Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM
7.
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The
following discussion and analysis of the results of operations and financial condition for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes to those consolidated financial statements that
are included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This section generally discusses the results of our operations for the year ended December
31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended
December 31, 2021, please refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on March 14,
2023. Our discussion includes forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as
our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated
in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. See “Forward-Looking Statements.”
Any
one or more of these uncertainties, risks and other influences, could materially affect our results of operations and whether forward-looking
statements made by us ultimately prove to be accurate. Our actual results, performance and achievements could differ materially from
those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation
to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether from new information, future events or otherwise.
U.S.
dollars are reported in thousands, except for share and per share amounts.
Overview
We
are a leading manufacturer, owner, operator and provider of electric vehicle (“EV”) charging equipment and networked EV charging
services in the continuously growing U.S. and international markets for EVs. Blink offers residential and commercial EV charging equipment
and services, enabling EV drivers to recharge at various location types. Blink’s principal line of products and services is its
Blink EV charging network (the “Blink Networks”) and Blink EV charging equipment, also known as electric vehicle supply equipment
(“EVSE”) and other EV-related services. The Blink Networks are a proprietary, cloud-based system that operates, maintains,
and manages Blink charging stations and handles the associated charging data, back-end operations, and payment processing. The Blink
Networks provide property owners, managers, parking companies, state and municipal entities, and other types of commercial customers,
(“Property Partners”) with cloud-based services that enable the remote monitoring and management of EV charging stations.
The Blink Networks also provide EV drivers with vital station information, including station location, availability and fees.
28
To
capture more revenues derived from providing EV charging equipment to commercial customers and to help differentiate Blink in the EV
infrastructure market, Blink offers Property Partners a comprehensive range of solutions for EV charging equipment and services that
generally fall into one of the business models below, differentiated by who own the equipment and who bears the costs of installation,
equipment, and maintenance, and the percentage of revenue shared.
● In
our Blink-owned turnkey business model, we incur the charging equipment and installation
costs. We own and operate the EV charging station and provide connectivity of the charging
station to the Blink Networks. In this model, which favors recurring revenues, we incur most
costs associated with the EV charging stations; thus, we retain substantially all EV charging
revenues after deducting network connectivity and processing fees. Our agreement with the
Property Partner typically lasts seven years with extensions that can bring to 21 years.
● In
our Blink-owned hybrid business model, we incur the charging equipment costs while
the Property Partner incurs the installation costs. We own and operate the EV charging station
and provide connectivity to the Blink Networks. In this model, since the Property Partner
incurs the installation, we share a more generous portion of the EV charging revenues with
the Property Partner after deducting Blink network connectivity and processing fees. Our
agreement with the Property Partner lasts five years with extensions that can bring the term
to 15 years.
● In
our host-owned business model, the Property Partner purchases, owns and operates the
Blink EV charging station and incurs the installation costs. We work with the Property Partner
by providing site recommendations, connectivity to the Blink Networks, payment processing,
and optional maintenance services. In this model, the Property Partner retains and keeps
all the EV charging revenues after deducting Blink network connectivity and processing fees.
● In
our Blink-as-a-Service model, we own and operate the EV charging station, while the
Property Partner incurs the installation costs. The Property Partner pays us a fixed monthly
fee for the service and keeps all the EV charging revenues after deducting Blink network
connectivity and processing fees. Typically, our agreement with the Property owner typically
lasts five years.
We
also own and operate EV car-sharing and ride-sharing programs through our wholly owned subsidiary, Blink Mobility. These programs allow
customers to share electric vehicles through subscription services and charge those cars through our charging stations.
In
pursuit of our commitment to fostering the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) through the establishment and management of
EV charging infrastructure on a global scale, we remain steadfast in our dedication to mitigating climate change. This dedication is
evidenced by our efforts to diminish greenhouse gas emissions stemming from gasoline-powered vehicles With the goal of being a leader
in the build-out of EV charging infrastructure and maximizing our share of the EV charging market, we have established strategic commercial,
municipal, and retail partnerships across industry verticals and encompassing numerous transit/destination locations, including airports,
auto dealers, healthcare/medical, hotels, mixed-use, municipal sites, multifamily residential and condos, parks and recreation areas,
parking lots, religious institutions, restaurants, retailers, schools and universities, stadiums, supermarkets, transportation hubs,
and workplace locations.
In
2023, we entered into agreements with significant new customers, including the United States Postal Service (USPS), Mack Trucks, McArthurGlen,
BluePoint, Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, Royal Farms, John Henry General Store, Moberly Motor Company, Arcos Dorados (McDonald’s
Puerto Rico), AAA, Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), Village of Tuckahoe (NY), Miami Beach (FL), Metropolitan Government of Nashville-Davidson
County, and Salt Lake City International Airport, that expand our potential for unit sales and deployments. Similarly, in 2022, we entered
into agreements with several new significant customers, including Mitsubishi, Cushman & Wakefield, Triple J, Q-Park, Best Buy, UBS,
Bosch Mexico, Porsche Puerto Rico and Guatemala, Veris Residential, Greystar, Cambium, and the cities of Atlanta (GA), Rockford (IL),
Newton (IA), and Winslow (NJ), Leeds (UK).
