Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
You should consider carefully
the following risk factors, as well as the other information set forth in this report, including our consolidated financial statements
and the notes thereto. The following discussion of risk factors includes forward-looking statements and our actual results may differ
substantially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
The disclosures of a risk should not be interpreted to imply that such risk has not already materialized. Additional risks not currently
known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our business, financial condition, results of operations and
cash flows. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could materially and adversely affect our business, financial
condition, results of operations, and growth prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you
may lose all or part of your investment. Unless otherwise indicated, references in these risk factors to our business being harmed will
include harm to our business, reputation, brand, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
Risks Related to Thunder Power’s Business and
Industry
Our limited operating
history makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult and may increase the risk of your investment.
We are an early-stage company
with a limited operating history, operating in a rapidly evolving and highly regulated market. Furthermore, we have not released any
commercially available product, and we have no experience manufacturing or selling a commercial product at scale. Because we have not
generated revenue, and as a result of the capital-intensive nature of our business, we expect to continue to incur substantial operating
losses for the foreseeable future.
We have encountered and
expect to continue to encounter risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by early-stage companies in rapidly changing markets,
including risks relating to our ability to, among other things:
●
hire, integrate and retain
professional and technical talent, including key members of management;
●
continue to make significant
investments in research, development, manufacturing, marketing and sales;
●
successfully obtain, maintain,
protect and enforce our intellectual property and defend against claims of intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or
other violation;
●
build a well-recognized and
respected brand;
●
establish, refine and scale
our commercial manufacturing capabilities and distribution infrastructure;
●
establish and maintain
satisfactory arrangements with third-party suppliers;
●
establish and expand a
customer base;
●
navigate an evolving and
complex regulatory environment;
●
anticipate and adapt to
changing market conditions, including consumer demand for certain vehicle types, models or trim levels, technological developments
and changes in competitive landscape; and
●
successfully design, build,
manufacture and market new variants and models of electric vehicles.
You must consider the risks
and difficulties we face as an early stage company with a limited operating history. If we do not successfully address these risks, our
business, prospects, operating results and financial condition will be materially and adversely harmed. We have a very limited operating
history on which investors can base an evaluation of our business, operating results and prospects. There are no assurances that we will
be able to secure future business with potential customers. As an early stage company, it is difficult to predict our future revenues
and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. In the event
that actual results differ from our estimates or we adjust our estimates in future periods, our operating results and financial position
could be materially affected. Our performance and expectations depend on the successful implementation of management’s growth strategies
and are based on assumptions and events over which we have only partial or no control, including, but not limited to, adverse economic
conditions, regulatory developments, our ability to finance our contemplated operations, difficulties in engineering, delays in designs
or materials provided by the customer or a third party, equipment and materials delivery delays, schedule changes, customer scope changes,
delays related to obtaining regulatory permits and rights-of-way, inability to find adequate sources of labor in the locations where
we are building new plants, weather-related delays, delays by customers’ contractors in completing their portion of a project,
technical or transportation difficulties, cost overruns, supply difficulties, geopolitical risks and other factors. The assumptions underlying
our expectations require the exercise of judgment and may not occur, and the expectations are subject to uncertainty due to the effects
of economic, business, competitive, regulatory, legislative, and political or other changes.
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The success of our business may depend
on attracting prospective customers and retaining sufficient capital to commence mass production. If we are unable to do so, we may not
be able to achieve profitability.
We currently do not have
any customers that our business depends upon, and our success depends, in large part, on attracting prospective customers and retaining
sufficient capital to commence mass production. We expect to incur significant and sustained marketing expenses to attract prospective
customers. In addition, if our prospective customers perceive our vehicles and services as lacking in quality, value, cost competitiveness
with vehicles from other manufacturers, performance or aesthetic appeal, we may not be able to attract customers. If, for any of these
reasons, we are unable to attract, or to build and maintain a strong customer base, our business, prospects, financial condition, results
of operations, and cash flows may be materially harmed.
If we fail to implement
our business strategy, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Our future financial performance
and success depend in large part on our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. We cannot assure you that we will be
able to successfully implement our business strategy or be able to improve our operating results. In particular, we cannot assure you
that we will successfully negotiate and sign contracts with customers and suppliers nor can we assure you that we will be able to successfully
execute our contracts if signed. Implementation of our business strategy may be impacted by factors outside of our control, including
competition, price fluctuations, industry, legal and regulatory changes or developments and general economic and political conditions.
Any failure to successfully implement our business strategy could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We may, in addition, decide to alter or discontinue certain aspects of our business strategy at any time.
We have incurred net losses each year since
our inception and expect to incur increasing expenses and substantial losses for the foreseeable future.
We have no operating history
in the electric vehicle market and have never generated revenue from product sales. Since inception, we have incurred significant net
losses. We anticipate our losses will increase substantially as we:
●
Continue designing and
developing our vehicles
●
Establish manufacturing
capabilities
●
Build our brand and marketing
operations
●
Develop our distribution
infrastructure
●
Invest in research and
development
Given the significant capital
required to bring our products to market, we expect to continue incurring substantial losses for the foreseeable future. There is no
assurance that we will ever achieve or sustain profitability. Our lack of operating history in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving
industry makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult. We face all the risks and uncertainties of an early-stage company
in a complex, capital-intensive industry. If we fail to successfully address these risks and uncertainties, our business, financial condition,
and results of operations will be materially harmed.
If our product development
or commercialization of vehicles is delayed, our costs and expenses may be significantly higher than we currently expect. Because we
will incur the costs and expenses from these efforts before we receive any incremental revenues with respect thereto, we expect our losses
in future periods will be significant.
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Our business model has yet to be tested
and any failure to commercialize our strategic plans would have an adverse effect on our operating results and business, harm our reputation
and could result in substantial liabilities that exceed our resources.
Investors should be aware
of the difficulties normally encountered by an early stage enterprise, many of which are beyond our control, including substantial risks
and expenses in the course of establishing or entering new markets, organizing operations and undertaking marketing activities. The likelihood
of our success must be considered in light of these risks, expenses, complications, delays and the competitive environment in which we
operate. There is, therefore, nothing at this time upon which to base an assumption that our business plan will prove successful, and
we may not be able to generate significant revenue, raise additional capital or operate profitably. We will continue to encounter risks
and difficulties frequently experienced by early commercial stage companies, including scaling up our infrastructure and headcount, and
may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties or delays in connection with our growth. In addition, as a result of the capital-intensive nature
of our business, we can be expected to continue to sustain substantial operating expenses and may not generate sufficient revenues to
cover expenditures. Any investment in our company is therefore highly speculative and could result in the loss of your entire investment.
We may have difficulty managing growth
in our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability
to execute its business plan in a timely fashion.
Because of our small size,
growth in accordance with our business plans, if achieved, may place a significant strain on our financial, technical, operational and
management resources. If we expand our activities, developments and production, and increase the number of projects we are evaluating
or in which we participate, there will be additional demands on our financial, technical and management resources. The failure to continue
to upgrade our technical, administrative, operating and financial control systems or the occurrence of unexpected expansion difficulties
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to execute our business
plan in a timely fashion.
We intend to hire a significant
number of additional personnel, including design and manufacturing personnel and service technicians for our vehicles. Because our vehicles
are based on a different technology platform than traditional internal combustion engines, individuals with sufficient training in electric
vehicles may not be available to hire, and as a result, we will need to expend significant time and expense training the personnel we
do hire. Competition for individuals with experience designing, engineering, manufacturing and servicing electric vehicles is intense,
and we may not be able to identify, attract, integrate, train, motivate or retain additional highly qualified personnel in the future.
The failure to identify, attract, integrate, train, motivate and retain these additional personnel could seriously harm our business
and prospects. If we are unable to grant equity awards, or if we are forced to reduce the value of equity awards we grant due to shortage
of shares available for issuance under our 2024 Omnibus Equity Inventive Plan, we may not be able to attract, hire and retain the personnel
necessary for our business, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects financial condition and results of
operations.
In addition, we have no
experience in mass manufacturing our vehicles. We cannot assure our investors that we will be able to develop efficient, automated, low-cost manufacturing
capabilities 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 market our vehicles. Any failure to develop such
manufacturing processes and capabilities within our projected costs and timelines could stunt our future growth and impair our ability
to produce, market, service and sell or lease our vehicles successfully. In addition, our success is substantially dependent upon the
continued service and performance of our senior management team and key technical and vehicle management personnel. If any key personnel
were to terminate their employment with us, such termination would likely increase the difficulty of managing our future growth and heighten
the foregoing risks. If we fail to manage our growth effectively, such failure could result in negative publicity and damage to our brand
and have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
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The proceeds received in the Business Combination
will only fund operations for a limited time and we will need to obtain additional financing to continue operations and execute our business
plans. If we are unable to obtain such financing, we may be unable to complete the development and commercialization of our products
and services.
Our operations have consumed
substantial amounts of cash since inception. The net losses of Thunder Power Holdings Limited were $2.50 and $1.82 million for the years
ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We anticipate that our future cash requirements will continue to be significant and
we will need to obtain additional financing beyond that being provided by the Business Combination to implement our business plan as described
in this prospectus. Specifically, we may need to raise additional funds to complete the research and development, testing, manufacturing,
marketing, and shipping of our vehicles, as well as to support the continued research and development of our vehicles and the development
of other models, and to build contingencies for unforeseen events. Such financings could include equity financing, which may be dilutive
to stockholders, or debt financing, which would likely restrict our ability to borrow from other sources. In addition, such securities
may contain rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of the rights of the stockholders of the Company upon the closing thereof.
Additional funds may not be available when we need them, on terms attractive to us, or at all.
If adequate funds are not
available on a timely basis, we may be required to curtail the development of our technology, products or services, or materially delay,
curtail, reduce or terminate our research and development and commercialization activities. We could be forced to sell or dispose of
our rights or assets. Any inability to raise adequate funds on commercially reasonable terms could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, results of operation and prospects, including the possibility that a lack of funds could cause our
business to fail and liquidate with little or no return to investors.
Thunder Power’s management has limited experience in operating
a public company.
Thunder Power’s management
has limited experience in the management of a publicly traded company. Thunder Power’s management team may not successfully or
effectively manage its transition to a public company that will be subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations
under U.S. federal securities laws. Their limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies
could be a significant disadvantage in that it is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities which
will result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of the post-combination company. Thunder Power may not have
adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal
control over financial reporting required of public companies in the U.S. Any fault in Thunder Power’s finance and accounting
systems could impact its ability or prevent it from timely reporting its operating results, timely filing required reports with the SEC
and complying with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). The
development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for Thunder Power to achieve the level of accounting standards
required of a public company in the U.S. may require costs greater than expected. It is possible that Thunder Power will be required
to expand its employee base and hire additional employees to support its operations as a public company which will increase its operating
costs in future periods.
We are actively negotiating with our affiliates
to license the intellectual property and technology rights at the core of our business plan, and our inability to obtain and maintain
these licenses could materially affect our business, financial condition, and operating results.
Our entire business model
depends on intellectual property we do not own. We are actively negotiating with our affiliates to license critical intellectual property
and technology rights that form the core of our business plan. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not secured any licensing agreements.
If we fail to obtain these licenses on favorable terms, or at all, our ability to develop, manufacture, and sell our products would be
severely compromised, potentially rendering our business model unviable. Even if we secure these licenses, we may face challenges in
maintaining them, or the licenses may be terminated, significantly impacting our operations. Our lack of direct ownership of key patents
and technologies exposes us to substantial risk and uncertainty regarding our ability to execute our business strategy.
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If we are unable to maintain
our planned license agreements, our ability to continue developing, designing, manufacturing, distributing, and selling our products
would be limited and may require us to stop operations entirely. If any such future license agreement is terminated for any reason, we
may be forced to acquire or develop alternative technology, which we may be unable to do in a commercially feasible manner, if at all,
and may require us to use alternative technology of lower quality or performance standards. This would, in turn, limit, delay or disrupt
our ability to offer new or competitive products and could also increase our costs, which would adversely affect our margins, market
share, business, financial condition, and operating results.
The obligations associated with being a
public company involve significant expenses and require significant resources and management attention, which may divert from our business
operations.
As a public company, we
are subject to the ongoing reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Exchange Act requires the
filing of annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires,
among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting. As a result, we have and expect
to continue to incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that Thunder Power did not incur prior to the Business Combination.
For example, these rules and regulations may make it more difficult or more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability
insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same
or similar coverage. Additionally, our officers and many of our other employees may need to devote substantial time and attention to
regulatory compliance which may divert their time and attention from our business operations.
The inability to attract and retain qualified
personnel may adversely impact our business.
If we fail to attract, hire
and retain qualified personnel, we may not be able to develop, market or sell our products or successfully manage our business. We are
dependent upon a highly skilled, experienced and efficient workforce to be successful. The inability to attract and hire qualified individuals
or the loss of key employees in very skilled areas could have a negative effect on our financial results.
Uninsured losses could result in payment
of substantial damages, which would decrease our cash reserves and could harm our cash flow and financial condition.
In the ordinary course of
business, we may be subject to losses resulting from product liability, accidents, acts of God and other claims against us, for which
we may have no insurance coverage. While we currently carry insurance that is customary for our size and operations, we may not maintain
as much insurance coverage as other original equipment manufacturers do, and in some cases, we may not maintain any at all. Additionally,
the policies that we have may include significant deductibles, and we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient
to cover all or any future claims against us. A loss that is uninsured or exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts,
which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Further, insurance coverage may not continue to be available
to us or, if available, may be at a significantly higher cost, especially if insurance providers perceive any increase in our risk profile
in the future.
