LIQUIDITY AND OTHER UNCERTAINTIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Liquidity And Other Uncertainties

LIQUIDITY AND OTHER UNCERTAINTIES

NOTE 2. LIQUIDITY AND OTHER UNCERTAINTIES

Liquidity and Other Uncertainties

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern. The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to those of earlier stage commercial companies, including dependence on key individuals and products, the difficulties inherent in the development of a commercial market, the potential need to obtain additional capital, competition from larger companies, other technology companies and other technologies. The Company has a limited operating history and the sales and income potential of its business and market are unproven. The Company incurred net loss of $3,638,752 for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and negative cash flows from operations of $4,682,044 for the three months ended March 31, 2024. On March 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalent balances totaling $5,460,290, restricted cash of $10,000,000 and marketable securities of $23,640,637. In addition, overall working capital decreased by $4,374,581 during the three months ended March 31, 2024. Management believes that the existing cash as of March 31, 2024, will be sufficient to fund operations for at least the next twelve months following the issuance of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

On August 7, 2023, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Series H-7 Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which it agreed to sell to certain existing investors (the “Series H-7 Investors”) in a private placement (the “Series H-7 Private Placement”) (i) an aggregate of 22,000 shares of the Company’s newly designated Series H-7 convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, with a stated value of $1,000 per share (“Series H-7 Preferred Shares”), and (ii) warrants (the “Series H-7 Investor Warrants”) initially exercisable for up to an aggregate of 2,750,000 shares of common stock. The Company raised gross proceeds of $22,000,000 from the sale, which closed on August 10, 2023 (see Note 9).

The certificate of designations for the Series H-7 Preferred Shares (the “Series H-7 Certificate of Designations”) contains certain restrictive provisions, including (i) a requirement to maintain unencumbered, unrestricted cash and cash equivalents on hand in an amount equal to (a) until December 31, 2023, at least $20,000,000 plus the net proceeds from the sale of the Series H-7 Preferred Shares pursuant to the Series H-7 Purchase Agreement, and (b) from January 1, 2024 and until an aggregate of eighty percent (80%) of the Series H-7 Preferred Shares have been converted into shares of common stock, at least $21,000,000, and (ii) a requirement to deposit an amount equal to $10,000,000 from the Private Placement proceeds into a newly established segregated deposit account of the Company (“Segregated Cash”), and to use such Segregated Cash solely for the purpose of performing the Company’s monetary obligations to the holders of the Series H-7 Preferred Shares, provided, however, that the Company may use the Segregated Cash for any purpose, including general corporate purposes, with the prior written consent of holders of at least 75% of the outstanding Series H-7 Preferred Shares. As of March 31, 2024, the Company was in compliance with the restrictive provisions discussed above.

The Company may experience increases in the cost or a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of raw materials, including lithium-ion battery cells, semiconductors, and integrated circuits. Any such increase or supply interruption could materially and negatively impact the business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results. Certain production-ready components may be delayed in shipment to Company facilities which has and may continue to cause delays in validation and testing for these components, which would in turn create a delay in the availability of saleable vehicles.

The Company uses various raw materials, including aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, non-ferrous metals (such as copper), and cobalt. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on market conditions, and global demand and could adversely affect business and operating results. For instance, the Company is exposed to multiple risks relating to price fluctuations for lithium-ion cells. These risks include:

● the inability or unwillingness of current battery manufacturers to build or operate battery cell manufacturing plants to supply the numbers of lithium-ion cells required to support the growth of the electric vehicle industry as demand for such cells increases;

● disruption in the supply of cells due to quality issues or recalls by the battery cell manufacturers; and

● an increase in the cost of raw materials, such as cobalt, used in lithium-ion cells.

Any disruption in the supply of lithium-ion battery cells, semiconductors, or integrated circuits could temporarily disrupt production of the Company’s vehicles until a different supplier is fully qualified. Moreover, battery cell manufacturers may refuse to supply electric vehicle manufacturers if they determine that the vehicles are not sufficiently safe. Furthermore, fluctuations or shortages in petroleum and other economic conditions may cause the Company to experience significant increases in freight charges and raw material costs. Substantial increases in the prices for raw materials would increase operating costs and could reduce margins if the increased costs cannot be recouped through increased electric vehicle prices. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to recoup the increasing costs of raw materials by increasing vehicle prices.

The Company has made certain indemnities, under which the Company may be required to make payments to an indemnified party, in relation to certain transactions. The Company indemnify their directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted under the laws of the State of Delaware. In connection with the Company’s facility leases, the Company has indemnified their lessors for certain claims arising from the use of the facilities. The duration of the indemnities vary and, in many cases, are indefinite. These indemnities do not provide for any limitation of the maximum potential future payments the Company could be obligated to make. Historically, the Company has not been obligated to make any payments for these obligations and no liabilities have been recorded for these indemnities.