As
of December 31, 2023, we sold or deployed 89,825 chargers, of which 72,418 were in the Blink Networks (244 Level 1 publicly accessible
commercial chargers, 44,673 Level 2 publicly accessible commercial chargers, 5,569 Level 2 private commercial chargers, 667 DC Fast Charging
EV publicly accessible chargers, 36 DC Fast Charging EV private chargers, and 525 residential Level 2 Blink EV chargers, inclusive of
20,704 chargers pending to be commissioned). Included in the Blink Networks are 5,150 chargers owned by us. The remaining 17,407 were
non-networked, on other networks or international sales or deployments (761 Level 2 commercial chargers, 16 DC Fast Charging chargers,
12,224 residential Level 2 Blink EV chargers, 2,938 sold to other U.S. networks and 1,468 sold internationally). The
charger units noted above are net of swap-out or replacement units.
29
As reflected in our consolidated financial statements as of December
31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $121,691, working capital of $152,033 and an accumulated deficit of $537,723. During the
years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we incurred net losses of $203,693, $91,560 and $55,119, respectively. We have not yet achieved
profitability.
Recent
Developments
February
2023 Underwritten Public Offering
In
February 2023, we completed an underwritten registered public offering of 8,333,333 shares of our common stock at a public offering price
of $12.00 per share. We received approximately $100,000 in gross proceeds from the public offering, and approximately $95,000 in net
proceeds after deducting the underwriting discount and offering expenses paid by us. In addition, the underwriters have a 30-day option
to purchase up to an additional 1,249,999 shares of common stock from us at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts
and commissions. The public offering was made pursuant to our automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 ASR filed with the SEC
on January 6, 2021, and prospectus supplement dated February 8, 2023. Barclays acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering.
H.C. Wainwright & Co., Roth Capital Partners and ThinkEquity acted as co-managers for the offering.
Acquisition
On
April 18, 2023, the Company, Mobility and Mobility Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Mobility (“Merger
Sub”), entered into and, after all parties met the closing conditions, consummated the transactions contemplated under an Agreement
and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 18, 2023 (the “Acquisition Agreement”), with Envoy Technologies. Pursuant to the Acquisition
Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into Envoy Technologies, whereupon the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub ceased, and Envoy
Technologies was the surviving corporation of the merger and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mobility (the “Acquisition”).
Under
the terms of the Acquisition Agreement, the acquisition consideration was up to $35,500, paid as follows: (i) $6,000 in cash paid upon
the closing of the Acquisition Agreement (the “Closing”); (ii) a promissory note of Blink Mobility in the principal amount
of $5,000 which bears interest at a rate of 6% per annum and becomes due 12 months from Closing; (iii) a promissory note of Blink Mobility
in the principal amount of $2,000 which bears interest at a rate of 6% per annum and becomes due 18 months from Closing; and (iv)(a)
in the event of an initial public offering or direct listing of Mobility or Mobility’s successor within 24 months after the Closing
(and shares of common stock of the Company are not issued in lieu thereof), $18,500, $21,000 or $22,500 worth of shares of common stock
of Mobility or Mobility’s successor, depending on the timing of such offering or listing, (b) in the event there is no initial
public offering or direct listing of Mobility or Mobility’s successor within 24 months after the Closing, $21,000 worth of shares
of common stock of the Company, or (c) at the Company’s option, a combination of cash and common stock of the Company with an aggregate
value of $21,000.
The
aggregate purchase price was $30,900 as well as the assumption of working capital deficit of $1,595 (which included closing date
cash of $19). The fair value of the consideration paid in the acquisition consisted of: (a) $6,000 in cash ($4,679 was paid at
Closing and $1,321 was paid prior to Closing in the form of a note receivable); (b) $6,782 in aggregate promissory notes; and (c)
$18,118 in common stock of Mobility subject to the conditions described above.
The
payment of shares of common stock of Mobility or Mobility’s successor, if any, will be based on the public offering price per share
of such stock in the initial public offering. The payment of shares of common stock of the Company, if any, will be based on the average
of the daily-weighted average prices for such stock on each of the 60 days ending on the day prior to issuance thereof.
At-the-Market
Offering
On September 2, 2022, we entered into a Sales Agreement
(“Sales Agreement”) with Barclays Capital Inc., BofA Securities, Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., ThinkEquity LLC, H.C. Wainwright
& Co., LLC and Roth Capital Partners, LLC (the “Agents”) to conduct an “ATM” equity offering program pursuant
to which we may issue and sell from time to time shares of our common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $250,000 through
the Agents, as our sales agents. We currently anticipate using the net proceeds from the sale of its shares of common stock under the
ATM program to supplement our operating cash flows to fund EV charging station deployment and growth plans. We also plan to use any remaining
proceeds we receive for working capital and other corporate purposes. The amounts and timing of our use of the net proceeds will depend
on a number of factors, such as the timing and progress of our EV charging station deployment efforts, the timing and progress of any
partnering and collaboration efforts and technological advances.