Our strategy to outsource various elements
of the products and services we sell may subject us to the business risks of our future third-party service providers, which could have
a material adverse impact on our operations.
In areas where we will depend
on third-party service providers for retail product distribution and full-service networks, we will be subject to the risk of customer
dissatisfaction with the quality or performance of the products or services we sell due to third-party service provider’s failure.
Third-party service providers may not have the same incentives we do and may not allocate adequate or sufficient time and/or resources
for performing services for us. In addition, business difficulties experienced by a third-party service provider could lead to the
interruption of our ability to distribute products or provide services and ultimately our inability to supply products or services to
our customers. Third-party service provider business interruptions may include, but are not limited to, work stoppages, union negotiations
and other labor disputes. Current or future economic conditions could also impact the ability of third-party service providers to access
credit and, thus, impair their ability to provide us quality services in a timely manner, or at all.
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Our business and prospects will depend
significantly on our brand.
Our business and prospects
will heavily depend on our ability to develop, maintain and strengthen the “Thunder Power” brand association with luxury
and technological excellence. Promoting and positioning our brand will likely depend significantly on our ability to provide a consistently
high-quality customer experience, an area in which we have limited experience. To promote our brand, we will be required to invest
in, and over time we may be required to change our customer development and branding practices, which could result in substantially increased
expenses, including the need to use traditional media such as television, radio and print advertising. Our ability to successfully position
our brand could also be adversely affected by perceptions about the quality of our competitors’ vehicles or our competitors’
success. For example, certain of our competitors have been subject to significant scrutiny for incidents involving their self-driving technology
and battery fires, which could result in similar scrutiny of us.
In particular, any negative
publicity, whether or not true, can quickly proliferate on social media and harm consumer perception and confidence in our brand. The
growing use of social media increases the speed with which information and opinions can be shared and, thus, the speed with which a company’s
reputation can be affected. If we fail to correct or mitigate misinformation or negative information, including information spread through
social media or traditional media channels, about us, the products we offer, our customer experience, or any aspect of our brand, our
business, sales and results of operations could be adversely impacted. From time to time, our vehicles or those of our competitors may
be evaluated and reviewed by third parties. Perceptions of our offerings in the marketplace may be significantly influenced by these
reviews, which are disseminated via various media, including the internet. Any negative reviews or reviews which compare us unfavorably
to competitors could adversely affect consumer perception about our vehicles and reduce demand for our vehicles, which could have a material
adverse effect on our business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition.
Risks Related to Regulation and Litigation
The SEC and other parties may find that
Thunder Power’s public-relations information before the production on any of our EVs may have misled investors or conditioned
the market for investors or that we may have omitted to provide information that investors may reasonably find important to their investment
decision.
There is always a risk against
making false claims about the prospects of an EV technology company. One such notable case was United States of America v. Trevor
Milton, No. 21-00478, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 21 Cr. 478 (ER) (“ Nikola” ).
Nikola involved an electric truck maker who the SEC alleged in 2020-2021 defrauded its investors with false claims
about its EV technology. In a cease-and-desist order against Nikola and the subsequent case S.E.C. v. Milton, No. 21 Civ. 06445
(AKH), the SEC said that Trevor Milton (“Milton”), the founder and one-time chairperson of Nikola, lied to inflate stock
prices during the company’s public-relations campaign to investors by making forward-looking statements since the company
had not yet produced a single vehicle. Other misleading and forward-looking statements included claims about Nikola’s technological
advancements, in-house production capabilities, hydrogen production, truck reservations and orders, financial outlook, refueling
time, and a potential partnership with a globally known car maker. Several electric vehicle prototypes of the Sedan and City Car were
built by TongGao Advanced Manufacturing Technology (Taicang) Co. Ltd, an affiliate of Thunder Power. There prototypes were built for
the purpose of showcasing Thunder Power’s technology and for early fundraising purpose. Thunder Power has not produced a single
electric vehicle and all our statements in this prospectus regarding our production capabilities, technologies, weight, charging time,
driving range and potential partnerships are forecasts or forward-looking statements based on our own beliefs, opinions, and internal
research, development and testing.
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Some of our directors, officers and assets
reside or be located outside of the United States, which may cause investors difficulty in enforcing judgments against our directors
and officers.
Some of our directors and
officers reside outside the United States and a majority of our assets are located outside the United States. As a result,
it may be difficult or impossible to effect service of process within the United States upon these directors and officers, or to
recover against those persons on judgments of United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions
of the United States federal securities laws. Moreover, it is not certain that a court in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong,
or Taiwan would award damages on the same basis as a United States court, or that a British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, or Taiwanese
court would enforce foreign judgments if it viewed the amount of damages as excessive or inconsistent with local practice or public policy.
Further, the United States
may not be declared by the Government of other countries to be a reciprocating territory for the purposes of enforcement of foreign judgments,
and there are grounds upon which British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, or Taiwan courts may decline to enforce the judgments of United States
courts. Some remedies available under the laws of the United States, including remedies available under the United States federal
securities laws, may not be allowed in British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, or Taiwan courts if deemed contrary to public policy in
such jurisdictions.
Our affiliated parties such as our major
shareholders may be involved in governmental investigations and civil litigation relating to the business affairs of companies with which
they are, were or may in the future be affiliated with.
Our controlling shareholder,
Mr. Wellen Sham, is currently the defendant in significant legal proceedings that could materially impact our business. Mr. Sham faces
criminal prosecution in Taiwan on 11 indictments related to securities violations, breaches of fiduciary duty, and other financial matters.
Additionally, he is subject to multiple civil actions seeking his dismissal as chairman of a related company and claiming damages for
investors. While these proceedings do not directly involve our company, they create substantial risks, including:
● Potential
reputational damage affecting our ability to secure partnerships, investments, and customer
trust;
● Diversion
of Mr. Sham’s attention from our business operations;
● Possible
loss of Mr. Sham’s leadership or voting control if legal actions are successful;
● Challenges
in accessing capital markets or obtaining favorable terms from suppliers and partners.
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Mr. Wellen Sham, Thunder
Power’s former Chief Executive Officer, is a defendant in a claim brought by the Taiwan Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office
(the “Prosecutor”) in 2022. This claim is currently being litigated in Taiwan Taipei District Court Criminal Division (Taiwan
Taipei District Court, Year 2022, Jin-Chong-Su-Zhi, No. 19) by a public Prosecutor. The prosecution is based on 11 indictments involving
the following: a securities purchase which may have been a related party transaction; the use of a non-exclusive license to offset
a debt owed to a related party; an exclusive authorized sales agent agreement for USD 4,950,000; an agreement for parts for an electric
four-door sedan for USD 4,480,000; a land purchase in a non-arm’s length related party transaction; executive control over
bonuses of USD 150,000, USD 50,000, USD 100,000, and NTD 6,000,000 from affiliates; utilization of funds to cover all expenses associated
with a seminar hosted by Thunder Power Electric Vehicle Limited (“TPEV”); utilization of funds to cover the salaries of employees;
and instructions to issue a false press release with the aim of disseminating rumors or misleading information (collectively, the “Criminal
Prosecution”). In conjunction with the Criminal Prosecution, Taiwan’s Securities Investor and Futures Trader Protection Center
(“SFIPC”), based on the content of the Criminal Prosecution, initiated civil actions against Mr. Sham, including: requesting
that Mr. Sham shall bear liability for damages incurred by EPTECH; asserting Mr. Sham should be dismissed from the position
of Chairman of EPTECH; asserting that Mr. Sham shall bear liability for damages incurred by investors of EPTECH; and applying for
a provisional seizure procedure against Mr. Sham. While Thunder Power is unable to predict the outcome of these matters with certainty,
in response to the foregoing accusations, Mr. Sham sought relief by asserting his innocence, appointing a defense attorney, applying
for an investigation of favorable evidence, and actively exercising his right to defend himself.
The outcome of these legal
matters is uncertain and could have far-reaching consequences for our business strategy, operations, and future prospects.
We are subject to substantial laws and
regulations that could impose substantial costs, legal prohibitions or unfavorable changes upon our operations or products, and any failure
to comply with these laws and regulations, including as they evolve, could substantially harm our business and results of operations.
We are or will be subject
to complex environmental, manufacturing, health and safety laws and regulations at numerous jurisdictional levels, including laws relating
to the use, handling, storage, recycling, disposal and human exposure to hazardous materials and with respect to constructing, expanding
and maintaining our facilities. The costs of compliance, including remediating contamination if any is found on our properties and any
changes to our operations mandated by new or amended laws, may be significant. We may also face unexpected delays in obtaining permits
and approvals required by such laws in connection with our manufacturing facilities, which would hinder our ability to continue our commercial
manufacturing operations. Such costs and delays may adversely impact our business prospects and results of operations. Furthermore, any
violations of these laws may result in substantial fines and penalties, remediation costs, third party damages, or a suspension or cessation
of our operations.
In addition, models will
be to substantial regulation under international, federal, state and local laws. We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, significant
costs in complying with these regulations. Any failures to comply could result in significant expenses, delays or fines. In the United States,
vehicles must meet or exceed all federally mandated motor vehicle safety standards to be certified under the federal regulations. Rigorous
testing and the use of approved materials and equipment are among the requirements for achieving federal certification. Any future vehicles
will be subject to substantial regulation under federal, state and local laws and standards. These regulations include those promulgated
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NHTSA, other federal agencies, various state agencies and various state boards, and
compliance certification is required for each individual vehicle we manufacture for sale. These laws and standards are subject to change
from time to time, and we could become subject to additional regulations in the future, which would increase the effort and expense of
compliance. In addition, federal, state and local laws and industrial standards for electric vehicles are still developing, and we face
risks associated with changes to these regulations, which could have an impact on the acceptance of our electric vehicles, and increased
sensitivity by regulators to the needs of established automobile manufacturers with large employment bases, high fixed costs and business
models based on the internal combustion engine, which could lead them to pass regulations that could reduce the compliance costs of such
established manufacturers or mitigate the effects of government efforts to promote electric vehicles. Compliance with these regulations
is challenging, burdensome, time consuming and expensive. If compliance results in delays or substantial expenses, our business could
be adversely affected.
We also expect to become
subject to laws and regulations applicable to the supply, manufacture, import, sale and service of automobiles internationally, including
in Europe, the Middle East and China. Applicable regulations in countries outside of the U.S., such as standards relating to vehicle
safety, fuel economy and emissions, among other things, are often materially different from requirements in the United States. Compliance
with such regulations will therefore require additional time, effort and expense to ensure regulatory compliance in those countries.
This process may include official review and certification of our vehicles by foreign regulatory agencies prior to market entry, as well
as compliance with foreign reporting and recall management systems requirements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve
foreign regulatory compliance in a timely manner and at our expected cost, or at all, and the costs of achieving international regulatory
compliance or the failure to achieve international regulatory compliance could harm our business, prospects, results of operations and
financial condition.
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We may have to choose in the future, or
we may be compelled, to undertake product recalls or take other actions, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, results
of operations, reputation and financial condition.
Product recalls may result
in adverse publicity, damage our reputation and adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
If a large number of vehicles are the subject of a recall or if needed replacement parts are not in adequate supply, we may be unable
to service and repair recalled vehicles for a significant period of time. These types of disruptions could jeopardize our ability to
fulfill existing contractual commitments or satisfy demand for our electric vehicles and could also result in the loss of business to
our competitors. Such recalls, whether caused by systems or components engineered or manufactured by us or our suppliers, would involve
significant expense and diversion of management’s attention and other resources, which could adversely affect our brand image in
our target market and our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
In the future, if we develop or acquire
proprietary intellectual property, protecting such intellectual property will be critical to our operations and we may suffer competitive
harm from infringement on such rights.
If we develop or acquire
new technologies, it will be critical that we protect our intellectual property assets against third-party infringement. If we develop
or acquire intellectual property, there is a risk that our patent applications may not be granted, or we may not receive sufficient protection
of our proprietary interests. We may also expend considerable resources in defending any future patents against third-party infringement.
It may become critical that we protect our proprietary intellectual property interests to prevent competitive harm.
We are subject to legal proceedings, regulatory
disputes and governmental inquiries that could cause us to incur significant expenses, divert our management’s attention, and adversely
affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
From time to time, we may
be subject to claims, lawsuits, government investigations and other proceedings involving product liability, consumer protection, competition
and antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, securities, tax, labor and employment, health and safety, our direct distribution model,
environmental claims, commercial disputes and other matters that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows
and financial condition. In the ordinary course of business, we have been the subject of complaints or litigation, including claims related
to employment matters.
Litigation and regulatory
proceedings may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict. Additionally, our litigation costs could be significant,
even if we achieve favorable outcomes. Adverse outcomes with respect to litigation or any of these legal proceedings may result in significant
settlement costs or judgments, penalties and fines, or require us to modify, make temporarily unavailable or stop manufacturing or selling
our vehicles in some or all markets, all of which could negatively affect our sales and revenue growth and adversely affect our business,
prospects, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
The results of litigation,
investigations, claims and regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and determining reserves for pending litigation
and other legal and regulatory matters requires significant judgment. There can be no assurance that our expectations will prove correct,
and even if these matters are resolved in our favor or without significant cash settlements, these matters, and the time and resources
necessary to litigate or resolve them, could harm our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition,
the threat or announcement of litigation or investigations by governmental authorities or other parties, irrespective of the merits of
the underlying claims, may itself have an adverse impact on the trading price of our common stock.
