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information

The following unaudited pro forma financial information presents the combined results of operations for the Company and gives effect to the Merger discussed above as if it had occurred on January 1, 2021. The pro forma financial information is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 that would have been realized if the Merger had occurred on January 1, 2021, nor does it purport to project the results of the merged entity in future periods. The pro forma financial information does not give effect to any anticipated integration costs related to the merged entities.

The adjustments for the year ended December 31, 2021 resulted in a reduction of sales of $319,000 and a $91,800 increase in net loss. The sales adjustment resulted from sale of vehicles by EVTDS to ADOMANI, Inc. However, the actual loss for ADOMANI, Inc. for the period January 1, 2021 through March 15, 2021 that is included in this pro forma information included an adjustment to fully amortize the unamortized stock-based compensation expense related to outstanding stock options that fully vested at the closing of the Merger. This adjustment increased pro forma expenses, and therefore the pro forma net loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 by approximately $1,826,623 more than would otherwise have been recorded absent the consummation of the Merger.

Goodwill

The following table presents a reconciliation of the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2022:

4. Property and equipment, net

Components of property and equipment, net consist of the following as of December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Depreciation expense was $97,242 and $70,729 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

5. Income Taxes

The cumulative estimated net operating loss (“NOL”) carry-forward is $37,312,984 and $31,347,786 at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. $22,935,645 of this carry-forward may be carried forward indefinitely while $14,377,339 is subject to expiration over a 20-year period. EVTDS recognized a cumulative tax benefit of $218,300 on its financial statements through the year ended December 31, 2020, and therefore did not reserve the deferred tax asset. As mentioned in Note 2, that benefit has been reversed and recorded as income tax expense in the consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, effectively establishing a valuation allowance for it. Due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the corporate tax rate for those tax years beginning with 2018 has been reduced to 21%. Therefore, the cumulative tax effect of the NOL carryforward at the expected rate of 21% comprising the Company’s net deferred tax amount is as follows:

Due to the change in ownership provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, net operating loss carryover for federal income tax reporting purposes are subject to annual limitations. The net operating loss carry-forward includes the years 2012 through 2022 for the Envirotech Vehicles, Inc./ADOMANI, Inc. losses, and includes the years 2014 through 2020 for EVTDS, as the 2021 EVTDS loss is included in the consolidated Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. loss. Because a change in ownership occurred as a result of the Merger, net operating loss carryover will be limited as to use in future years. Federal tax returns for tax years since 2019 are still open for examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

6. Notes Payable

On June 15, 2021, the Company entered into an equipment financing agreement with Navitas Credit Corp. in connection with the purchase of certain inventory management software. The $63,576 loan is payable over twenty-four months, beginning in July 2021, with monthly payments of $2,649. The balance of this note on  December 31, 2022 is $13,245 and is classified as Notes Payable - Current on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

On August 10, 2022, the Company entered into an equipment financing agreement with Wells Fargo in connection with the purchase of facility grounds equipment. The $25,007 loan is payable over 48 months, beginning in August 2022, with monthly payments of $521. The balance of this note on December 31, 2022 is $22,923 of which $6,252 is classified as Notes Payable - current and $16,671 is classified as Notes Payable - Long Term on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Effective August 4, 2022, EVT secured a line of credit from Centennial Bank. Borrowings under the line of credit bearing interest at 3.25% annually. There is no maturity date for the line, but Centennial Bank may at any time, in its sole discretion and without cause, demand the Company immediately repay any and all outstanding obligations under the line of credit in whole or in part. The line is secured by the cash and cash equivalents maintained by the Company in its Centennial Bank accounts. Borrowings under the line may not exceed cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances up to $1,000,000. There was no principal amount outstanding on December 31, 2022, and there is no current plan to borrow from it.

Effective May 2, 2018, ADOMANI, Inc. secured a line of credit from Morgan Stanley. Borrowings under the line of credit bear interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 2.0%. There is no maturity date for the line, but Morgan Stanley may at any time, in its sole discretion and without cause, demand the Company immediately repay any and all outstanding obligations under the line of credit in whole or in part. The line is secured by the cash and cash equivalents maintained by the Company in its Morgan Stanley accounts. Borrowings under the line may not exceed 95% of such cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances. The maximum amount the Company could borrow at December 31, 2021, was approximately $10.4 million; there was no principal amount outstanding at that date. This line is currently closed.