On November 16, 2023, we entered into an Amendment to Sales Agreement, effective
as of November 2, 2023 (the “Amendment”), with the Agents amending the Sales Agreement entered into between us and the Agents.
We have provided the Agents with customary indemnification rights, and the Agents will be entitled to an aggregate fixed commission of
up to 3% of the gross proceeds from shares sold.
The Amendment revised the term
“Registration Statement” as used in the Sales Agreement to our new shelf registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File
No. 333-275123), and revised the term “Prospectus Supplement” as used in the Sales Agreement to our prospectus supplement
dated November 2, 2023, relating to the “at-the-market” offering program contemplated by the Sales Agreement.
During
the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 30,914,695 shares of its common stock pursuant to the ATM program for gross proceeds
of approximately $116,651 and net proceeds of approximately $114,317 after deducting offering expenses. As of December 31, 2023, 31,473,416
shares have been sold pursuant to the ATM program, representing gross proceeds of approximately $124,348. Subsequent to December 31,
2023, the Company sold an aggregate of 8,177,472 shares of common stock aggregate gross proceeds of $25,651 and net proceeds of $25,136.
30
Product
and Service Offerings
We
offer a variety of EV charging products and services to Property Partners and EV drivers.
EV
Charging Solutions
● Level
2. We offer a wide range of Level 2 (AC) EV charging equipment, ideal for commercial
and residential use, with the North American standard J1772 connector, the North American
Charging Standard (NACS) connector, and the Type 2 connector compatible with electric vehicles
in Europe and across Latin America.
● Our
commercial Level 2 chargers consist of the EQ, HQ, MQ, and IQ 200 families and the Series
4, 6, 7, and 8 families, which are available in pedestal, wall mount, and pole mount configurations.
The MQ and IQ 200, along with the Series 6, 7, and 8 chargers offer an optional cable management
system. Additionally, we offer three residential Level 2 chargers for the Americas: the wall-mounted
HQ 200, Series 4, and a smart charging cable, the PQ 150, designed for European markets.
Our commercial and residential chargers (except the non-networked HQ 150) can connect to
the Blink Networks or a local network. Level 2 charging stations typically provide a full
charge in two to eight hours. Level 2 chargers are ideally suited for low-cost installations
and frequently used parking locations, such as workplaces, multifamily residential, retail,
hospitality, and mixed-use, parking garages, municipalities, colleges/schools, hospitals
and airports.
● International
Products. We offer Level 2 AC and DC products for the rapidly expanding international
markets targeted at the residential, workplace, retail, parking garages, leasing companies,
hospitality, and other locations. These products are available with the Type 2, GBT, and
CCS 2 connectors and include the PQ 150, Series 3 (an ideal product for the 2/3-wheeled vehicles),
and the EQ 200.
● Mobile
Charger . We offer the HQ 200-M Level 2 charger for the mobile/emergency charging market
which requires a portable charger to be used for roadside or other use cases where a connection
to the electricity grid is not available.
● DCFC.
We offer a complete line of DC Fast Charging equipment (“DCFC”) that ranges
from 30kW to 360kW, supports the ‘CHAdeMo’ , CCS1, and NACS connectors,
and typically provide an 80% charge in less than 30 minutes. Installation of DCFC stations
and grid requirements are typically greater than Level 2 charging stations and are ideally
suited for transportation hubs and locations between travel destinations. These include the
Series 9 30kW DC Fast Charger that works ideally for the fleet and auto dealership segments
and is available in wall and pedestal mount configurations, the Blink 30kW DC Fast Charger
that boasts a small footprint providing up to 100 amps of output, and the Blink 60kW –
360kW DC Fast Charger that provides from 140 to 500 amps of power.
● Blink
Network. The Blink Network is a cloud-based platform that manages our network of EV chargers
around the world for remote monitoring, management, payment processing, customer support,
and other features required for operating the Blink Networks of EV charging locations.
● Blink
Charging Mobile App. We offer Blink Charging Mobile Apps (iOS and Android) that provide
EV drivers control by giving them improved search capabilities which allows them to search
for nearby amenities, as well as chargers by zip-codes, city, business, category, or address,
and expanded keyword search. The app also includes payment functionality, eliminating the
need for a credit card.
● Fleet
Management . We offer Fleet Management applications, targeted at commercial, municipal,
and federal fleets for planning, managing, and optimizing their departure schedules and energy
costs. Our Fleet Management applications can be used as standalone tools or integrated into
existing fleet management solutions, which allows Blink to be a flexible and value-added
solution within existing software stacks.
31
Key
Factors Affecting Operating Results
We
believe our performance and future success depend on several factors, including those discussed below:
Competition
- The EV charging equipment and service market is highly competitive, and we expect the market to become increasingly competitive
as new entrants enter this growing market. Our products and services compete on product performance and features, the total cost of ownership,
origin of manufacturing, sales capabilities, financial stability, brand recognition, product reliability, and the installed base’s
size. Existing competitors may expand their product offerings and sales strategies, and new competitors may enter the market. If our
market share decreases due to increased competition, its revenue and ability to generate profits in the future may be impacted.
Growth
- Our growth is highly dependent upon the adoption by consumers of EVs, and we are subject to a risk of any reduced demand for EVs.
The market for alternative fuel vehicles is still relatively new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price
competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements, long
development cycles for EV original equipment manufacturers, and changing consumer demands and behaviors. Factors that may influence the
purchase and use of alternative fuel vehicles, and specifically EVs, include perceptions about EV quality, safety (in particular with
respect to battery chemistries), design, performance and cost; the limited range over which EVs may be driven on a single battery charge
and concerns about running out of power while in use; improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine; consumers’
desire and ability to purchase a luxury automobile or one that is perceived as exclusive; the environmental consciousness of consumers;
volatility in the cost of oil and gasoline; consumers’ perceptions of the dependency of the United States on oil from unstable
or hostile countries and the impact of international conflicts; government regulations and economic incentives promoting fuel efficiency
and alternate forms of energy; access to charging stations, standardization of EV charging systems and consumers’ perceptions about
convenience and cost to charge an EV; and the availability of tax and other governmental incentives to purchase and operate EVs or future
regulation requiring increased use of nonpolluting vehicles. If the market for EVs does not gain broad market acceptance or develops
slower than we expect, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results may be adversely affected.
Regulations
- Our business is subject to a variety of federal, state and international laws and regulations, including those with respect to
government incentives promoting fuel efficiency and alternate forms of energy, electric vehicles and others. These laws and regulations,
and the interpretation or application of these laws and regulations, could change. Any reduction, elimination or discriminatory application
of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, fiscal tightening or other reasons may result in diminished
revenues from government sources and diminished demand for our products. In addition, new laws or regulations affecting our business
could be enacted. These laws and regulations are frequently costly to comply with and may divert a significant portion of management’s
attention. Changes to these applicable laws or regulations could affect business and/or harm our customers, thereby adversely affecting
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Expansion
through Acquisitions - We may pursue strategic domestic and international acquisitions to expand our operations. Risks in acquisition
transactions include difficulties in the integration of acquired businesses into our operations and control environment, difficulties
in assimilating and retaining employees and intermediaries, difficulties in retaining the existing clients of the acquired entities,
assumed or unforeseen liabilities that arise in connection with the acquired businesses, the failure of counterparties to satisfy any
obligations to indemnify us against liabilities arising from the acquired businesses, and unfavorable market conditions that could negatively
impact our growth expectations for the acquired businesses. Fully integrating an acquired company or business into our operations may
take a significant amount of time. If we are unable to integrate or pursue strategic acquisitions, our financial condition and results
of operations would be negatively impacted.
32
Results
of Operations
Year
Ended December 31, 2023 Compared Year Ended December 31, 2022
For The Years Ended
December 31,
2023
2022
Difference $
Difference %
Revenues:
Product sales
$ 109,416
$ 46,018
$ 63,398
138 %
Charging service revenue - company-owned charging stations
15,646
6,866
8,780
128 %
Network fees
7,481
4,370
3,111
71 %
Warranty
3,258
928
2,330
251 %
Grant and fees rebate
469
296
173
58 %
Car-sharing services
3,302
1,268
2,034
160 %
Other
1,026
1,393
(367 )
-26 %
Total Revenues
140,598
61,139
79,459
130 %
Cost of Revenues:
Cost of product sales
72,532
31,428
41,104
131 %
Cost of charging services - company-owned charging stations
3,540
1,466
2,074
141 %
Host provider fees
9,140
3,935
5,205
132 %
Network costs
1,969
1,463
506
35 %
Warranty and repairs and maintenance
4,605
2,795
1,810
65 %
Car-sharing services
4,356
2,137
2,219
104 %
Depreciation and amortization
4,250
3,113
1,137
37 %
Total Cost of Revenues
100,392
46,337
54,055
117 %
Gross Profit
40,206
14,802
25,404
172 %
Operating Expenses:
Compensation
92,669
60,602
32,067
53 %
General and administrative expenses
35,170
27,826
7,344
26 %
Other operating expenses
17,825
15,645
2,180
14 %
Impairment of goodwill
89,087
-
89,087
N/A
Impairment of intangible assets
5,143
-
5,143
N/A
Total Operating Expenses
239,894
104,073
135,821
131 %
Loss From Operations
(199,688 )
(89,271 )
(110,417 )
124 %
Other (Expense) Income:
Interest expense
(3,546 )
(1,529 )
(2,017 )
132 %
Dividend income
1,909
454
1,455
320 %
Gain (loss) on foreign exchange
140
(600 )
740
-123 %
Loss on extinguishment of notes payable
(1,000 )
-
(1,000 )
100 %
Change in fair value of derivative and other accrued liabilities
8
66
(58 )
-88 %
Other expense
(22 )
(372 )
350
-94 %
Total Other Expense
(2,511 )
(1,981 )
(530 )
27 %
Loss Before Income Taxes
$ (202,199 )
$ (91,252 )
$ (110,947 )
122 %
Provision for income taxes
(1,494 )
(308 )
(1,186 )
385 %
Net Loss
$ (203,693 )
$ (91,560 )
$ (112,133 )
122 %
33
Revenues
Total
revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $140,598, compared to $61,139 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $79,459,
or 130%.