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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, results of operations and financial condition. The automotive industry
experiences significant product liability claims, and we face inherent risks of exposure to claims in the event our production vehicles
do not perform or are claimed not to perform as expected or malfunction, resulting in property damage, personal injury or death. We also
expect that, as is true for other automakers, our vehicles will be involved in crashes resulting in death or personal injury, and even
if not caused by the failure of our vehicles, we may face product liability claims and adverse publicity in connection with such incidents.
In addition, we may face claims arising from or related to failures, claimed failures or misuse of new technologies that we expect to
offer. In addition, the battery packs that we produce make use of lithium-ion cells. On rare occasions, 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. While we have designed our battery packs to passively contain a single cell’s release of energy without
spreading to neighboring modules, there can be no assurance that a field or testing failure of our vehicles or other battery packs that
we produce will not occur, in particular due to a high-speed crash. In addition, although we equip our vehicles with systems designed
to detect and warn vehicle occupants of such thermal events, there can be no assurance that such systems will function as designed or
will provide vehicle occupants with sufficient, or any, warning in all circumstances. Any such events or failures of our vehicles, battery
packs or warning systems could subject us to lawsuits, product recalls or redesign efforts, all of which would be time consuming and
expensive.
A successful product liability
claim against us could require us to pay a substantial monetary award. Our risks in this area are particularly pronounced in light of
the limited field experience of our vehicles. Moreover, a product liability claim against us or our competitors could generate substantial
negative publicity about our vehicles and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of our future vehicles, which would have
material adverse effect on our brand, business, prospects and results of operations. Our insurance coverage might not be sufficient to
cover all potential product liability claims, and insurance coverage may not continue to be available to us or, if available, may be
at a significantly higher cost. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages or other product liability claims may have a material
adverse effect on our reputation, business and financial condition.
We may be exposed to delays, limitations
and risks related to the environmental permits and other operating permits required to establish or operate our manufacturing facilities.
Operation of an automobile
manufacturing facility requires land use and environmental permits and other operating permits from federal, state and local government
entities. We believe that we will have the permits necessary to carry out and perform our current plans and operations at our future
US manufacturing facilities based on our current targeted production capacity. We plan to build our manufacturing facilities and construct
additional manufacturing facilities over time to achieve a future target production capacity and will be required to apply for and secure
various environmental, wastewater, and land use permits and certificates of occupancy necessary for the commercial operation of such
expanded and additional facilities. Delays, denials or restrictions on any of the applications for or assignment of the permits to operate
our manufacturing facilities could adversely affect our ability to execute on our business plans and objectives based on our current
target production capacity or our future target production capacity.
We are subject to various environmental,
health and safety laws and regulations that could impose substantial costs on us and cause delays in building and subsequently expanding
our production facilities.
Our operations are subject
to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations and will be subject to international environmental laws, including laws
relating to the use, handling, storage, disposal of and human exposure to hazardous materials. Environmental, health and safety laws
and regulations are complex, and we have limited experience complying with them. Moreover, we may be affected by future amendments to
such laws or other new environmental, health and safety laws and regulations which may require us to change our operations, potentially
resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. These laws can give
rise to liability for administrative oversight costs, cleanup costs, property damage, bodily injury, fines and penalties. Capital and
operating expenses needed to comply with environmental laws and regulations can be significant, and violations could result in substantial
fines and penalties, third-party damages, suspension of production or a cessation of our operations.
Contamination at properties
we own or operate, properties we formerly owned or operated or properties to which we sent hazardous substances 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 results of operations.
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Our operations are also
subject to federal, state, and local workplace safety laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Occupational Health and
Safety Act, which require compliance with various workplace safety requirements, including requirements related to environmental safety.
These laws and regulations can give rise to liability for oversight costs, compliance costs, bodily injury (including workers’
compensation), fines, and penalties.
Additionally, non-compliance could
result in delay or suspension of production or cessation of operations. The costs required to comply with workplace safety laws can be
significant, and non-compliance could adversely affect our production or other operations, including with respect to the production
of our first models, the Coupe and the City Car, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects and results of
operations.
We are subject to risks associated with autonomous driving and
advanced driver assistance system technology, and we cannot guarantee that our vehicles will achieve our targeted assisted or autonomous
driving functionality within our projected timeframe, if ever.
Our vehicles are designed
with a modularized chassis system. This approach contrasts with the normal industry practice for internal combustion engine manufacturers
(“ICE”), where other components, such as the engine, gearbox, and fuel tank, need to be taken into consideration before styling
can be completed. The modular chassis allows a much simpler solution for the chassis design, thereby reducing development time and cost
with new vehicle development. Additionally, vehicle stiffness/rigidity is enhanced, and weight is reduced in comparison to the weight
of other electric vehicles.
Advanced Driver Assistance
Systems (“ADAS”) technologies are emerging and becoming increasingly common in electric vehicles. ADAS is subject to known
and unknown risks, and there have been accidents and fatalities associated with such technologies. The safety of such technologies depends
in part on user interaction, and users, as well as other drivers on the roadways, may not be accustomed to using or adapting to such
technologies. In addition, self-driving technologies are the subject of intense public scrutiny and interest, and previous accidents
involving autonomous driving features in other vehicles, including alleged failures or misuse of such features, have generated significant
negative media attention and government investigations. We and others in our industry are subject to a Standing General Order issued
by NHTSA that requires us to report any crashes in which certain ADAS features were active, and these crash reports will become publicly
available. To the extent accidents associated with our ADAS technologies occur, we could be subject to significant liability, negative
publicity, government scrutiny and further regulation. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our results of operations,
financial condition and growth prospects.
In addition, we face substantial
competition in the development and deployment of ADAS technologies. Many of our competitors, including established automakers and technology
companies, have devoted significant time and resources to developing self-driving technologies. If we are unable to develop competitive
Level 2 or more advanced ADAS technologies in-house or acquire access to such technologies via partnerships or investments in other
companies or assets, we may be unable to equip our vehicles with competitive ADAS features, which could damage our brand, reduce consumer
demand for our vehicles or trigger cancellations of reservations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of
operations, prospects and financial condition.
ADAS technology is also
subject to considerable regulatory uncertainty, which exposes us to additional risks.
We face risks associated with international
operations, including unfavorable regulatory, political, tax and labor conditions, which could harm our business.
We anticipate having operations
in the United States, Europe and distributions in the United States, European and Asian markets, each that which may be subject
to the legal, political, regulatory and social requirements and economic conditions in these jurisdictions. We are subject to a number
of risks associated with international business activities that may increase our costs, impact our ability to sell, service and manufacture
our vehicles, and require significant management attention. These risks include:
● conforming
our vehicles to various international regulatory requirements where our vehicles are sold, or homologation;
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● establishing
localized supply chains and managing international supply chain and logistics costs;
● establishing
sufficient charging points for our customers in those jurisdictions, via partnerships or,
if necessary, via development of our own charging networks;
● difficulty
in staffing and managing foreign operations;
● difficulties
attracting customers in new jurisdictions;
● difficulties
establishing international manufacturing operations, including difficulties establishing
relationships with or establishing localized supplier bases and developing cost-effective and
reliable supply chains for such manufacturing operations and financing such manufacturing
operations;
● foreign
government taxes, regulations and permit requirements;
● inflation
as well as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, including
risks related to any forward currency contracts, interest rate swaps or other hedging activities
we undertake;
● United States
and foreign government trade restrictions, tariffs and price or exchange controls;
● foreign
labor laws, regulations and restrictions;
● foreign
data privacy and security laws, regulations and obligations;
● changes
in diplomatic and trade relationships, including political risk and customer perceptions
based on such changes and risks;
● political
instability, natural disasters, pandemics, war or events of terrorism; and
● the
strength of international economies.
If we fail to successfully
address these risks, our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition could be materially harmed.
Increasing scrutiny and changing expectations
from global regulations, our investors, customers and personnel with respect to our ESG practices may impose additional costs on us or
expose us to new or additional risks.
There is increased focus,
including from governmental organizations and investors, customers and personnel, on ESG issues such as environmental stewardship, climate
change, diversity and inclusion, racial justice and workplace conduct. There can be no certainty that we will manage such issues successfully,
or that we will successfully meet society’s expectations as to our proper role. Negative public perception, adverse publicity or
negative comments in social media could damage our reputation if we do not, or are not perceived to, adequately address these issues.
Any harm to our reputation could impact our personnel’s engagement and retention and the willingness of our customers and partners
to do business with us.
It is possible that our
stakeholders may not be satisfied with our ESG practices, or the speed of their adoption and our systems may not be adequate to meet
increasing global regulations on ESG topics. Actual or perceived shortcomings with respect to our ESG initiatives and reporting could
negatively impact our business. We could also incur additional costs and require additional resources to monitor, report, and comply
with various ESG practices. In addition, a variety of organizations have developed ratings to measure the performance of companies on
ESG topics, and the results of these assessments are widely publicized. Investment in funds that specialize in companies that perform
well in such assessments are increasingly popular, and major institutional investors have publicly emphasized the importance of such
ESG measures to their investment decisions. Unfavorable ratings of our company or our industries, as well as non-inclusion of our
stock on ESG-oriented investment funds, may lead to negative investor sentiment and the diversion of investment to other companies
or industries, which could have a negative impact on our stock price.
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In addition, due to the
impacts of climate change, there are increasing risks to our business, including physical risks such as wildfires, floods, tornadoes
or other events, that could cause disruptions to our supply chain, manufacturing, and corporate functions. We may incur additional costs
and resources preparing for and addressing such risks.
Various states’ automobile manufacturer
and dealer regulations may limit Thunder Power’s ability to implement its business model for the sale of the Coupe and for the
servicing of its entire family of EVs in the U.S. EV market.
In the United States,
state laws regulate the manufacture, distribution, sale and service of automobiles, and generally require motor vehicle manufacturers
and dealers to be licensed in order to sell vehicles directly to residents. Certain states do not permit automobile manufacturers to
be licensed as dealers or to act in the capacity of a dealer, or otherwise restrict a manufacturer’s ability to deliver or service
vehicles. To sell vehicles to residents of states where Thunder Power is not licensed as a dealer, Thunder Power expects to conduct the
transfer of title out of the state. In certain such states, Thunder Power expects to open Studios that serve an educational purpose and
where the title transfer may not occur.
Some automobile dealer trade
associations may challenge the legality of Thunder Power’s operations and direct selling operations by OEMs in court and may use
administrative and legislative processes to attempt to prohibit or limit such original equipment manufacturers’ (“OEMs”)
ability to operate existing stores or expand to new locations. Certain dealer associations may also actively lobbied state licensing
agencies and legislators to interpret existing laws or enact new laws in ways not favorable to Thunder Power’s planned direct sales
and service model. Thunder Power expects dealer trade associations to continue to lobby state licensing agencies and legislators to interpret
existing laws or enact new laws in ways not favorable to its business model; however, Thunder Power intends to oppose such efforts to
limit its ability to operate and intends to proactively support legislation that enables its business model.
Should Thunder Power not
be allowed to develop relationships with the largest multi-brand and high-end brand dealers in the U.S. it would be difficult
for it as a newcomer to the U.S. EV market to gain a foothold in the U.S. Thunder Power recognizes that its best strategy for
market penetration is to align itself with a U.S. dealership network, especially for sale of the Coupe, and the eventual servicing
of its family of EVs.
If Thunder Power is successful
in building out its business model without limitations from legislations, trade associations or lobbyist, it may be able to explore having
a relationship with one of the large service providers for EVs in the U.S. This potential partner currently maintains 1,000 technicians,
750 mobile service trucks and 24/7 call centers for warranty and service processing. This potential partner is currently servicing reputable
BYD commercial vehicles. In addition, a sister company of this potential partner specializes in and is the leading full-service provider
of repair/remanufacture, storage, distribution and logistics, first life extension and recycling services on the entire battery life
cycle. Together these two companies are subsidiaries of a large $21 billion revenue privately held company in the U.S. and
would offer great potential to Thunder Power should the service segment of Thunder Power’s business model materializes. Thunder
Power has not entered into any formal discussions or negotiations with this potential partner and there is no guarantee that Thunder
Power will ever do so.
ADAS technology is subject to uncertain
and evolving regulations.
We expect to introduce certain
ADAS technologies into our vehicles over time. ADAS technology is subject to considerable regulatory uncertainty as the law evolves to
catch up with the rapidly evolving nature of the technology itself, all of which is beyond our control. There is a variety of international,
federal and state regulations that may apply to self-driving and driver-assisted vehicles, which include many existing vehicle
standards that assume a human driver will be controlling the vehicle at all times. There are currently no federal U.S. regulations
pertaining to the safety of self-driving vehicles; however, NHTSA has established recommended guidelines. Certain states have legal
restrictions on self-driving vehicles, and many other states are considering them. In Europe, certain vehicle safety regulations
apply to self-driving braking and steering systems, and certain treaties also restrict the legality of certain higher levels of
self-driving vehicles. Self-driving laws and regulations are expected to continue to evolve in numerous jurisdictions in the
United States and foreign countries, which increases the likelihood of a patchwork of complex or conflicting regulations or may
delay products or restrict self-driving features and availability, which could adversely affect our business. Our vehicles may not
achieve compliance with the regulatory requirements in some countries or jurisdictions for certification and rollout to consumers or
satisfy changing regulatory requirements which could require us to redesign, modify or update our ADAS hardware and related software
systems. Any such requirements or limitations could impose significant expense or delays and could harm our competitive position, which
could adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
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Our auditor, Assentsure PAC, is headquartered
in Singapore, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis. To the extent that our independent registered public
accounting firm’s audit documentation related to their audit reports for our business activities in Hong Kong or Taiwan, the
PCAOB may not be able inspect such audit documentation and, as such, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection and our Common
Stock could be delisted from the stock exchange pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.