Effective June 15, 2022, the Company entered into a premium financing agreement with First Insurance Funding to finance certain insurance coverage. The $225,000 loan is payable over nine months, beginning in July 2022, and bears interest at 5.8% with monthly payments of $25,608. The balance of this note is $76,087 and is classified as Notes Payable - Current on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Effective August 20, 2022, the Company entered into a second premium financing agreement with First Insurance Funding to finance other insurance coverages. The $214,088 loan is payable over nine months, beginning in September 2022, and bears interest at 6.3% with monthly payments of $24,416. The balance of this note is $120,182 and is classified as Notes Payable - Current on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

7. Common Stock

On March 15, 2021, in connection with the closing of the Merger, the Company issued 7,129,887 shares of its common stock to the former stockholders of EVTDS in exchange for their shares of EVTDS (see Note 3), increasing the total number of outstanding shares of common stock of the Company to 12,765,236 as of immediately following the closing of the Merger.

On December 24, 2020, ADOMANI, Inc. entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional and accredited investors, whereby the Company agreed to sell, and the investors agreed to purchase, shares of common stock of the Company, and warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase additional shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Financing”).

The first closing of the Financing occurred on December 29, 2020. ADOMANI, Inc. raised net cash proceeds, net of offering costs, of approximately $5.3 million through the sale and issuance of 575,000 shares of its common stock at a purchase price equal to $10.00 per share and Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 431,250 shares of its common stock at an exercise price of $10.00 per share. The share and Warrant amounts issued include 32,500 shares and 24,375 Warrants issued to the underwriter in lieu of paying $325,000 of fees in cash. Although this ADOMANI, Inc. activity occurred before the close of the Merger, it is discussed here because it was primarily the source of the $3,373,332 cash acquired by EVTDS in the Merger that closed on March 15, 2021. See Note 3.

The second closing of the Financing was completed on May 7, 2021, following the closing of the Merger (see Note 3) and the subsequent effectiveness of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-255341) filed with the SEC on April 19, 2021, registering for resale the shares of the Company’s common stock sold, and the shares issuable under the Warrants issued, in connection with the Financing. At the second closing of the Financing, the Company raised aggregate net cash proceeds of $16,274,991 through the sale and issuance of an additional 1,916,667 shares of its common stock at a purchase price equal to $9.00 per share, and additional Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 958,334 shares of its common stock at an exercise price of $20.00 per share. The share and Warrant amounts issued include 108,333 shares and a Warrant to purchase 54,167 shares issued to the underwriter in lieu of paying $975,000 of fees in cash.

In addition to the $16,274,991 cash equity proceeds received during the year ended December 31, 2021 discussed in the previous paragraph, the Company also received $120,000 and $211,219 cash equity proceeds from the exercise of various stock option agreements during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, as discussed in Note 9.

8. Stock Warrants

As a result of the Merger closing (see Note 3), as of March 15, 2021, the Company had outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 534,067 shares of common stock, 102,817 of which were exercisable. The warrants were previously issued by ADOMANI, Inc. and assumed in the Merger. Of the 534,067 outstanding at the Merger date, 27,483 and 62,500 expired unexercised during 2022 and 2021, respectively. In connection with the second closing of the Financing discussed in Note 7, the Company issued additional warrants to purchase up to 958,334 shares of its common stock. The Company’s outstanding warrants as of December 31, 2022 are summarized as follows, and all were exercisable at that date:

The Warrants issued as part of the Purchase Agreement (see Note 7) contain a call provision whereby the Company, after the 13-month anniversary of the issuance date, and if the volume weighted average price of the common stock for such date exceeds four times the exercise price of the warrants for 20 consecutive trading days, may call the Warrants that have not previously been exercised, and the Warrant holders have ten trading days within which to exercise before the Warrants may be cancelled.

As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the outstanding warrants have no intrinsic value.

9. Stock Options

The following is a summary of stock option activity under the Company’s 2017 Equity Incentive Plan for the year ended December 31, 2022:

On January 7, 2022, the Company’s Compensation Committee granted Phillip W. Oldridge, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, options to purchase 150,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.00 per share and options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.40 per share. The options vested immediately and expire on the tenth anniversary of grant.