Revenue
from product sales was $109,416 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $46,018 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an
increase of $63,398, or 138%. This increase was attributable to increased sales of commercial chargers, DC fast chargers and
residential chargers when compared to the same period in 2022.
Charging service revenue for company-owned and operated charging stations
was $15,646 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $6,866 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $8,780, or 128%.
The increase is due to the increase in utilization of chargers and an increased number of chargers on the Blink Networks.
Network
fee revenue was $7,481 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $4,370 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of
$3,111, or 71%. The increase was attributable to increases in host owned units as well as billings and invoicing to Property Partners
during the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
Warranty
revenue was $3,258 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $928 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $2,330,
or 251%. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in warranty contracts sold for
the year December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
Grant
and fees rebate revenues were $469 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $296 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an
increase of $173, or 58%. Grant and rebates relating to equipment and the related installation are deferred and amortized in a
manner consistent with the depreciation expense of the related assets over their useful lives. The
decrease in revenue was primarily related to the timing of the amortization of previous years’ state grants/rebates associated
with the installation of chargers during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Car-sharing
services revenues were $3,302 during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $1,268 during the year ended December 31, 2022,
an increase of $2,034, or 160%. These revenues are derived from ride-sharing subscription
services through a program with the City of Los Angeles, which was associated with the acquisition of BlueLA in September 2020. Also contributing to the increase in revenues is revenues of $2,743 from Envoy, which was acquired in April 2023.
Other
revenue decreased by $367, or 26% to $1,026 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $1,393 for the year ended December 31,
2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to higher Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits generated during the year ended December
31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. We generate these credits from the electricity utilized by our electric car charging stations
as a byproduct from our charging services in the states of California and Oregon.
Cost
of Revenues
Cost
of revenues primarily consists of electricity reimbursements, revenue share payments to our Property Partner hosts, the cost of
charging stations sold, connectivity charges provided by telco and other networks, warranty, repairs and maintenance services, and
depreciation of our installed charging stations. Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $100,392 as compared to
$46,337 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $54,055, or 117%.
There
is a degree of variability in our costs in relation to our revenues from period to period, primarily due to:
●
electricity
reimbursements that are unique to those Property Partner host agreements which provide for such reimbursements;
●
revenue
share payments are predicated on the contractual obligation under the property partner agreement and the revenue generated by the
applicable chargers;
●
cost
of charging stations sold is predicated on the mix of types of charging stations and parts sold during the period;
●
network
costs are fixed in nature based on the number of chargers connected to the telco network regardless of whether the charger generates
revenue;
●
provisions
for excess and obsolete inventory; and
●
warranty
and repairs and maintenance expenses are based on both the number of service cases completed during the period.
Cost
of product sales increased by $41,104, or 131%, to $72,532 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $31,428 for the year ended
December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to the increase in product sales of commercial chargers, DC fast chargers and home
residential chargers during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
34
Cost
of charging services for company-owned charging stations (electricity reimbursements) increased by $2,074, or 141%, to $3,540 for the
year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $1,466 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in 2023 was attributable to the mix
of charging stations generating charging service revenues subject to electricity reimbursement.
Host
provider fees increased by $5,205, or 132%, to $9,140 during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $3,935 during the year ended
December 31, 2022. This increase was a result of the mix of chargers generating revenue and their
corresponding revenue share percentage payments to Property Partner hosts pursuant to their agreements.
Network
costs increased by $506, or 35%, to $1,969 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $1,463 for the year ended December 31,
2022. The increase was a result of the increase in charging stations on our network and costs
incurred related to the upgrading of our network system compared to the same period in 2022.
Warranty
and repairs and maintenance costs increased by $1,810, or 65%, to $4,605 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $2,795
for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in 2023 was attributable to significant
efforts expended to reduce the backlog in warranty and repairs and maintenance cases. As of December 31, 2023, we recorded a
liability of $503 which represents the estimated cost of existing backlog of known warranty cases.
Cost
of car-sharing services was $4,356 during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $2,137 during the year ended December 31,
2022, an increase of $2,219, or 104%. These costs are from car-sharing subscription services
through a program with the City of Los Angeles, which was associated with the acquisition of BlueLA in September 2020. Also
contributing to the increase in costs for these services is $2,221 from Envoy, which was acquired in April 2023.
Depreciation
and amortization expense increased by $1,137, or 37%, to $4,250 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $3,113 for the year
ended December 31, 2022. The increase in depreciation expense was attributable to an increase in the number of EV charging stations and
vehicles associated with the car-share services.
Operating
Expenses
Compensation
expense increased by $32,067, or 53%, to $92,669 (consisting of approximately $70,630 of cash compensation and approximately $22,039
of non-cash compensation) for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $60,602 (consisting of approximately $44,689 of cash compensation
and approximately $15,913 of non-cash compensation) for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase
in compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 was primarily related to increases in
personnel and compensation in executive, marketing, sales and operations departments as a result of the anticipated domestic and international
growth of our company. In addition, compensation expense during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022
increased due to additional personnel in conjunction with the acquisition of Envoy in April 2023. Also contributing to the increase in
compensation expense is (1) non-cash stock-based compensation of approximately $5,500 related to the accelerated vesting of equity award
grants and additional stock-based compensation associated with the resignation of our former Chief Executive Officer pursuant to the
terms of the Former CEO Employment Agreement, as set forth in the Separation and General Release Agreement, dated as of September 20,
2023, between our company and the former Chief Executive Officer; and (2) non-recurring expense of approximately $11,500, consisting
of the non-recurring payment of approximately $6,000 to our former Chief Executive Officer pursuant to the Former CEO Employment Agreement
and a non-recurring bonus expense of $5,500 related to the achievement by our Chief Technology Officer of systems, product and IT-related
key performance indicators under his employment agreement, dated April 12, 2021. In addition, compensation expense during the December
31, 2023 period compared to the same period in 2022 increased due to additional personnel in conjunction with the acquisition of Envoy
in April 2023.
General
and administrative expenses increased by $7,344, or 26%, from $27,826 for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $35,170, for the year
ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in accounting, legal, investor/public relations, consulting,
software licensing and other professional service expenditures of $6,890. Further, general
and administrative expenses increased due to increases in amortization expense of $1,448 primarily related to the acquisition of Envoy
in 2023.
Other
operating expenses increased by $2,180, or 14%, from $15,645 for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $17,825 for the year ended December
31, 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in insurance, software licensing,
annual shareholder meeting, rent, and hardware and software expenses of $5,196. Further, increases in travel and vehicle expenses of
$480, contributed to the increase in other operating expenses for year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Also
contributing to the increase in other operating expenses were operating expenditures related to the acquisition of Envoy in 2023. The
increase in other operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 was partially offset by
a decrease of $4,257 in expenses related to the 4G network upgrade which was substantially performed during 2022.
During
the year ended December 31, 2023, we observed certain triggering events, including a decline in our stock price and, as a result, we
conducted a quantitative impairment analysis of our goodwill and intangible assets and determined that the fair value of our
reporting units were less than the carrying amount and, as a result, recorded an impairment charge of $89,087 related to goodwill
and $5,143 related to intangible assets during the 2023 period.
35
Other
Expense
Other
expense increased by $530 from $1,981 for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $2,511 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase
in other expenses was primarily attributable to an increase in interest expense of $2,017 associated with the deferred payment from the
SemaConnect acquisition as well as an increase in the loss on extinguishment of notes payable of $1,000, partially offset by an increase
in dividend and interest income of $1,455.
Provision
For Income Taxes
Provision
for income taxes was $1,494 during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $308 during the year ended December 31, 2022. The
Company’s statutory federal income tax rate for 2023 and 2022 was 21.0%. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2023 and 2022
was 0.7% and 0.3%, respectively. The increase in the provision for income taxes and the effective tax rate was related to certain subsidiaries
which generated net income during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Net
Loss
Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $112,133,
or 122%, to $203,693 as compared to $91,560 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase
in compensation expense and general and administrative expenses in conjunction with current and anticipated growth of our company.
Total
Comprehensive Loss
Our total comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was
$203,183 whereas our total comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $92,822, an increase of $110,361 for the same reasons
as noted above related to the increase in our net loss.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
We
measure our liquidity in a number of ways, including the following:
December 31,
2023
2022
Cash and Cash Equivalents
$ 121,691
$ 36,562
Working Capital
$ 152,033
$ 48,962
Debt
$ 38,108
$ 40,618
During
the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we financed our activities from proceeds derived from debt and equity financings which were
raised in prior periods. A significant portion of the funds raised from the sale of capital stock has been used to cover working capital
needs and personnel, office expenses and various consulting and professional fees.
For
the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we used cash of $97,570 and $82,365, respectively, in operations. Our cash used for the
year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily attributable to our net loss of $203,693, reduced by net non-cash expenses in the
aggregate amount of $133,566, and by $27,443 of net cash used in changes in the levels of operating assets and liabilities. Our cash
used for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily attributable to our net loss of $91,560, reduced by net non-cash expenses in
the aggregate amount of $26,551, and by $17,356 of net cash used in changes in the levels of operating assets and
liabilities.
During
the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $13,240, of which, $4,660
was used as cash consideration for Envoy (net of cash acquired), $7,552 was used to purchase charging stations and other fixed assets,
and $1,028 was related to the payment of engineering costs that were capitalized. During the year ended December 31, 2022, net
cash used in investing activities was $57,441, of which, $38,338 was used as cash consideration
for SemaConnect (net of cash acquired), $11,360 was used as cash consideration for EB (net of cash acquired), $5,249 was used to purchase
charging stations and other fixed assets, $2,200 was used as a note receivable to a target, and $294 was related to the payment of engineering
costs that were capitalized.
During
the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by financing activities was $197,315, of which, $208,865
was attributable to the net proceeds from the sale of common stock from the public offering, $835 was provided by the exercise of warrants
and options, offset by $9,292 was used to pay down notes payable, $2,837 was used to pay down our finance lease liability and $256 used
to pay down our liability in connection with internal use software.
36
During
the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities was $6,393, of which, $7,386
was attributable to the net proceeds from the sale of common stock from the public offering, $220 was provided by the exercise of warrants
and options, offset by $681 was used to pay down notes payable, $315 used to pay down our liability in connection with internal use software,
and $217 was used to pay down our finance lease liability.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents, working
capital and an accumulated deficit of $121,691, $152,033 and $537,723, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we generated
a net loss of $203,693.
In
February 2023, we completed an underwritten registered public offering of 8,333,333 shares of our common stock at a public offering price
of $12.00 per share. We received approximately $100,000 in gross proceeds from the public offering, and approximately $95,000 in net
proceeds after deducting the underwriting discount and offering expenses paid by us. In addition, the underwriters have a 30-day option
to purchase up to an additional 1,249,999 shares of common stock from us at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts
and commissions. The public offering was made pursuant to our automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 ASR filed with the SEC
on January 6, 2021, and prospectus supplement dated February 8, 2023. Barclays acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering.
H.C. Wainwright & Co., Roth Capital Partners and ThinkEquity acted as co-managers for the offering.
In
January 2021, we completed an underwritten registered public offering of 5,660,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price
of $41.00 per share. We received approximately $232,100 in gross proceeds from the public offering, and approximately $221,500 in net
proceeds after deducting the underwriting discount and offering expenses paid by us. The public offering was made pursuant to our automatic
shelf registration statement on Form S-3 ASR filed with the SEC on January 6, 2021 and prospectus supplement dated January 7, 2021. We
used the net proceeds from the public offering to supplement our operating cash flows to fund EV charging station deployment and, when
needed, to finance the costs of acquiring competitive and complementary businesses, products and technologies as a part of our growth
strategy, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.
We
have not yet achieved profitability and expect to continue to incur cash outflows from operations. It is expected that our operating
expenses will continue to increase and, as a result, we will eventually need to generate significant product revenues to achieve profitability.
Historically, we have been able to raise funds to support our business operations, although there can be no assurance that we will be
successful in raising significant additional funds in the future. We expect that our cash on hand will fund our operations for at least
12 months after the issuance date of the financial statements included in this Annual Report.
Since
inception, our operations have primarily been funded through proceeds received in equity and debt financings. We believe we have access
to capital resources and continue to evaluate additional financing opportunities. There is no assurance that we will be able to obtain
funds on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. There is also no assurance that the amount of funds we might raise will enable us
to complete our EV development initiatives or attain profitable operations.
On September 2, 2022, we entered
into a Sales Agreement (“Sales Agreement”) with Barclays Capital Inc., BofA Securities, Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.,
ThinkEquity LLC, H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and Roth Capital Partners, LLC (the “Agents”) to conduct an “ATM”
equity offering program pursuant to which we may issue and sell from time to time shares of our common stock,
having an aggregate offering price of up to $250,000 through the Agents, as our sales agents. We currently anticipate using the net proceeds
from the sale of our shares of common stock under the ATM program to supplement our operating cash flows to fund EV charging station deployment
and our acquisition growth plan. We also plan to use any remaining proceeds we receive for working capital and other corporate purposes.
The amounts and timing of our use of the net proceeds will depend on a number of factors, such as the timing and progress of our EV charging
station deployment efforts, the timing and progress of any partnering and collaboration efforts and technological advances. As of December
31, 2023, 30,914,695 shares have been sold pursuant to the ATM program representing gross proceeds of approximately $116,651. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the Company sold an aggregate of 8,177,472 shares of common stock aggregate gross
proceeds of $25,651 and net proceeds of $25,136.
37
Contractual
Obligations and Commitments
We
entered into purchase commitments that include purchase orders and agreements in the normal course of business with contract manufacturers,
parts manufacturers, vendors for research and development services and outsourced services. As of December 31, 2023, we had purchase
commitments of approximately $21,672, which will become payable upon the suppliers’ delivery of the charging stations, services
and other related items. The purchase commitments were made primarily for future sales, deployments of charging stations, inventory management
planning and other related items, all of which are expected to be received during the next 12-24 months.
Further,
we have operating and finance lease obligations over the next five years of approximately $11,418. These operating lease obligations
are primarily related to corporate office space, warehousing, and parking spaces related to our ride-sharing services.
Critical
Accounting Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements and related disclosures must be in conformity with U.S. GAAP. These accounting principles require
us to make estimates and judgments that can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements
as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the periods presented. We believe that the estimates and judgments upon
which it relies are reasonably based upon information available to us at the time that it makes these estimates and judgments. To the
extent that there are material differences between these estimates and actual results, our financial results will be affected. The accounting
policies that reflect our more significant estimates and judgments and which we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding
and evaluating our reported financial results are described below.
The
following is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all of our accounting policies or estimates. Our accounting policies are more
fully described in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in our Consolidated Financial Statements included at the
end of this Annual Report.
Revenue
Recognition
We
recognize revenue primarily from four different types of contracts:
●
Product
sales – Revenue is recognized at the point where the customer obtains control of the goods and the company satisfies its
performance obligation, which generally is at the time it ships the product to the customer or installation of the product.
●
Charging
service revenue – company-owned charging stations - Revenue is recognized at the point when a particular charging session
is completed.
●
Network
fees and other – Represents a stand-ready obligation whereby the company is obligated
to perform over a period of time and, as a result, revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the contract term. Network
fees are billed annually.
●
Other
– Other revenues primarily comprises of revenues generated from alternative fuel
credits.
The
timing of our revenue recognition may differ from the timing of payment by its customers. A receivable is recorded when revenue is recognized
prior to payment and the company has an unconditional right to payment. Alternatively, when payment precedes the provision of the related
services, the company records deferred revenue until the performance obligations are satisfied.
Grants,
rebates and alternative fuel credits, which are not within the scope of ASC 606, pertaining to revenues and periodic expenses are recognized
as income when the related revenue and/or periodic expense are recorded. Grants and rebates related to EV charging stations and their
installation are deferred and amortized in a manner consistent with the related depreciation expense of the related asset over their
useful lives over the useful life of the charging station.
Car-sharing
services, is accounted for under ASC Topic 842, Leases and pertains to revenues and expenses related to a car-sharing services
agreement with the City of Los Angeles which allows customers the ability to rent electric vehicles through a subscription service. The
Company accounts for such rentals as operating leases. The lease terms are included in the Company’s contracts, and the determination
of whether the Company’s contracts contain leases generally does not require significant assumptions or judgments. The Company’s
lease revenues do not include material amounts of variable payments. The Company does not provide an option for the lessee to purchase
the rented equipment at the end of the lease.
The
Company is unsure of when the customer will return rented equipment. As such, the Company does not know how much the customer will owe
it upon return of the equipment and, therefore, cannot provide a maturity analysis of future lease payments. The Company’s equipment
is generally rented for short periods of time (generally a few minutes to a few hours). Lessees do not provide residual value guarantees
on rented equipment.
The
Company expects to derive significant future benefits from its equipment following the end of the rental term. The Company’s equipment
is typically rented for the majority of the time that the Company owns it. The Company recognizes
revenue over the contractual period of performance of the subscription which are short term in nature.
38
Stock-Based
Compensation
We
measure the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award on the date
of grant. The fair value amount of the shares expected to ultimately vest is then recognized over the period for which services are required
to be provided in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. The estimation of stock-based awards that will ultimately vest
requires judgment, and to the extent actual results or updated estimates differ from original estimates, such amounts are recorded as
a cumulative adjustment in the period that the estimates are revised. We account for forfeitures as they occur.
Long-Lived
Assets
Long-lived
assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not
be recoverable. We assess the recoverability of our long-lived assets by monitoring current selling prices of EV charging units in the
open market, the adoption rate of various auto manufacturers in the EV market and projected EV charging utilization at various public
EV charging stations throughout our network in determining fair value. An impairment loss would be recognized when estimated future cash
flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition are less than its carrying amount.
Income
Taxes
We
account for income taxes pursuant to the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes pursuant to FASB ASC 740, “Income
Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences and operating loss carry forwards.
Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets
are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred
tax assets will not be realized.
Deferred
tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment.
Operating
Leases
We
determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”)
assets and operating lease liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets.
ROU
assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease
payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present
value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use an incremental borrowing rate
based on the estimated rate of interest for collateralized borrowing over a similar term of the lease payments at commencement date.
The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options
to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is
recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Goodwill
Goodwill
is the excess of consideration paid for an acquired entity over the fair value of the amounts assigned to assets acquired, including
other identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities assumed in a business combination. To determine the amount of goodwill resulting
from a business combination, the company performs an assessment to determine the acquisition date fair value of the acquired company’s
tangible and identifiable intangible assets and liabilities.
Goodwill
is required to be evaluated for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset may be
impaired. An entity has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances
leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. These
qualitative factors include: macroeconomic and industry conditions, cost factors, overall financial performance and other relevant entity-specific
events. If the entity determines that this threshold is met, then the company may apply a one-step quantitative test and record the amount
of goodwill impairment as the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value, not to exceed the total amount
of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The company determines fair value through multiple valuation techniques and weights the
results accordingly. The company is required to make certain subjective and complex judgments in assessing whether an event of impairment
of goodwill has occurred, including assumptions and estimates used to determine the fair value of its reporting units. The company has
elected to perform its annual goodwill impairment review on November 1 of each year.
39
Recently
Issued Accounting Standards
For
a description of our recently issued accounting standards, see Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.