The Holding Foreign Companies
Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA states if the SEC determines that we have filed audit
reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board (the “PCAOB”) for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit our shares from being traded
on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States.
Pursuant to the HFCAA, the
PCAOB issued a Determination Report on December 16, 2021 which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely
registered public accounting firms headquartered in parts of the PRC including: (i) Mainland China, and (ii) Hong Kong.
In addition, the PCAOB’s report identified the specific registered public accounting firms which are subject to these determinations.
Our auditor, Assentsure PAC, is headquartered in Singapore and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB once every three years or as
determined by the PCAOB. Our auditor is not headquartered in the PRC and was not identified in this report as a firm subject to
the PCAOB’s determination.
Our independent registered
public accounting firm issued an audit opinion on the financial statements included in this report filed with the SEC and will issue
audit reports related to us in the future. As auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered
with the PCAOB, our auditor is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB but there is
a risk that our auditor’s work papers has not been subjected to inspection by the PCAOB or the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct
inspections for reasons unknown or beyond our control. Inspections of certain other accounting firms that the PCAOB has conducted have
identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the
inspection process to improve future audit quality. We are required by the HFCAA to have an auditor that is subject to the inspection
by the PCAOB. While our present auditor is located in the United States and the PCAOB is able to conduct inspections on such
auditor, to the extent this status changes in the future and our auditor’s audit documentation related to their audit reports for
our company becomes outside of the inspection by the PCAOB or if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor
because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, trading in our Ordinary shares could be prohibited under the HFCAA,
and as a result our ordinary shares could be delisted from NASDAQ.
On March 24, 2021,
the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA,
which became effective on May 5, 2021. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies our auditors as having
a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC.
On May 13, 2021, the
PCAOB proposed a new rule for implementing the HFCAA. Among other things, the proposed rule provides a framework for the PCAOB to
use when determining, under the HFCAA, whether it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located
in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. The proposed rule would also establish
the manner of the PCAOB’s determinations; the factors the PCAOB will evaluate and the documents and information it will consider
when assessing whether a determination is warranted; the form, public availability, effective date, and duration of such determinations;
and the process by which the board of the PCAOB can modify or vacate its determinations. The proposed rule was adopted by the PCAOB on
September 22, 2021 and approved by the SEC on November 5, 2021.
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On June 22, 2021, the
U.S. Senate passed AHFCAA which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number
of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCAA from three years to two,
under this proposal, if the auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years, it will trigger the prohibition
on trading, thus posing more risks on potential delisting as well as the price of Company’s Ordinary shares especially on foreign
companies.
The SEC is assessing how
to implement other requirements of the HFCAA, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. The SEC may
propose additional rules or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to the PCAOB inspection. For example, on August 6,
2020, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, issued the Report on Protecting United States Investors
from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies to the then President of the United States. This report recommended the SEC implement
five recommendations to address companies from jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfill its statutory
mandate. Some of the concepts of these recommendations were implemented with the enactment of the HFCAA. However, some of the recommendations
were more stringent than the HFCAA. For example, if a company was not subject to the PCAOB inspection, the report recommended that
the transition period before a company would be delisted would end on January 1, 2022.
On December 2, 2021,
the SEC issued amendments to finalize the interim final rules previously adopted in March 2021, and established procedures to identify
issuers and prohibit the trading of the securities of certain registrants as required by the HFCAA.
While the HFCAA is not currently
applicable to us because our current auditors are subject to PCAOB review, if this changes in the future for any reason, we may
be subject to the HFCAA. The implications of this regulation as applied to us is uncertain. Such uncertainty could cause the market
price of our ordinary shares to be materially and adversely affected, and our securities could be delisted or prohibited from being traded on
Nasdaq earlier than would be required by the HFCAA. If our Common Stock are unable to be listed on another securities exchange,
such a delisting may substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our Common Stock, and the risk and uncertainty associated
with a potential delisting would have a negative impact on the price of the Common Stock.
Risks Related to Thunder Power’s Products and Services
We have not yet commenced mass production,
and any significant delay in the design, manufacture, launch and financing could make it difficult for us to commence production and
harm our business and prospects.
Our plan to commercially
manufacture and sell our vehicles is dependent upon the timely availability of funds, upon our finalizing of the related design, engineering,
component procurement, testing, build-out and manufacturing plans in a timely manner and also upon our ability to execute these
plans within the planned timeline. Automobile manufacturers often experience delays in the design, manufacture and commercial release
of new vehicle models, and if we experience significant delays in any of the foregoing processes, it would be difficult for us to commence
production, which could harm our business and prospects.
Many of our vehicles are
still in the development and/or testing phase, and may occur later or not at all. Additionally, prior to mass production of our electric
vehicles, we will also need the vehicles to be fully approved for sale according to differing requirements, including but not limited
to regulatory requirements, in the different geographies where we intend to launch our vehicles. Likewise, we may encounter delays with
the design, construction, and regulatory or other approvals necessary to bring online our future manufacturing facility in the United States.
Furthermore, we would rely
on third party suppliers for the development, manufacture, and/or provision and development of many of the key components and materials
used in our vehicles, as well as provisioning and servicing equipment in our manufacturing facilities. We understand that many automobile
manufacturers have been affected by ongoing, industry-wide challenges in logistics and supply chains, such as increased port congestion,
intermittent supplier delays, a shortfall of semiconductor supply, and international travel restrictions preventing supply quality engineers
from conducting in-person visits and quality engineering for parts production. We expect to face these and similar challenges which
may affect our ability, and the ability of our suppliers, to obtain parts, components and manufacturing equipment on a timely basis,
and in some instances have resulted in increased costs. We expect that these industry-wide trends will continue for the foreseeable
future. To the extent our suppliers experience any delays in providing us with or developing necessary components, we could experience
delays in delivering on our timelines.
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Any significant delay or
other complication in the development, manufacture, launch and production ramp of our future products, features and services, including
complications associated with completing and subsequently expanding our production capacity and supply chain or obtaining or maintaining
related regulatory approvals, or inability to manage such ramps cost-effectively, could materially damage our brand, business, prospects,
financial condition and results of operations.
The continued development
of and the ability to manufacture our vehicles, are and will be subject to risks, including with respect to:
● our
ability to ensure readiness of firmware features and functions to be integrated into the
unified hardware network and cloud as planned and on the desired timeline;
● any
delays by us in delivering final component designs to our suppliers;
● our
or our suppliers’ ability to successfully tool their manufacturing facilities as planned
and on the desired timeline;
● our
ability to ensure a working supply chain and desired supplier part quality and quantity as
planned and on the desired timeline;
● our
ability to accurately manufacture vehicles within specified design tolerances;
● our
ability to establish, refine and scale, as well as make significant investments in manufacturing,
supply chain management and logistics functions, including the related information technology
systems and software applications;
● our
ability to adequately reduce and control the costs of key parts and materials;
● our
ability to manage any transitions or changes in our production process, planned or unplanned;
● the
occurrence of product defects that cannot be remedied without adversely affecting the production;
● our
ability to secure necessary funding;
● our
ability to negotiate and execute definitive agreements with various suppliers for hardware,
software, or services necessary to engineer or manufacture our vehicles;
● our
ability to obtain required regulatory approvals and certifications;
● our
ability to comply with environmental, safety, and similar regulations and in a timely manner;
● our
ability to secure necessary components, services, or licenses on acceptable terms and in
a timely manner;
● our
ability to attract, recruit, hire, retain and train skilled personnel including supply chain
management, supplier quality, manufacturing and logistics personnel;
● our
ability to implement effective and efficient quality controls;
● delays
or disruptions in our supply chain including raw material supplies;
● our
ability to maintain arrangements on commercially reasonable terms with our suppliers, delivery
and other partners, after sales service providers, and other operationally significant third
parties;
● other
delays, backlog in manufacturing and research and development of new models, and cost overruns;
and
● any
other risks identified herein.
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We expect that we will require
additional financing to fund our planned operations and expansion plans. If we are unable to arrange for required funds under the terms
and on the timeline that we anticipate, our plans for tooling and building out our manufacturing facilities and for commercial production
of our electric vehicles could be significantly delayed, which would materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition
and results of operations.
Our prospect for future growth depends
upon our ability to establish and maintain relationships with our potential suppliers and source suppliers for our critical components,
and to completely build out our supply chain, while effectively managing the risks due to such relationships.
Our success will depend
on our ability to enter into supplier agreements and establish and maintain our relationships with hundreds of suppliers that are critical
to the output and production of our vehicles. We currently have no supply or supplier agreements and the supplier agreements we have
been in discussions regarding, or may enter into with potential key suppliers in the future may have provisions where such agreements
can be terminated in various circumstances, including potentially without cause. To the extent that we do not have long-term supply
agreements with guaranteed pricing for our parts or components, we will be exposed to fluctuations in prices of components, materials
and equipment. In addition, our agreements for the purchase of other components may contain pricing provisions that are subject to adjustment
based on changes in market prices of key commodities. Substantial increases in the prices for such components, materials and equipment,
whether due to supply chain or logistics issues or due to inflation, would increase our operating costs and could reduce our margins
if we cannot recoup the increased costs. Any attempts to increase the announced or expected prices of our vehicles in response to increased
costs could be viewed negatively by our potential customers and could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition or
results of operations.
We currently have no supply
or supplier agreements and may be at a disadvantage in negotiating supply or supplier agreements for the production of our vehicles as
we have not commenced the mass production of our vehicles. In addition, given that in many cases we are an aggregator of automotive parts
produced by third party manufacturers, there is the possibility that supply or supplier agreements for the parts and components for our
vehicles could be at costs that make it difficult for us to operate profitably.
The automotive market is highly competitive,
and we may not be successful in competing in this industry.
The global automotive market,
particularly for electric and alternative fuel vehicles, is highly competitive, and we expect it will become even more so in the future.
In recent years, the electric vehicle industry has grown, with several companies that focus completely or partially on the electric
vehicle market. We expect additional companies to enter this market within the next several years. Electric vehicle manufacturers
with which we compete include Tesla, BYD, NIO as well as an increasing number of U.S.-based and international entrants,
many of which have announced plans to begin selling their own electric vehicles in the near-term. We also compete with established automobile
manufacturers in the luxury vehicle segment, many of which have entered or have announced plans to enter the alternative fuel and electric
vehicle market with either fully electric or plug-in hybrid versions of their vehicles. We compete for sales with luxury vehicles
with internal combustion engines from established manufacturers. Many of our current and potential competitors have significantly greater
financial, technical, manufacturing, marketing and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the design,
development, manufacturing, distribution, promotion, sale, servicing, and support of their products. In addition, many of these companies
have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, larger and more established sales forces, broader customer and industry relationships
and other resources 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 than we do. We expect competition in our industry to significantly
intensify in the future in light of increased demand for alternative fuel vehicles, continuing globalization, favorable governmental
policies, and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry. Our ability to successfully compete in our industry will be fundamental
to our future success in existing and new markets. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully in our markets.
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Our ability to generate meaningful product
revenue will depend on consumer adoption of electric vehicles.
We are developing and producing
only electric vehicles and, accordingly, our ability to generate meaningful product revenue will highly depend on sustained consumer
demand for alternative fuel vehicles in general and electric vehicles in particular. If the market for electric vehicles does not develop
as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect, or if there is a decrease in consumer demand for electric vehicles, our business,
prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be harmed. The market for electric and other alternative fuel vehicles
is relatively new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving
government regulation (including government incentives and subsidies) and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements and
changing consumer demands and behaviors. Any number of changes in the industry could negatively affect consumer demand for electric vehicles
in general and our electric vehicles in particular.
In addition, demand for electric vehicles may
be affected by factors directly impacting automobile prices or the cost of purchasing and operating automobiles such as sales and financing
incentives such as tax credits, prices of raw materials and parts and components, cost of fuel, availability of consumer credit, and
governmental regulations, including tariffs, import regulation and other taxes. Volatility in demand may lead to lower vehicle unit sales,
which may result in downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Further, sales of vehicles in the automotive industry tend to be cyclical in many markets, which may expose us to increased volatility,
especially as we expand and adjust our operations and retail strategies. Specifically, it is uncertain how such macroeconomic factors
will impact us as a new entrant in an industry that has globally been experiencing a recent decline in sales.
Other factors that may influence the adoption
of electric vehicles include:
● perceptions
about electric vehicle quality, safety, design, performance and cost;
● perceptions
about the limited range over which electric vehicles may be driven on a single battery charge;
● perceptions
about the total cost of ownership of electric vehicles, including the initial purchase price
and operating and maintenance costs, both including and excluding the effect of government
and other subsidies and incentives designed to promote the purchase of electric vehicles;
● concerns
about electric grid capacity and reliability;
● perceptions
about the sustainability and environmental impact of electric vehicles, including with respect
to both the sourcing and disposal of materials for electric vehicle batteries and the generation
of electricity provided in the electric grid;
● the
availability of other alternative fuel vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles;
● improvements
in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine;
● the
quality and availability of service for electric vehicles, especially in international markets;
● volatility
in the cost of oil and gasoline;
● government
regulations and economic incentives promoting fuel efficiency and alternate forms of energy;
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● access
to charging stations and cost to charge an electric vehicle, especially in international
markets, and related infrastructure costs and standardization;
● the
availability of tax and other governmental incentives to purchase and operate electric vehicles
or future regulation requiring increased use of nonpolluting vehicles; and
● macroeconomic
factors.
The influence of any of
the factors described above or any other factors may cause a general reduction in consumer demand for electric vehicles or our electric
vehicles in particular, either of which would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition
and prospects.
Until the foreseeable future our revenue
will be significantly dependent on a limited number of models of electric vehicles.
The Company currently has
four models of electric vehicles featured in its phased development strategy and our revenue in the foreseeable future will be significantly
dependent on a limited number of models. Although we have other vehicle models on our product roadmap, we currently do not expect to
introduce another vehicle model for sale to these four models until at least 2030. We expect to rely on sales from the Limited Edition
Coupe (the “Coupe” or “488”), Long-range Sedan (the “Sedan”), Compact City Car (the “City
Car” or “Chloe”) and the Long-range SUV (the “SUV”, the Coupe, Sedan, City Car and SUV collectively
referred to as the “Models”), among other sources of financing, for the capital that will be required to develop and commercialize
those subsequent models. To the extent that production of the models is delayed, reduced, or is not well-received by the market
for any reason, our revenue and cash flow would be adversely affected, we may need to seek additional financing earlier than we expect,
and such financing may not be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.
Developments in electric vehicle or alternative
fuel technology or improvements in the internal combustion engine may adversely affect the demand for our vehicles.
We may be unable to keep
up with changes in electric vehicle technology or alternatives to electricity as a fuel source and, as a result, our competitiveness
may suffer. Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as alternative battery cell technologies, hydrogen fuel cell technology,
advanced gasoline, ethanol or 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. Existing and other battery cell technologies, fuels
or sources of energy may emerge as customers’ preferred alternative to the technologies in our electric vehicles. 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 electric vehicles, which could result in the loss of competitiveness of our vehicles,
decreased revenue and a loss of market share to competitors. In addition, we expect to compete in part on the basis of our vehicles’
range, efficiency, charging speeds and performance, and improvements in the technology offered by competitors could reduce demand for
our models or other future vehicles. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new models that reflect
such technological developments, but our vehicles may become obsolete, and our research and development efforts may not be sufficient
to adapt to changes in alternative fuel and electric vehicle technology. Additionally, as new companies and larger, existing vehicle
manufacturers continue to enter the electric vehicle space, we may lose any technological advantage we may have and suffer a decline
in our competitive position. Any failure by us to successfully react to changes in existing technologies or the development of new technologies
could materially harm our competitive position and growth prospects.
We will be dependent on our suppliers and
the inability of these suppliers to deliver necessary components of our products according to our schedule and at prices, quality levels
and volumes acceptable to us, or our inability to efficiently manage these components or to implement or maintain effective inventory
management and other systems, processes and personnel to support ongoing and increased production, could have a material adverse effect
on our results of operations and financial condition.
We will rely on third-party suppliers
for the provision and development of many of the key components and materials used in our vehicles. While we plan to obtain components
from multiple sources whenever possible, many of the components used in our vehicles will be purchased by us from a single, yet unknown,
source. Our limited, and in many cases single-source, supply chain approach exposes us to multiple potential sources of delivery failure
or component shortages for our production. Our potential third-party suppliers may not be able to meet our required product specifications
and performance characteristics, which would impact our ability to achieve our product specifications and performance characteristics
as well. Additionally, our potential third-party suppliers may be unable to obtain required certifications or provide necessary
warranties for their products that are necessary for use in our vehicles.
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We may be affected by ongoing,
industry-wide challenges in logistics and supply chains, such as increased port congestion, intermittent supplier delays a shortfall
of semiconductor supply, and international travel restrictions preventing supply quality engineers from conducting in-person visits
and quality engineering for parts production. We expect that these industry-wide trends will continue to affect the ability of us
and our suppliers to obtain parts, components and manufacturing equipment on a timely basis for the foreseeable future, and may result
in increased costs. We may also be impacted by changes in our future supply chain or production needs, including cost increases from
our suppliers, in order to meet our quality targets and development timelines as well as due to design changes. Likewise, any significant
increases in our production may in the future require us to procure additional components in a short amount of time. Our suppliers may
not ultimately be able to sustainably and timely meet our cost, quality and volume needs, requiring us to replace them with other sources.
In many cases, our suppliers will be providing us with custom-designed parts that would require significant lead time to obtain
from alternative suppliers, or may not be available from alternative suppliers at all. If we are unable to obtain suitable components
and materials used in our vehicles from our suppliers or if our suppliers decide to create or supply a competing product, our business
could be adversely affected. Further, if we are unsuccessful in our efforts to control and reduce supplier costs, our results of operations
will suffer.
We have not experienced,
but may in the future experience, delays if our suppliers do not meet agreed upon timelines, experience capacity constraints, or deliver
components that do not meet our quality standards. Any disruption in the supply of components, whether or not from a single source supplier,
could temporarily disrupt production of our vehicles until an alternative supplier is able to supply the required material. Any such
delay, even if caused by a delay or shortage in only one part, could significantly affect our ability to meet our planned vehicle production
targets. Even in cases where we may be able to establish alternate supply relationships and obtain or engineer replacement components
for our single source components, we may be unable to do so quickly, or at all, at prices or quality levels that are acceptable to us.
This risk is heightened by the fact that we have less negotiating leverage with suppliers than larger and more established automobile
manufacturers, which could adversely affect our ability to obtain necessary components and materials on a timely basis, on favorable
pricing and other terms, or at all. The industry in which we operate has recently experienced severe supply chain disruptions, and we
expect these conditions to continue for the foreseeable future. Any such supply disruption could materially and adversely affect our
results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Furthermore, as the scale
of our vehicle production increases in the future, we will need to accurately forecast, purchase, warehouse and transport components
to our manufacturing facilities and servicing locations internationally and at much higher volumes. We have not yet scaled production
in our manufacturing facilities to significant volumes or begun servicing vehicles at significant volumes. Accordingly, our ability to
scale production and vehicle servicing and mitigate risks associated with these activities has not been thoroughly tested. If we are
unable to accurately match the timing and quantities of component purchases to our actual needs, successfully recruit and retain personnel
with relevant experience, or successfully implement automation, inventory management and other systems or processes to accommodate the
increased complexity in our supply chain and manufacturing operations, we may incur unexpected production disruption, storage, transportation
and write-off costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Furthermore, unexpected
changes in business conditions, materials pricing, labor issues, wars, governmental changes, tariffs, natural disasters, health epidemics,
and other factors beyond our and our suppliers’ control could also affect these suppliers’ ability to deliver components
to us on a timely basis. We have also identified certain of our suppliers, including certain suppliers we deem critical, as having poor
financial health or being at risk of bankruptcy. Although we routinely review our suppliers’ financial health and attempt to identify
alternate suppliers where possible, the loss of any supplier, particularly a single- or limited-source supplier, or the disruption
in the supply of components from our suppliers, could lead to vehicle design changes, production delays, idle manufacturing facilities
and potential loss of access to important technology and parts for producing, servicing and supporting our vehicles, any of which could
result in negative publicity, damage to our brand and a material and adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations
and financial condition. In addition, if our suppliers experience substantial financial difficulties, cease operations or otherwise face
business disruptions, we may be required to provide substantial financial support to ensure supply continuity, which could have an additional
adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.
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Increases in costs, disruption of supply
or shortage of materials, in particular for lithium-ion cells or semiconductors, could harm our business.
As we scale commercial production
of our vehicles or any future energy storage systems, we have experienced and may continue to experience increases in the cost of or
a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of materials. Any such increase, supply interruption or shortage could materially
and adversely impact our business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition. In addition, we use various materials in
our business, including aluminum, steel, lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt, neodymium, terbium, praseodymium and manganese, as well as
lithium-ion cells and semiconductors from suppliers. The prices for these materials fluctuate, and their available
supply may be unstable, depending on market conditions, inflationary pressure and global demand for these materials, including as a result
of increased production of electric vehicles, energy storage products by our competitors and the global supply chain crisis, and could
adversely affect our business and results of operations. For instance, we are exposed to multiple risks relating to 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;
● an
increase in the cost, or decrease in the available supply, of materials, such as cobalt,
used in lithium-ion cells;
● disruption
in the supply of cells due to quality issues or recalls by battery cell manufacturers; and
● fluctuations
in the value of any foreign currencies, in which battery cell and related raw material purchases
are or may be denominated against the U.S. dollar.
Our ability to manufacture
our vehicles or any future energy storage systems will depend on the continued supply of battery cells for the battery packs used in
our products. We have limited flexibility in changing battery cell suppliers, and any disruption in the supply of battery cells from
such suppliers could disrupt production of our vehicles until a different supplier is fully qualified. Furthermore, our ability to manufacture
our vehicles depends on continuing access to semiconductors and components that incorporate semiconductors. A global semiconductor supply
shortage is having wide-ranging effects across multiple industries and the automotive industry in particular, and it has impacted
many automotive suppliers and manufacturers, including us, that incorporate semiconductors into the parts they supply or manufacture.
We have experienced and may continue to experience an impact on our operations as a result of the semiconductor supply shortage, and
such shortage could in the future have a material impact on us or our suppliers, which could delay or reduce planned production levels
of the Models or planned future vehicles, impair our ability to continue production once started or force us or our suppliers to pay
exorbitant rates for continued access to semiconductors, and of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects
and results of operations. In addition, prices and transportation expenses for these materials fluctuate depending on many factors beyond
our control, including fluctuations in supply and demand, currency fluctuations, tariffs and taxes, fluctuations and shortages in petroleum
supply, freight charges and other economic and political factors. These risks could be further magnified by geographical developments
such as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Substantial increases in the prices for our materials or prices charged to us, such
as those charged by battery cell or semiconductor suppliers, would increase our operating costs, and could reduce our margins if we cannot
recoup the increased costs through increased prices. Any attempts to increase product prices in response to increased material costs
could result in cancellations of orders and reservations and materially and adversely affect our brand, image, business, results of operations,
prospects and financial condition.
Furthermore, currency fluctuations,
tariffs or shortages in petroleum and other economic or political conditions have and may continue to result in significant increases
in freight charges and raw material costs. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials or components would increase our
operating costs and could reduce our margins. In addition, a growth in popularity of electric vehicles without a significant expansion
in battery cell production capacity could result in shortages which would result in increased materials costs to us, and would impact
our expected manufacturing and delivery timelines, and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations,
and cash flows.
We must develop complex software and technology
systems, including in coordination with vendors and suppliers, in order to produce our electric vehicles, and there can be no assurance
such systems will be successfully developed.
Our vehicles, use a substantial
amount of third-party and proprietary software and complex technological hardware to operate, some of which is still subject to
further development and testing. The development and implementation of such advanced technologies is inherently complex, and requires
coordination with our vendors and suppliers in order to integrate such technology into our electric vehicles and ensure it interoperates
with other complex technology as designed and as expected.
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We may fail to detect defects
and errors that are subsequently revealed, and our control over the performance of third-party services and systems may be limited.
Any defects or errors in, or which are attributed to, our technology, could result in, among other things:
● delayed
production and delivery of our vehicles;
● delayed
market acceptance of our vehicles;
● loss
of customers or inability to attract new customers;
● diversion
of engineering or other resources for remedying the defect or error;
● damage
to our brand or reputation;
● increased
service and warranty costs;
● legal
action by customers or third parties, including product liability claims; and
● penalties
imposed by regulatory authorities.
In addition, if we are unable
to develop the software and technology systems necessary to operate our vehicles, our competitive position will be harmed. We rely on
third-party suppliers to develop a number of technologies for use in our products. There can be no assurances that
our suppliers will be able to meet the technological requirements, production timing and volume requirements to support our business
plan. In addition, such technology may not satisfy the cost, performance useful life and warranty characteristics we anticipate in our
business plan, which could materially adversely affect our business, prospects and results of operations.
If our manufacturing facilities become
inoperable, we will be unable to produce our vehicles and our business will be harmed.
Any failure to continue
commercial production on schedule, such as a breakdown or interruption of our supply chain, would lead to additional costs and would
delay our ability to generate meaningful revenues. In addition, it could prevent us from gaining the confidence of potential customers,
spur cancellations of reservations for the Models and open the door to increased competition. All of the foregoing could hinder our ability
to successfully launch and grow our business and achieve a competitive position in the market.
We rely on complex machinery for our operations,
and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance, safety, security and costs.
We expect to utilize a number
of new manufacturing technologies, techniques and processes for our vehicles, such as motor winding equipment, and we may utilize additional
new technologies, techniques and processes in the future. Certain design features in our vehicles present additional manufacturing challenges,
such the Battery Management System and Thermal Management System. There is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully and timely
introduce and scale any such new processes or features.
We also rely heavily on
complex machinery for our operations, and our production involves a significant degree of uncertainty and risk in terms of operational
performance and costs. Our manufacturing plant employs large-scale, complex machinery combining many components, which may suffer unexpected
malfunctions from time to time and will depend on repairs and spare parts that may not be available when needed.
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Unexpected malfunctions
of the manufacturing plant components may significantly decrease our operational efficiency, including by forcing manufacturing shutdowns
in order to conduct repairs or troubleshoot manufacturing problems. Our facilities may also be harmed or rendered inoperable by natural
or man-made disasters, including but not limited to earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, fire, power outages, environmental hazards
and remediation, costs associated with decommissioning of equipment, labor disputes and strikes, difficulty or delays in obtaining governmental
permits and licenses, damages or defects in electronic systems, industrial accidents or health epidemics, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic,
which may render it difficult or impossible for us to manufacture our vehicles for some period of time. The inability to produce our
vehicles or the backlog that could develop if our manufacturing plant is inoperable for even a short period of time may result in the
loss of customers or harm our reputation. Although we maintain insurance for damage to our property and the disruption of our business,
this insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our potential losses and may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms,
if at all. Should operational risks materialize, they may result in the personal injury to or death of our workers, the loss of production
equipment, damage to manufacturing facilities, monetary losses, delays and unanticipated fluctuations in production, environmental damage,
administrative fines, increased insurance costs and potential legal liabilities, all which could have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition or prospects.
If we update or discontinue the use of
our manufacturing equipment more quickly than expected, we may have to shorten the useful lives of any equipment to be retired as a result
of any such update, and the resulting acceleration in our depreciation could negatively affect our financial results.
We have invested and expect
to continue to invest significantly in what we believe is state of the art tooling, machinery and other manufacturing equipment, and
we depreciate the cost of such equipment over their expected useful lives. However, manufacturing technology may evolve rapidly, and
we may decide to update our manufacturing processes more quickly than expected. Moreover, as we ramp the commercial production of our
vehicles, our experience may cause us to discontinue the use of already installed equipment in favor of different or additional equipment.
The useful life of any equipment that would be retired early as a result would be shortened, causing the depreciation on such equipment
to be accelerated, and our results of operations could be negatively impacted.
We have no experience to date in mass manufacturing
of our electric vehicles.
We cannot provide any assurance
as to whether we will be able to develop efficient, automated, low-cost logistics and production capabilities 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 mass market our vehicles. Even if we are successful in developing our high volume
production capability and processes and reliably source our component supply, no assurance can be given as to 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, or force majeure events, or in time to meet our commercialization schedules, or to store and deliver parts
in sufficient quantities to the manufacturing lines in a manner that enables us to maintain our production ramp curve and rates, or to
satisfy the requirements of customers and potential customers. Any failure to develop such logistics and production processes and capabilities
within our projected costs and timelines could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, prospects and financial
condition. Bottlenecks and other unexpected challenges have and may continue to arise as we ramp production of the models, and it will
be important that we address them promptly while continuing to control our logistics and manufacturing costs. If we are not successful
in doing so, or if we experience issues with our logistics and manufacturing process improvements, we could face further delays in establishing
and/or sustaining our production ramps or be unable to meet our related cost and profitability targets.
42
If our vehicles fail to perform as expected,
our ability to develop, market and sell or lease our products could be harmed.
Our vehicles or the components
installed therein have in the past and may in the future contain defects in design and manufacture that may cause them not to perform
as expected or that may require repairs, recalls, and design changes, any of which would require significant financial and other resources
to successfully navigate and resolve. Although we will attempt to remedy any issues we observe in our products as effectively and rapidly
as possible, such efforts could significantly distract management’s attention from other important business objectives, may not
be timely, may hamper production or may not be to the satisfaction of our customers. Further, our limited operating history and limited
field data reduce our ability to evaluate and predict the long-term quality, reliability, durability and performance characteristics
of our battery packs, powertrains and vehicles. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any defects in our products
prior to their sale or lease to customers.
Any defects, delays or legal
restrictions on vehicle features, or other failure of our vehicles to perform as expected, could harm our reputation and result in delivery
delays, product recalls, product liability claims, breach of warranty claims and significant warranty and other expenses, and could have
a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition. Any such defects or noncompliance
with legal requirements could also result in safety recalls. See “ — Risks Related to Regulation and Litigation .”
As a new entrant to the industry attempting to build customer relationships and earn trust, these effects could be significantly
detrimental to us. Additionally, problems and defects experienced by other electric consumer vehicles could by association have a negative
impact on perception and customer demand for our vehicles.
In addition, even if our
vehicles function as designed, we expect that the battery efficiency, and hence the range, of our electric vehicles, like other electric
vehicles that use current battery technology, will decline over time. Other factors, such as usage, time and stress patterns, may also
impact the battery’s ability to hold a charge, or could require us to limit vehicles’ battery charging capacity, including
via over-the-air or other software updates, for safety reasons or to protect battery capacity, which could further decrease our
vehicles’ range between charges. Such decreases in or limitations of battery capacity and therefore range, whether imposed by deterioration,
software limitations or otherwise, could also lead to consumer complaints or warranty claims, including claims that prior knowledge of
such decreases or limitations would have affected consumers’ purchasing decisions. Further, there can be no assurance that we will
be able to improve the performance of our battery packs, or increase our vehicles’ range, in the future. Any such battery deterioration
or capacity limitations and related decreases in range may negatively influence potential customers’ willingness to purchase our
vehicles and negatively impact our brand and reputation, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations
and financial condition.
We face challenges providing charging solutions for our vehicles.
Demand for our vehicles
will depend in part on the availability of charging infrastructure both domestically and internationally. While the prevalence of charging
stations has been increasing, charging station locations are significantly less widespread than gas stations. Globally there are supportive
regulations and funding to build and implement more charging stations. In the U.S., there is a movement toward having a uniform charging
adaptor whereby customers of different brands of electric vehicles may use any charging station. However, there is no assurance that
more changing stations will be built and implemented in the future, or that a uniform charging adaptor will be available in the future.
Insufficient reserves to cover future warranty
or part replacement needs or other vehicle repair requirements, including any potential software upgrades, could materially adversely
affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
We provide a new vehicle
limited warranty on all vehicles, components and systems. Warranty reserves will include our management team’s best estimate of
the projected costs to repair or to replace items under warranty. Such estimates are inherently uncertain, particularly in light of our
limited operating history and the limited field data available to us, and changes to such estimates based on real-world observations
may cause material changes to our warranty reserves in the future. If our reserves are inadequate to cover future maintenance requirements
on our vehicles, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. We
may become subject to significant and unexpected expenses as well as claims from our customers, including loss of revenue or damages.
There can be no assurances that then-existing reserves will be sufficient to cover all claims. In addition, if future laws or regulations
impose additional warranty obligations on us that go beyond our manufacturer’s warranty, we may be exposed to materially higher
warranty, parts replacement and repair expenses than we expect, and our reserves may be insufficient to cover such expenses.
43
We may not be able to accurately estimate
the supply and demand for our vehicles, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in our business and hinder our ability to generate
revenue. If we fail to accurately predict our manufacturing requirements, we could incur additional costs or experience delays.
It is difficult to predict
our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our
business. We will be required to provide forecasts of our demand to our suppliers several months prior to the scheduled delivery
of vehicles to our prospective customers. Currently, there is no historical basis for making judgments about the demand for our vehicles
or our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver vehicles, or our profitability in the future. If we overestimate our requirements,
our suppliers may have excess inventory, which indirectly would increase our costs. If we underestimate our requirements, our suppliers
may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt manufacturing of our products and result in delays in shipments and revenues. In
addition, lead times for materials and components that our suppliers order may vary significantly and depend on factors such as the specific
supplier, contract terms and demand for each component at a given time. If we fail to order sufficient quantities of product components
in a timely manner, the delivery of vehicles to our customers could be delayed, which would harm our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
Our vehicles will make use of lithium-ion battery
cells, which have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flame.
The battery packs within
our vehicles make use of, and any future energy storage systems will make use of lithium-ion cells. On rare occasions, 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. While we have designed our battery packs to passively contain a single cell’s release of energy without
spreading to neighboring cells, a field or testing failure of our vehicles or other battery packs that we produce could occur. In addition,
although we equip our vehicles with systems designed to detect and warn vehicle occupants of such thermal events, there can be no assurance
that such systems will function as designed or will provide vehicle occupants with sufficient, or any, warning in all crashes. Any such
events or failures of our vehicles, battery packs or warning systems could subject us to lawsuits, product recalls, or redesign efforts,
all of which would be time consuming and expensive. Also, 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 our vehicles, could seriously harm our business and reputation.
Risks Related to Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Any unauthorized control, manipulation,
interruption or compromise of or access to our products or information technology systems could result in loss of confidence in us and
our products, harm our business and materially adversely affect our financial performance, results of operations or prospects.
Our products may contain
complex information technology systems. For example, our vehicles are designed with built-in data connectivity to accept and install
periodic remote updates to improve their functionality.
In addition, we expect to
collect, store, transmit and otherwise process data from vehicles, customers, personnel and other third parties as part of our business
operations, which may include personal data or confidential or proprietary information. We also work with third-party service providers
and vendors that collect, store and process such data on our behalf. We have taken certain measures to prevent unauthorized access and
plan to continue to deploy additional measures as we grow. Our third-party service providers and vendors also take steps to protect
the security and integrity of our and their information technology systems and our and their customers’ information. However, there
can be no assurance that such systems and measures will not be compromised as a result of intentional misconduct, including by personnel,
contractors, or vendors, as well as by software bugs, human error, or technical malfunctions.
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Furthermore, cyber threat
actors may in the future attempt to gain unauthorized access to, modify, alter and use our vehicles, products and systems to (i) gain
control of, (ii) change the functionality, user interface and performance characteristics of and/or (iii) gain access to data
stored in or generated by, our vehicles, products and systems. Advances in technology, new vulnerability discoveries, an increased level
of sophistication and diversity of our products and services, an increased level of expertise of cyber threat actors and new discoveries
in the field of cryptography could lead to a compromise or breach of the measures that we or our third-party service providers use.
Some of our products and information technology systems contain or use open source software, which can create additional risks, including
potential security vulnerabilities. We and our third-party service providers’ may in the future be affected by security incidents.
Our systems are also vulnerable to damage or interruption from, among other things, computer viruses, malware, ransomware, killware,
wiperware, computer denial or degradation of service attacks, telecommunications failures, social engineering schemes (such as vishing,
phishing or smishing), domain name spoofing, insider theft, physical theft, fire, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, power loss, war,
or misuse, mistake or other attempts to harm our products and systems. Our data center and our third-party service providers’
or vendors’ data centers could be subject to break-ins, sabotage and intentional acts of vandalism causing potential disruptions.
Some of our systems will not be fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Any problems
at our or our third-party service providers’ or vendors’ data centers and/or cloud infrastructure could result in lengthy
interruptions in our service and our business operations. There can be no assurance that any security or other operational measures that
we or our third-party service providers or vendors have implemented will be effective against any of the foregoing threats or issues.
These risks have been heightened
in connection with the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and we cannot be certain how this new risk landscape will impact our
operations. When geopolitical conflicts develop, government systems as well as critical infrastructures such as financial services and
utilities may be targeted by state-sponsored cyberattacks even if they are not directly involved in the conflict. There can be no
assurance that our business will not become a potential target as adversaries may attack networks and systems indiscriminately. Such
cyberattacks may potentially cause unauthorized access to our sensitive data (including our proprietary software codes), products, and
systems, causing data breach, or disruption, modification, destruction to our systems and applications. As a result, we may suffer monetary
losses, business interruption, and long-lasting operational issues, damage to our reputation and brand, loss of our intellectual
property or trade secrets.
If we are unable to protect
our products and systems (and the information stored in our systems) from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification,
destruction or other breach, such problems or security breaches could have negative consequences for our business and future prospects,
including compromise of vehicle integrity and physical safety, causing monetary losses, giving rise to liabilities under our contracts
or to the owners of the applicable information, subjecting us to substantial fines, penalties, damages and other liabilities under applicable
laws and regulations, incurring substantial costs to respond to, investigate and remedy such incidents, reducing customer demand for
our products, harming our reputation and brand and compromising or leading to a loss of protection of our intellectual property or trade
secrets. In addition, regardless of their veracity, reports of unauthorized access to our vehicles, systems or data, as well as other
factors that may result in the perception that our vehicles, systems or data are vulnerable to being “hacked,” could negatively
affect our brand. In addition, some members of the U.S. federal government, including certain members of Congress and the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“ NHTSA ”) , have recently focused attention on automotive cybersecurity
issues and may in the future propose or implement regulations specific to automotive cybersecurity. In addition, the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe has introduced new regulations governing connected vehicle cybersecurity, which became effective in January 2021
and are expected to apply in the European Union to all new vehicle types beginning in July 2022 and to all existing architectures/new
vehicles from July 2024. Such regulations are also in effect, or expected to come into effect, in certain other international jurisdictions.
These and other regulations could adversely affect the timing of our entry into various markets, and if such regulations or other future
regulations are inconsistent with our approach to automotive cybersecurity, we would be required to modify our systems to comply with
such regulations, which would impose additional costs and delays and could expose us to potential liability to the extent our automotive
cybersecurity systems and practices are inconsistent with such regulation.
We may not have adequate
insurance coverage to cover losses associated with any of the foregoing, if any. The successful assertion of one or more large claims
against us that exceeds our available insurance coverage, or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases
or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements), could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition,
we cannot be sure that our existing insurance coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or that our insurers will not
deny coverage as to any future claim.
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Furthermore, we are continuously
expanding and improving our information technology systems. In particular, our planned future vehicles will necessitate continued development,
maintenance and improvement of our information technology and communication systems in the United States and abroad, such as systems
for product data management, vehicle management tools, vehicle security systems, vehicle security management processes, procurement of
bill of material items, supply chain management, inventory management, production planning and execution, lean manufacturing, sales,
service and logistics, dealer management, financial, tax and regulatory compliance systems. Our ability to operate our business will
depend on the availability and effectiveness of these systems. The implementation, maintenance, segregation and improvement of these
systems require significant management time, support and cost. Moreover, there are inherent risks associated with developing, improving
and expanding our core systems as well as implementing new systems, including the disruption of our data management, procurement, manufacturing
execution, finance, supply chain, inventory management, and sales and service processes. We cannot be certain that these systems or their
required functionality will be effectively and timely developed, implemented, maintained or expanded as planned. If we are unsuccessful
in any of the foregoing, our operations may be disrupted, our ability to accurately or timely report our financial results could be impaired,
and deficiencies may arise in our internal control over financial reporting, which may impact our ability to certify our financial results.
If these systems or their functionality do not operate as we expect them to, we may be required to expend significant resources to make
corrections or find alternative sources for performing these functions. Any of the foregoing could materially adversely affect our business,
prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, our vehicles
depend on the ability of software and hardware to store, retrieve, process and manage immense amounts of data. Our software and hardware,
including any over-the-air or other updates, may contain, errors, bugs, design defects or vulnerabilities, and our systems may be
subject to technical limitations that may compromise our ability to meet our objectives. Some errors, bugs or vulnerabilities may reside
in third-party intellectual property or open source software and/or be inherently difficult to detect and may only be discovered
after code has been released for external or internal use. Although we will attempt to remedy any issues we observe in our vehicles as
effectively and rapidly as possible, such efforts may not be timely, may hamper production or may not be to the satisfaction of our customers.
Additionally, if we are able to deploy updates to the software addressing any issues but our over-the-air update procedures fail
to properly update the software, our customers will then be responsible for working with our service personnel to install such updates
to the software, and their vehicle will be subject to these vulnerabilities until they do so. Any compromise of our intellectual property,
proprietary information, systems or vehicles or inability prevent or effectively remedy errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or defects in our
software and hardware may cause us to suffer lengthy interruptions to our ability to operate our business and our customers’ ability
to operate their vehicles, compromise of vehicle integrity and physical safety, damage to our reputation, loss of customers, loss of
revenue, governmental fines, investigations or litigation or liability for damages, any of which could materially adversely affect our
business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition.
We are subject to evolving laws, regulations,
standards, policies, and contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and any actual or perceived failure to comply
with such obligations could harm our reputation and brand, subject us to significant fines and liability, or otherwise adversely affect
our business.
In the course of our operations,
we may collect, use, store, disclose, transfer and otherwise process personal information from our customers, personnel and third parties
with whom we conduct business, including names, accounts, driver license information, user IDs and passwords, and payment or transaction
related information. Additionally, we will use our vehicles’ electronic systems to log information about each vehicle’s use,
such as charge time, battery usage, geolocation, mileage and driving behavior, in order to aid it in vehicle diagnostics, repair and
maintenance, as well as to help us customize and improve the driving and riding experience.
Accordingly, we may be subject
to or affected by a number of federal, state, local and international laws and regulations, as well as contractual obligations and industry
standards, that impose certain obligations and restrictions with respect to data privacy and security and govern our collection, storage,
retention, protection, use, transmission, sharing, disclosure and other processing of personal information including that of our personnel,
customers and other third parties with whom we conduct business. These laws, regulations and standards may be interpreted and applied
differently over time and from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and it is possible that they will be interpreted and applied in ways that
may have a material and adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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The global data protection
landscape is rapidly evolving, and implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable
future. We may not be able to monitor and react to all developments in a timely manner. For example, the European Union adopted the General
Data Protection Regulation (“ GDPR ”) , which became effective in May 2018, California adopted the California
Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“ CCPA ”) , which became effective in January 2020, Canada adopted
the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“ PIPEDA ”) and continues to amend the statute, the
United Arab Emirates adopted the Data Protection Law (“ DPL ”), which became effective in January 2022, and the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enacted the Personal Data Protection Law (“ PDPL ”) which will take effect in March 2023.
Each of the GDPR, the CCPA, the PIPEDA, the DPL and the PDPL impose additional obligations on companies regarding the handling of personal
data and provides certain individual privacy rights to persons whose data is collected. Compliance with existing, proposed and recently
enacted laws and regulations (including implementation of the privacy and process enhancements called for under the GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA,
DPL and PDPL) can be costly, and any failure to comply with these regulatory standards could subject us to legal and reputational risks.
Specifically, failure to
comply with the GDPR can result in significant fines and other liability, including, under the GDPR, fines of up to EUR 20 million
or four percent (4%) of global revenue, whichever is greater. The cost of compliance, and the potential for fines and penalties for non-compliance,
with GDPR may have a significant adverse effect on our business and operations. Recent legal developments in the European Economic Area
(“ EEA ”), including recent rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union and from various EU member state
data protection authorities, have created complexity and uncertainty regarding transfers of personal data from the EEA to the United States
and other so-called third countries outside the EEA. Similar complexities and uncertainties also apply to transfers from the
United Kingdom to third countries. While we have taken steps to mitigate the impact on us, the efficacy and longevity of these mechanisms
remains uncertain.
At the state level, we may
be subject to law and regulations such as the CCPA. The CCPA establishes a privacy framework for covered businesses, including an
expansive definition of personal information and data privacy rights for California residents. The CCPA includes a framework with potentially
severe statutory damages for violations and a private right of action for certain data breaches. The CCPA requires covered businesses
to provide California residents with new privacy-related disclosures and new ways to opt-out of certain uses and disclosures
of personal information. As we expand our operations, the CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability. Some observers
have noted that the CCPA could mark the beginning of a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States. Additionally,
effective in most material respects starting on January 1, 2023, the California Privacy Rights Act (“ CPRA ”) , will
significantly modify the CCPA, including by expanding California residents’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information.
The CPRA also creates a new state agency that will be vested with the authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA.
Other states, including
Virginia and Colorado, have enacted or are in the process of enacting, or considering similar laws. Compliance with these state statutes,
other similar state or federal laws that may be enacted in the future, and other applicable privacy and data security laws and regulations
is a rigorous and time-intensive process, and we may be required to put in place additional mechanisms to comply with such laws
and regulations, which could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices, including our data practices,
in a manner adverse to our business. In particular, certain emerging privacy laws are still subject to a high degree of uncertainty as
to their interpretation and application. Failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations or to secure personal information could
result in investigations, enforcement actions and other proceedings against us, which could result in substantial fines, damages and
other liability as well as damage to our reputation and credibility, which could have a negative impact on revenues and profits.
We will be required to post
public privacy policies and other documentation regarding our collection, use, disclosure and other processing of personal information.
Although we will endeavor to comply with our published policies and other documentation, we may at times fail to do so or may be perceived
to have failed to do so. Moreover, despite our efforts, we may not be successful in achieving compliance if our personnel, contractors,
service providers, vendors or other third parties fail to comply with our published policies and documentation. Such failures could carry
similar consequences or subject us to potential local, state and federal action if they are found to be deceptive, unfair or misrepresentative
of our actual practices. Claims that we have violated individuals’ privacy rights or failed to comply with data protection laws
or applicable privacy notices could, even if we are not found liable, be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result
in adverse publicity that could harm our business.
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Most jurisdictions have
enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals, regulatory authorities and other third parties of security breaches involving
certain types of data. For example, laws in all 50 U.S. states generally require business to provide notice under certain circumstances
to consumers whose personal information has been disclosed as a result of a breach. Such laws may be inconsistent or may change or additional
laws may be adopted. In addition, our agreements with certain customers may require us to notify them in the event of a security breach.
Such mandatory disclosures are costly, could lead to negative publicity, penalties or fines, litigation and our customers losing confidence
in the effectiveness of our security measures and could require us to expend significant capital and other resources to respond to or
alleviate problems caused by the actual or perceived security breach. Any of the foregoing could materially adversely affect our business,
prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to Ownership of Thunder Power’s Securities
Risks Related to Ownership of Thunder Power’s
Common Stock
The price of our Common Stock may be volatile.
The stock price of our Common Stock may be volatile.
The market price for our Common Stock may be influenced by many factors, including the other risks described in this section and the
following:
● actual
or anticipated variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived
to be similar to us;
● market
conditions in the EV sectors;
● market
conditions and sentiment involving companies that have recently completed a business combination
with a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”);
● announcements
by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic alliances, joint ventures
or capital commitments;
● developments
or disputes concerning patents or other proprietary rights, including patents, litigation
matters and our ability to obtain patent protection for its products;
● our
ability or inability to raise additional capital and the terms on which it is raised;
● the
recruitment or departure of key personnel;
● actual
or anticipated changes in earnings estimates or changes in stock market analyst recommendations
regarding our Common Stock, other comparable companies or the industry generally;
● our
failure or the failure of our competitors to meet analysts’ projections or guidance;
● fluctuations
in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;
● announcement
and expectation of additional financing efforts;
● speculation
in the press or investment community;
● trading
volume of our Common Stock;
● sales
of our Common Stock by us or Selling Stockholders;
● the
concentrated ownership of our Common Stock;
● changes
in accounting principles;
● terrorist
acts, acts of war or periods of widespread civil unrest;
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● natural
disasters, public health crises and other calamities; and
● general
economic, industry and market conditions.
In addition, the stock markets
in general, and the markets for SPAC post-business combination businesses, EV stocks in particular, have experienced extreme volatility
during 2024. This volatility can often be unrelated to the operating performance of the underlying business. These broad market and industry
factors may seriously harm the market price of our Common Stock, regardless of our operating performance.
We may incur significant costs from class action litigation
due to stock volatility.
Our stock price may fluctuate
for many reasons, including as a result of public announcements regarding the progress of development efforts for our EVs, the development
efforts of future collaborators or competitors, the addition or departure of key personnel, variations in quarterly operating results
and changes in market valuations of EV companies. This risk is especially relevant to us because EV companies have experienced significant
stock price volatility in recent years, including since the public announcement of our Business Combination in October 2023.
In addition, recently there has been significant stock price volatility involving the shares of companies that have recently completed
business combinations with SPACs. When the market price of a stock has been volatile, as our stock price may be, holders of that stock
have occasionally brought securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. Additionally, there has recently
been a general increase in litigation against companies that have recently completed business combinations with SPACs alleging fraud
and other claims based on inaccurate or misleading disclosures. If any of our stockholders were to bring a lawsuit of this type against
us, even if the lawsuit is without merit, we could incur substantial costs defending the lawsuit. The lawsuit could also divert the time
and attention of management.
We are an “emerging growth company”
and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our Common Stock less attractive to investors
and may make it more difficult to compare our financial performance with other public companies.
We are an emerging growth
company, as defined in the JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are
applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor
attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation
in periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation
and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. An emerging growth company may elect to delay the
adoption of new or revised accounting standards. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply
with the effective dates of revised accounting standards. Investors may find our Common Stock less attractive because of our reliance
on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for
their common stock, and the stock price may be more volatile.
Future sales and issuances of Common Stock
or rights to purchase Common Stock could result in additional dilution to our stockholders and could cause the price of our Common Stock
to decline.
Significant additional capital
will be needed in the future to continue our planned operations. To raise capital, we may sell shares of Common Stock, convertible securities,
or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner as determined from time to time. If we sell Common Stock,
convertible securities, or other equity securities, current stockholders may be materially diluted by such sales. New investors could
gain rights, preferences, and privileges senior to the current holders of our Common Stock.
Pursuant to the 2024 Plan,
the Board or a committee appointed by the Board to administer the 2024 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “Administrator”),
is authorized to grant stock options to our employees, non-employee directors, and consultants. Initially, the maximum aggregate
number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under the 2024 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan is approximately 4,588,005 shares
of Common Stock. Annually, on the first trading day of the calendar year, beginning with calendar year 2025, such share reserve
will automatically increase by 5% of the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the last day of the immediately
preceding calendar year, unless the Administrator acts prior to January 1 of such year to provide that there will be no increase
or a lesser increase in the share reserve for that year.
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The issuance of additional
shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of equal or senior rank may have some or all of the following effects:
● the
amount of cash available per share, including for payment of dividends in the future, may
decrease;
● the
relative voting strength of each previously outstanding share of common stock may be diminished;
and
● the
market price of our Common Stock may decline.
Reports published by analysts, including
projections in those reports that differ from our actual results, could adversely affect the price and trading volume of our Common Stock.
Securities research analysts
may publish their own periodic financial projections for our business. These projections may vary widely and may not accurately predict
the results that we actually achieve. Our stock price may decline if our actual results do not match the projections of these securities
research analysts. Similarly, if one or more of the analysts who write reports on us downgrades our stock or publishes inaccurate or
unfavorable research about our business, our stock price could decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage or fails to
publish reports on us regularly, our stock price or trading volume could decline. If no analysts cover us, the trading price and volume
for our Common Stock could be adversely affected.
Anti-takeover provisions in our governing
documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove
our current management and limit the market price of our Common Stock.
The Second Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (the “Charter”), the Company’s bylaws (the “Bylaws”) and Delaware
law contain provisions that could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying, or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable
by the Board. Among other things, the Charter and/or the Company’s Bylaws include the following provisions:
● permit
the Board to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences,
and privileges as they may designate, including the right to approve an acquisition or other
change of control;
● provide
that the number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the Board;
● provide
that, subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock to elect directors, directors
may be removed only for cause by the holders of two-thirds (66 and 2/3%) of the voting
power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of Combined Company entitled
to vote generally at an election of directors;
● provide
that all vacancies, subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock, including newly
created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled exclusively by
the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than
a quorum, or by a sole remaining director;
● provide
that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or seeking
to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of stockholders must provide
advance notice in writing, and specify requirements as to the form and content of such notice;
● provide
that special meetings of the our stockholders may be called the Board; and
● provide
that the Board will be divided into three classes of directors, with only one class of directors
being elected each year and each individual director serving a three-year term, thereby
making it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of the Board.
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These provisions, alone
or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management. As a Delaware corporation,
we are also subject to provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as may be amended from
time to time (the “DGCL”), which prevents interested stockholders, such as certain stockholders holding more than 15% of
our outstanding common stock, from engaging in certain business combinations unless (i) prior to the time such stockholder became an
interested stockholder, the board of directors approved the transaction that resulted in such stockholder becoming an interested stockholder,
(ii) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in such stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder
owned at least 85% of the common stock, or (iii) following board approval, such business combination receives the approval of the holders
of at least two-thirds of our outstanding common stock not held by such interested stockholder.
Any provision of the Charter,
the Company’s Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control could limit the
opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some
investors are willing to pay for our common stock.
If the Business Combination’s benefits
do not meet the expectations of investors, stockholders or financial analysts, the market price of our Common Stock may decline.
If the benefits of the Business
Combination do not meet the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the market price of our Common Stock may decline. Any of
the factors listed below could have a material adverse effect on your investment in our Common Stock and it may trade at a price significantly
below the price you paid for it.
Factors affecting the trading price of our Common
Stock following the Business Combination may include:
● actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly financial results or the quarterly financial
results of companies perceived to be similar to us;
● changes
in the market’s expectations about our operating results;
● our
operating results failing to meet the expectation of securities analysts or investors in
a particular period;
● operating
and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us;
● changes
in laws and regulations affecting our business;
● commencement
of, or involvement in, litigation involving us;
● changes
in our capital structure, such as future issuances of securities or the incurrence of additional
debt;
● the
volume of shares available for public sale;
● any
major change in our Board or senior management;
● sales
of substantial amounts of securities by our directors, executive officers, or significant
stockholders or the perception that such sales could occur; and
● other
material developments affecting the EV industry.
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Broad market and industry
factors may materially affect the market price of our Common Stock irrespective of our operating performance. The stock market in general
and Nasdaq have experienced price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance
of the particular companies affected. The trading prices and valuations of these stocks, and of our securities, may not be predictable.
A loss of investor confidence in the market for retail stocks or the stocks of other companies, notably in the EV industry, which investors
perceive to be similar to us could depress our stock price regardless of its business, prospects, financial conditions or results of
operations. A decline in the market price for our Common Stock also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities
and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future.
Risks Related to Ownership of Thunder Power’s Warrants
Our warrants became exercisable for our
Common Stock thirty (30) days after the completion of the Business Combination, which increased the number of shares eligible for
future issuance and resale in the public market.
Outstanding warrants to
purchase an aggregate of 10,537,475 shares of our Common Stock became exercisable in accordance with the terms of the Warrant Agreement
governing those securities. The public warrants became exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Business Combination. The
likelihood that those warrants will be exercised increases if the trading price of our Common Stock exceeds the exercise price of the
warrants. The exercise price of these warrants is $11.50 per share. There is no guarantee that the warrants will ever be in the money
after they become exercisable prior to their expiration, and as such, the warrants may expire worthless. To the extent warrants are exercised,
additional shares of our Common Stock will be issued, which may result in dilution to the holders of our Common Stock and increase the
number of shares eligible for resale in the public market. Sales of substantial numbers of shares issued upon the exercise of warrants
in the public market could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.
Once our warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the unexpired
warrants prior to their exercise at a time or in a manner that is disadvantageous to you.
As of the date of the annual
report, there were 10,537,475 warrants issued and outstanding, which will expire five years after the date of the Closing. We have the
ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, provided that the last
reported sales price of our Common Stock equals or exceeds $16.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations,
recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third business day
prior to the date on which we give proper notice of such redemption and provided certain other conditions are met. There can be no assurance
that the price of our Common Stock will not exceed the threshold of $16.50 after the Business Combination.
We will notify the warrant
agent and publicly announce the call for redemption at least thirty (30) days prior to the redemption date and mail the registered holders
by first class mail. We will not redeem the warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of
Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Common Stock is
available throughout the redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is
exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If we elect to redeem the warrants on a cashless basis, we will not receive any cash
proceeds from the exercise of such warrants.
Redemption of the outstanding
warrants could force you (i) to exercise warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for
you to do so, (ii) to sell warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold warrants or (iii) to
accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially
less than the market value of the warrants.
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The Warrant Agreement designates the courts of the State of
New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as the exclusive forum for certain types of actions
and proceedings that may be initiated by holders of the warrants.
Pursuant to the Warrant
Agreement, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the Warrant Agreement shall be brought
and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The provision
will apply to suit, action, proceeding or claim brought to enforce any liability or duty arising under the Securities Act. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other
claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing
or otherwise acquiring any interest in our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in
the Warrant Agreement.
This choice-of-forum provision
may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the Company,
which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of the Warrant Agreement inapplicable or unenforceable
with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving
such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations
and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management or Board.
If we do not file and maintain a current
and effective prospectus relating to the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of our warrants, warrant holders will only be able to exercise
such warrants on a “cashless basis.”
If we do not file and maintain
a current and effective prospectus relating to the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of our warrants at the time that holders
wish to exercise such warrants, they will only be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis” provided that an exemption
from registration is available. As a result, the number of shares of our Common Stock that holders will receive upon exercise of our
warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holder exercised such warrant for cash. Further, if an exemption from registration
is not available, holders will not be able to exercise on a cashless basis and will only be able to exercise their warrants for cash
if a prospectus relating to the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of our warrants is filed and effective. Under the terms
of the Warrant Agreement, ewe have agreed to use our best efforts to meet these conditions and to file and maintain a current and effective
prospectus relating to the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of our warrants, until the expiration of our warrants. However,
we cannot assure you that it will be able to do so. If we are unable to do so, the potential value of the holder’s warrants may
be reduced or such warrants may expire worthless.
Risks Related to Finance, Accounting and Tax Matters
Our actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions
used to prepare our consolidated financial statements.
The preparation of our consolidated
financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts
of certain assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses for the periods covered and certain amounts disclosed in the notes to our consolidated
financial statements. These estimates are based on information available through the date of the issuance of the consolidated financial
statements and actual results could differ from those estimates, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows.
We may need to raise additional funds and
these funds may not be available to us when needed. If we cannot raise additional funds when we need them, our business, prospects, financial
condition and operating results could be negatively affected.
The sourcing, purchasing,
development, and servicing of our projects may be capital-intensive. We may determine that additional funds are necessary. This capital
may be necessary to fund our future operations and to locate new opportunities. We may raise additional funds through the issuance of
equity, equity related or debt securities or through obtaining credit from government or financial institutions. We cannot be certain
that additional funds will be available on favorable terms when required, or at all. If we cannot raise additional funds when needed,
our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
53
Our financial results may vary significantly from quarter to
quarter.
We expect our revenue and
operating results to vary from quarter to quarter. We may incur significant operating expenses during the start-up and early stages
of large contracts and may not be able to recognize corresponding revenue in that same quarter. We may also incur additional expenses
when contracts are terminated or expire and are not renewed. We may also incur additional expenses when companies are newly acquired.
Payments that may be due to us from our future customers may be delayed due to billing cycles or as a result of failures of government
budgets to gain congressional and administration approval in a timely manner.
Additional factors that
may cause our financial results to fluctuate from quarter to quarter include those addressed elsewhere in this “ Risk Factors ”
section, including the immediately preceding risk factor, and the following factors, among others:
● variability
in demand for our services and solutions;
● timing
of award or performance incentive fee notices;
● timing
of shipments and deliveries to potential future customers;
● variable
purchasing patterns under blanket purchase agreements and other indefinite delivery/indefinite
quantity contracts;
● terms
of potential future contracts which may affect the timing of revenue recognition;
● costs
related to government inquiries;
● strategic
decisions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs and
joint ventures;
● strategic
investments or changes in business strategy;
● changes
in the extent to which we use subcontractors;
● potential
performance errors in our systems;
● seasonal
fluctuations in our staff utilization rates;
● changes
in our effective tax rate, including changes in our judgment as to the necessity of the valuation
allowance recorded against our deferred tax assets; and
● the
length of sales cycles.
We could be subject to additional tax liabilities.
We are subject to federal,
state, and local income taxes in the United States. Determining our provision for income taxes requires significant management judgment,
and the ultimate tax outcome may be uncertain. In addition, our provision for income taxes is subject to volatility and could be adversely
affected by many factors, including, among other things, changes to our operating or holding structure, changes in the amounts of earnings
in jurisdictions with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes in
U.S. tax laws. Tax authorities may disagree with our calculation of research and development tax credits, cross-jurisdictional transfer
pricing, or other matters and assess additional taxes, interest, or penalties. While we regularly assess the likely outcomes of these
examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes and we believe that our financial statements reflect adequate
reserves to cover any such contingencies, there can be no assurance that the outcomes of such examinations will not have a material impact
on our results of operations and cash flows. If tax authorities change applicable tax laws, our overall taxes could increase, and our
financial condition or results of operations may be adversely impacted.
54
Unanticipated changes in effective tax
rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our financial condition
and results of operations.
We are subject to income
taxes in the United States and other jurisdictions, and our tax liabilities are subject to the allocation of expenses in differing jurisdictions.
Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by a number of factors, including:
● changes
in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities;
● expected
timing and amount of the release of any tax valuation allowances;
● tax
effects of stock-based compensation;
● costs
related to intercompany restructurings;
● changes
in tax laws, regulations or interpretations thereof; or
● lower
than anticipated future earnings in jurisdictions where we have lower statutory tax rates
and higher than anticipated future earnings in jurisdictions where we have higher statutory
tax rates.
In addition, we may be subject to audits of our
income, sales and other transaction taxes by taxing authorities. Outcomes from these audits could have an adverse effect on our financial
condition and results of operations.
The issuance and sale of additional shares
of Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement may result in dilution to our stockholders and have a negative impact on the market price
of our Common Stock.
From time to time following
the effectiveness of this registration statement, we may direct Westwood to purchase shares of our Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement.
The purchase price for shares will be based on the lowest daily volume weighted average price of our Common Stock during a three consecutive
trading day period following delivery of a purchase notice, less a 5% discount. Because this price is based on prevailing market prices
at the time of each sale, if our stock price declines, we might need to issue more shares to raise the same amount of funding.
While we have the right
to control the timing and amount of sales under the Purchase Agreement, subject to certain conditions, any such issuances would result
in dilution to our existing stockholders. The extent of dilution will depend on numerous factors, including:
● The
market price of our Common Stock at the time of each sale
● The
number of shares we ultimately sell to Westwood
● Other
sales of our Common Stock that we may make from time to time
Moreover, additional issuances
of Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement could have a negative impact on the market price of our Common Stock. This in turn could:
● Increase
the dilution to existing stockholders from future issuances
● Impair
our ability to raise additional capital through other equity offerings
● Make
it more difficult to meet the Nasdaq continued listing requirements
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We are not in compliance with the Nasdaq
continued listing requirements. If we are unable to comply with the continued listing requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market, our
common stock could be delisted, which could affect our common stock’s market price and liquidity and reduce our ability to raise
capital.
On
March 7, 2025, Thunder Power Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) received a notification letter from the
Nasdaq Listing Qualifications department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) stating that the Company has not regained
compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules 5450(a)(1), which requires the Company’s listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price
of $1.00 per share (the “Bid Price Rule”) and 5450(b)(2)(A), which requires the Company to maintain a minimum Market Value
of Listed Securities (“MVLS”) of $50,000,000 (the “MVLS Rule”). Accordingly, the Nasdaq Staff has determined
that the Company’s securities will be delisted from the Nasdaq Global Market. Unless the Company requests an appeal of Nasdaq’s
determination, trading of the Company’s common stock will be suspended at the opening of business on March 18, 2025, and a Form
25-NSE will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will remove the Company’s securities from listing and registration
on The Nasdaq Stock Market.
As
previously disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 6, 2024, Nasdaq notified the Company on September
4, 2024 that, based upon the closing bid price for the Company’s common stock for the 30 prior consecutive business days, the Company
no longer satisfied the Bid Price Rule, and that it had been provided a 180-calendar day grace period to regain compliance with that
requirement, through March 3, 2025. As disclosed in the same Form 8-K, Nasdaq also notified the Company that it was not in compliance
with the MVLS Rule based upon the Company’s MVLS for the previous 30 consecutive business days, and that it had been provided a
180-calendar day grace period to regain compliance with that requirement, through March 3, 2025.
There
can be no assurances that the Panel will grant our request for a hearing or a stay on its suspension of our securities. Additionally,
there can be no assurances that the Panel will provide a decision in our favor after the hearing, or that we will be able to remain in
compliance with the applicable Nasdaq listing requirements on an ongoing basis.
If our common stock is delisted,
it could be more difficult to buy or sell our common stock and to obtain accurate quotations, and the price of our common stock could
suffer a material decline. Delisting could also impair the liquidity of our common stock and could harm our ability to raise capital
through alternative financing sources on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and may result in potential loss of confidence by investors,
employees, and fewer business development opportunities.
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Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.