On January 7, 2022, the Company’s Compensation Committee granted Susan M. Emry, the Company’s Executive Vice President, options to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.00 per share and options to purchase 40,893 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.40 per share. The options vested immediately and expire on the tenth anniversary of grant.

On January 31, 2022, the Company’s Compensation Committee granted Christian S. Rodich, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, options to purchase 2,762 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.62 per share and options to purchase 1,111 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $9.00 per share. The options vest ratably at 1/60th per month over five years and expire on the tenth anniversary of grant.

On March 15, 2022, options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock were exercised by the former President and CEO of the Company at a price of $2.40 per share, resulting in a payment to the Company of $120,000. Also on March 15, 2022, options to purchase an aggregate of 25,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $9.00 per share were forfeited by the former executive, as they were not exercised prior to their expiration on March 15, 2022.

On August 4, 2021, the Company’s Compensation Committee granted Phillip W. Oldridge, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, and a member of its board of directors, options to purchase 22,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.506 per share. The Committee determined that Mr. Oldridge would be immediately vested in the options granted.

The options granted during 2022 were valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, resulting in a weighted average fair market value of approximately $4.71 per option for the years ended December 31, 2022. The weighted average assumptions used in the valuation of the options are summarized in the following table:

As of December 31, 2022, outstanding options had intrinsic value of $32,500, all of which was exercisable.

10. Related Party Transactions

The Company has entered into lease agreements with SRI Professional Services, Incorporated (“SRI”), pursuant to which the Company leases equipment used in connection with the operation of its business (the “SRI Equipment Leases”). Phillip W. Oldridge, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, and a member of its board of directors, serves as an executive officer and a member of the board of directors of SRI. The SRI Equipment Leases provide for the leasing of two vehicles that commenced on January 1, 2020 and the combined rent under such leases is $3,880 per month, and a separate SRI Equipment Lease provides for a trailer lease that commenced on December 1, 2019, under which the rent is $3,891 per month. The total monthly payment obligation of the Company under the SRI Equipment Leases is $7,771.

EVTDS has entered into a cancelable month-to-month lease with SRI (the “SRI Office Lease”), pursuant to which EVTDS has leased office and warehouse space in the Porterville, California area for a term that commenced on January 1, 2020. The monthly rent under the SRI Office Lease is $2,730.

In addition to the SRI Equipment Leases and the SRI Office Lease, during 2021, the Company purchased a heavy-duty pick-up truck and a trailer from SRI for $81,293. The Company uses such equipment to transport its electric vehicles to and from customer demonstration sites and to and from equipment outfitters when the vehicles have custom bodies and accessories added for specific customers.

The Company has entered into a commercial lease agreement (the “ABCI Office Lease”) with Alpha Bravo Charlie, Inc. (“ABCI”) that commenced on April 1, 2020, for the lease of office space in Porterville, California. The monthly rent for this facility was $2,800. On January 13, 2023, based on a review of office and warehousing space in the Porterville market, the Company’s audit committee approved an increase in the monthly rent to $5,000 for 2023. See Notes 11 and 13. Phillip W. Oldridge, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, and a member of its board of directors, is a director of ABCI.

During 2021, the Company purchased two used automobiles from Mr. Oldridge for an aggregate purchase price of $33,250. The Company purchased such vehicles from Mr. Oldridge for use by the Company’s employees for sales calls and other business purposes.

In connection with the closing of the Merger in March 2021, the Company purchased two electric trucks from Mr. Oldridge for an aggregate purchase price of $128,000. Prior to the closing of the Merger, Mr. Oldridge had permitted the vehicles to be used by the Company as customer demonstration vehicles for no cost. The purchase price of $64,000 per vehicle was less than the purchase price of $83,000 per vehicle that ADOMANI, Inc. had paid to EVTDS for similar vehicles in prior transactions. One of the vehicles purchased by the Company was subsequently sold to a customer of the Company in March 2021 and the second truck remains in the Company’s inventory at December 31, 2022.

The following table summarizes these related party transactions for the years ending December 31, 2022 and 2021: