SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included herein contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position and the results of its operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, may not be indicative of results for the full year. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes to those statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 23, 2023, as amended on May 1, 2023.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, in conformity with GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period.

The Company’s most significant estimates include marketable securities, revenue recognition, the measurement of stock-based compensation expenses, fair value measurements of warrant and derivative liabilities and accretion of preferred stock. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash

As of September 30, 2023, cash of $10 million was restricted in accordance with the Certificate of Designations. See Note 2, above.

Marketable Securities

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities include investment in fixed income bonds and U.S. Treasury securities that are considered to be highly liquid and easily tradeable. The marketable securities are considered trading securities and are measured at fair value and are accounted for in accordance with ASC 320. The marketable securities are valued using inputs observable in active markets for identical securities and are therefore classified as Level 1 within the Company’s fair value hierarchy. The Company held $34,627,782 and $9,848,804 in marketable securities as of September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, respectively.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the core principle of which is that an entity should 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 to receive in exchange for those goods or services.

To achieve this core principle, five basic criteria must be met before revenue can be recognized: (1) identify the contract with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when or as the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

Nature of goods and services

The following is a description of the Company’s products and services from which the Company generates revenue, as well as the nature, timing of satisfaction of performance obligations, and significant payment terms for each:

Product revenue

Product revenue from customer contracts is recognized on the sale of each electric vehicle as vehicles are shipped to customers. The majority of the Company’s vehicle sales orders generally have only one performance obligation: sale and delivery of complete vehicles. Ownership and risk of loss transfers to the customer based on FOB shipping point and freight charges are the responsibility of the customer. Revenue is typically recognized at the point control transfers or in accordance with payment terms customary to the business. The Company provides product warranties to assure that the product assembly complies with agreed upon specifications. The Company’s product warranty is similar in all material respects to the product warranties provided by the Company’s suppliers, therefore minimizing the warranty liability to the standard labor rates associated with the defective part replacement. Customers do not have the option to purchase a warranty separately; as such, warranty is not accounted for as a separate performance obligation. The Company’s policy is to exclude taxes collected from a customer from the transaction price of automotive contracts.

Shipping revenue

Amounts billed to customers related to shipping and handling are classified as shipping revenue. The Company has elected to recognize the cost for freight and shipping when control over vehicles has transferred to the customer as an operating expense. The Company has reported shipping expenses of $15,148 and $79,767 for the three months ended September 30, 2023, and 2022 and $56,482 and $335,812 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, and 2022 respectively, included in General and Administrative Expenses.

Services and other revenue

Services and other revenue consist of non-warranty after-sales vehicle services. Revenue is typically recognized at a point in time when services and replacement parts are provided.

Miscellaneous income

Miscellaneous income consists of late fees charged for receivables not paid within the terms of the customer agreement based upon the outstanding customer receivable balance. This revenue is earned when a customer’s receivable balance becomes delinquent, and its collection is reasonably assured and is calculated using a stated late fee rate multiplied by the outstanding balance that is subject to a late fee charge.

Derivative Financial Instruments

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company evaluates all its financial instruments to determine if such instruments contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. Embedded derivatives must be separately measured from the host contract if all the requirements for bifurcation are met. The assessment of the conditions surrounding the bifurcation of embedded derivatives depends on the nature of the host contract. Bifurcated embedded derivatives are recognized at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the statement of operations each period. Bifurcated embedded derivatives are classified with the related host contract in the Company’s balance sheet. These particular derivatives are assessed under ASC 480 and ASC 815.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with ASC 820 (Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures), the company uses a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements of certain assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes that distinguishes between market participant assumptions developed from market data obtained from outside sources (observable inputs) and our own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed from the best information available to us in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy is divided into three levels based on the source of inputs as follows:

● Level 1 – inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;

● Level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability other than quoted prices, either directly or indirectly including inputs in markets that are not considered to be active; and

● Level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

Categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. The Company recognizes all employee and non-employee share-based compensation as an expense in the financial statements on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, based on the terms of the awards. Equity-classified awards principally related to stock options, restricted stock awards (“RSAs”) and equity-based compensation, are measured at the grant date fair value of the award. The Company determines grant date fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of RSAs is determined using the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. For service based vesting grants, expense is recognized ratably over the requisite service period based on the number of options or shares. For value-based vesting grants, expense is recognized via straight line expense over the expected period per grant as determined by outside valuation experts. Stock-based compensation is reversed for forfeitures in the period of forfeiture.

The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based and cash unit awards containing a market condition using a Monte Carlo simulation model. Key inputs and assumptions used in the Monte Carlo simulation model include the stock price of the award on the grant date, the expected term, the risk-free interest rate over the expected term, the expected annual dividend yield, and the expected stock price volatility. The expected volatility is based on a combination of the historical and implied volatility of the Company’s publicly traded, near-the-money stock options, and the valuation period is based on the vesting period of the awards. The risk-free interest rate is derived from the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant and, since the Company does not currently pay or plan to pay a dividend on its common stock, the expected dividend yield was zero.

Stock options and warrants issued as compensation for services provided to the Company are accounted for based upon the fair value of the underlying equity instrument. The attribution of the fair value of the equity instrument is charged directly to compensation expense over the period during which services are rendered.

Basic and Diluted Loss Per Share

Basic and Diluted Loss Per Share

Basic and diluted net loss per share is determined by dividing net loss by the weighted average ordinary shares outstanding during the period. For all periods presented with a net loss, the shares underlying the ordinary share options and warrants have been excluded from the calculation because their effect would be anti-dilutive. Therefore, the weighted-average shares outstanding used to calculate both basic and diluted loss per share is the same for periods with a net loss.

In accordance with ASC 260, warrants that are accounted for as liabilities which are potentially dilutive have not been included in diluted earnings per share as they would have been anti-dilutive during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

The following potentially dilutive securities have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding as they would be anti-dilutive:

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022		2023		2022
Options to purchase common stock		38,696		98,178		38,696		98,178
Restricted stock unvested		116,293		96,353		116,293		96,353
Warrants outstanding		11,605,759		763,253		11,605,759		763,253
Preferred stock outstanding		11,122,696		309		11,122,696		309
Totals		22,883,444		958,093		22,883,444		958,093

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, which reduces the number of accounting models for convertible instruments, amends diluted earnings per share calculations for convertible instruments and allows more contracts to qualify for equity classification. ASU 2020-06 was effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2021. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 as of January 1, 2023. The adoption did not result in a material change to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Inflation Risk

Inflation Risk

The Company does not believe that inflation has had a material effect on its business, financial condition, or results of operations. If costs were to become subject to significant inflationary pressures, the Company may not be able to fully offset such higher costs through price increases. The Company’s inability or failure to do so could harm the business, financial condition, and results of operations.