Cenntro Inc. 10-K

Item 1A. Risk Factors. Risks Related to Our Business We have a limited operating history and face significant challenges in an emerging industry. We began pilot production of our first-generation, U.S. Class 1 (0 - 6,000 lbs.), electric light-duty commercial vehicle, the Metro®, in 2018. Our revenues were approximately $18.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. To date, we have derived our revenues principally from sales of the Metro®, Logistar™ series, Teemak™, Avantier® series and iChassis 100 models. We have a limited operating history on which you can base an evaluation of our business and prospects. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and challenges we face in an emerging industry with limited experience to date in high volume manufacturing of electric commercial vehicles (“ECVs”), including challenges related to our ability to: • design and manufacture safe, reliable and quality ECVs on an ongoing basis; • establish and ramp up assembly facilities in the United States and European Union; • maintain and expand our network of local assembly facilities, manufacturing partners, channel partners and suppliers; • execute on our growth plan to regionalize supply chains, manufacturing and assembly of our ECVs; • maintain and improve our operational efficiency; • maintain a reliable, high quality, high-performance and scalable manufacturing and assembly infrastructure; • attract, retain and motivate talented employees including our production workforce in existing and planned facilities, including the challenges we face with COVID-19 and the impact on our workforce stability; • anticipate and adapt to changing market conditions, including technological developments and changes in the competitive landscape; • protect our intellectual property; and • navigate an evolving and complex regulatory environment. 23 Table of Contents If we fail to address any or all of these risks and challenges, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. As we continue to grow our business, we cannot assure you that we will be able to develop effective and cost-efficient manufacturing capabilities and processes, and maintain reliable sources of component supplies, that will enable us to meet the production demands required to successfully sell our ECVs. We have historically incurred losses from our operations and may not be profitable in the future. We incurred losses from operations of approximately $59.0 million, and $47.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. We have made significant up-front investments in research and development, supply chain establishment, establishment of local assembly facilities and capacity, and channel partner development to develop and expand our business. We have spent approximately $96.7 million in research and development activities related to our operations from our inception through December 31, 2025. We expect to continue to invest significantly in research and development, manufacturing and supply chain operations to expand our business, and these investments may not result in profitability within our expected timeframe or at all. We may not generate sufficient revenues to be profitable in the future and we may incur substantial losses for a number of reasons, including lack of demand for our ECVs and increasing competition. In addition, we may incur unforeseen expenses, or encounter difficulties, complications and delays in market penetration or delivery for our products, generating revenue or achieving profitability. If we are unable to achieve profitability, we may have to reduce the scale of our operations, which may impact our planned growth and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our ability to develop and manufacture ECVs of sufficient quality, on schedule and on a large scale is still evolving. Our business depends in large part on our ability to execute on our plans to develop, manufacture and sell our ECVs. We began pilot production of the Metro® in 2018. We plan to manufacture ECVs in higher volumes than we have historically and our production capabilities, including our facilities and those of our manufacturing partners, may not be able to handle the anticipated volumes in our business plan. Development and manufacturing of our current and future ECVs, such as the Metro®, Logistar™, LogiMax, iChassis™, Avantier™, Bison Motor™, Teemak™ and Antric One are and will be subject to risks, including: • accurately manufacturing or procure components within appropriate design tolerances; • establishing additional manufacturing and local assembly facilities in our various target markets; • compliance with environmental, workplace safety and similar regulations; • securing necessary high-quality components and materials from our supply chain on acceptable terms and in a timely manner; • the impact of tariffs or trade restrictions on the cost and availability of key components and materials; • our ability to execute on our growth plan to regionalize our supply chain and manufacturing; • quality controls; • delays or disruptions in the supply chain, including as a result of pandemics such as COVID-19; • delays or disruptions in ocean transit or transportation between our suppliers, our manufacturing facilities (or manufacturing partners’ facilities) and our local assembly facilities and our customers; • our ability to establish, maintain and rely upon relationships with our suppliers, channel partners and manufacturing partners; and • other delays, backlog in manufacturing and research and development of new models, and cost overruns. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our future success depends on our ability to continue to introduce new models and we may experience delays in launching and ramping up production of our new ECV models. In 2025, we have introduced three new vehicle models, Avantier Ex, Avantier CX, BM860H. Avantier Ex and Avantier CX are targeting European markets and other markets outside of US markets while BM860H is mainly targeting the US markets. In order to introduce new ECV models through 2025, we have to coordinate with our suppliers, manufacturing partners, channel partners and other third parties in order to ensure timely execution of the manufacturing and assembly processes. If we fail to coordinate these efforts and achieve market introduction and acceptance of our new ECV model in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be adversely affected. In addition, we have limited experience to date in manufacturing and assembling each of our new ECV series, as well as limited experience building and ramping up multiple vehicle production lines across multiple factories (including those of our manufacturing partners) in different geographies. In order to be successful, we will need to implement, maintain and ramp-up efficient and cost-effective manufacturing capabilities between our manufacturing partners, our own facility in Changxing and our local assembly facilities. Manufacturing bottlenecks and other unexpected challenges may arise during our production ramp-up, and we must address them promptly. We may face delays in establishing and/or sustaining production and timely delivery of our new ECV models. Any delay or other complication in ramping up the production of our current or future ECV models may harm our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. 24 Table of Contents Our operating results may be more volatile due to a shift from only a high concentration of sales in relatively few channel partners to establishing our own distribution network. For the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, our channel partners accounted for approximately 0.3%, and 2.1% of our sales, respectively. As of quarter one of 2022, the company made significant changes regarding its few channel partners and shifted reliance away from select channel partners to its own distribution network through the establishment of local EV Centers. In 2022, we acquired TME inclusive of its assembly facility and distribution network in the EU. Simultaneously, and based on decreasing sales we ended our relationship with two US distributors: Ayro and Tropos. This shift in our distribution model is uncertain, and if we are unable to establish effective EV Centers that make-up for losses in revenue from our channel partners, our operating results could be materially and adversely affected. Our reliance on our new hybrid distribution model to market, sell and service (and in certain cases, assemble and/or homologate) our vehicles is subject to substantial risks because we do not maintain control over certain of our remaining channel partners and our newly established EV Center dealerships are relatively new. Our EV Center dealerships and channel partners are responsible for different portions of the sale, marketing and servicing (and for our channel partners, assembly and/or homologation) of the ECV products we sell. We do not control the actions of our channel partners. For example, we do not control how our channel partners market or sell assembled ECVs or the quality of their service on our ECVs and, with respect to the private label channel partners, we do not oversee their assembly of our ECVs. Our EV Centers are relatively new to the markets in which they are established and working with local dealers to sell our ECVs in the countries and regions in which they operate. If we are unable to efficiently operate or manage these new EV Centers, they may not be successful in the markets in which they operate or fail to satisfy sales targets, meet customer service objectives, or experience adverse regulatory actions or other operational challenges, we could experience a reduction in sales. If we decide to close or shift resources or operations from certain EV Centers at any time in the future, end-user customers of our ECVs may encounter difficulties in maintaining their vehicles and obtaining satisfactory support, which may negatively impact our reputation. Our channel partners are not subject to any minimum annual purchase requirements. In the event our channel partners are not successful in the markets in which they operate or fail to satisfy sales targets, meet customer service objectives or experience adverse regulatory actions or other operational challenges, we could experience a reduction in sales. Furthermore, if any of our channel partners fail to successfully operate their business or lack liquidity to support their operations, they may be unable to continue to purchase and sell our ECVs in the countries in which they operate, which could limit our sales to such market for an extended period and adversely affect our business. In addition, our ECVs are highly technical products that require maintenance and support, which we rely on our newly established EV Centers and certain of our channel partners to provide to our customers. If our channel partners were to cease or cut back operations at any time in the future, end-user customers of our ECVs may encounter difficulties in maintaining their vehicles and obtaining satisfactory support, which may negatively impact our reputation. Disputes may occur between us and our channel partners or our channel partners and their customers, and we could be affected by adverse publicity related to such disputes, whether or not such publicity is related to their collaboration with us. Our ability to successfully build and maintain our brand can be adversely impacted by perceptions about the quality of our channel partners’ servicing (and in some cases, assembly) processes. Our arrangements with our channel partners typically specify general quality standards that the partners may meet, but do not provide us with any direct control or oversight over marketing and selling (and in some cases, assembly) behavior of such channel partners. We rely on our channel partners to meet quality standards, but we cannot assure you that they will successfully maintain quality standards, which could adversely affect our reputation. We may be unable to enter into new agreements or extend existing agreements with channel partners on terms and conditions acceptable to us or at all. In addition, even if we are able to expand our channel partner network, it on average takes up to six months from the time we enter into an agreement with a new channel partner for them to be operational and selling our ECVs, depending on their familiarity with ECVs and the types of services they will provide to us. As of December 31, 2025, we shifted from relying only on channel partners to a hybrid model combines distribution between our wholly owned EV Centers with local established dealers and channel partners. We currently have four EV Centers worldwide and anticipate the EV Centers will lead the distribution network, however if we were to close or dissociate one or more of our EV Centers due to performance, there is no assurance that we would be able to establish a suitable replacement EV Center in the region to take up the role of marketing, distributing and after-market care our ECVs in the relevant market within a suitable timeframe or at all. 25 Table of Contents The expense and time required to establish and train staff at our EV Centers so performance and service will be able to meet our quality standards and regulatory requirements, may be greater than anticipated, or we may never establish a new operation after having invested significant resources on that local market. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our EV Center dealers and channel partners may reduce or cancel their orders at any time, which could adversely affect our business. Our relationships with our dealers and channel partners are typically subject to definitive agreements we have with them. Under these agreements, our dealers and channel partners do not have any minimum or binding purchase obligations. Because our sales are made pursuant to standard purchase orders, orders may be cancelled, reduced, or rescheduled with little or no notice. Our ECVs may not meet the expectations of our end users or market requirements. In the future, our dealers or channel partners or their customers may decide to purchase fewer ECVs than they have in the past, may alter their purchasing patterns at any time with limited or no notice, or may decide not to continue to purchase our ECVs at all. Cancellations of, reductions in, or rescheduling of orders could also result in the loss of anticipated sales without allowing us sufficient time to reduce our inventory and operating expenses, as a substantial portion of our expenses are fixed at least in the short term. In addition, changes in forecasts or the timing of orders expose us to the risks of inventory shortages or excess inventory. Any of the foregoing events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our EV Center dealers and channel partner network may not grow or develop as we currently expect, in current markets in which we sell ECVs or penetrate new markets, our revenue and financial condition would be adversely affected. Substantially all of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024 was derived from sales of our ECVs in North America, Europe and Asia. As of December 31, 2025, we have maintained relationships with several distributors in the European and Asian market and operated four EV centers in Spain, New Jersey and California in the US, and China. Moving forward, we aim to increase the size of our dealership network in our target markets through establishing EV Centers and identifying dealerships partners when warranted, which is necessary for our expansion in both existing and new markets. If we fail to successfully establish new EV Centers in these key markets, our expected expansion could be materially impacted, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Furthermore, our future revenue growth will depend in part on our ability to penetrate new geographic markets by establishing EV Centers in those markets. Each new geographic market presents distinct and substantial challenges and risks and, in many cases, requires us to develop new customized solutions to address the particular technical and regulatory requirements of that market. Meeting the technical and regulatory requirements in any of these new markets will require a substantial investment of our time and resources. We cannot assure you that we will be able to establish EV Centers in these new markets, or that we will achieve meaningful revenue from sales in these markets. If any of these markets do not develop as we currently anticipate, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be adversely affected. We do not provide charging solutions for our channel partners or their customers. Our ECVs have two ways to charge - slow charging from a regular power outlet and fast charging from a public EV charging station. Though we plan to establish charging infrastructure and stations in select regions, we do not currently install charging stations in the markets in which our ECVs are sold through our channel partners. As such, we rely on our channel partners or other third parties in such markets to ensure charging solutions are available for end-user customers. If a market in which our ECVs are sold has few options for charging, the customers of our channel partners may need to rely on their own power supply for charging, which may make our vehicles less attractive in such markets. The battery capacity of our ECVs will decline over time, which may negatively influence purchasing decisions by our channel partners and end-users. Our ECVs can experience battery capacity and performance loss over time depending on the use of the battery. We anticipate the battery capacity in our ECVs will decline over time as the battery deteriorates. We currently expect the vehicle battery pack capacity to decrease by up to 20% over six years under normal use conditions. Other factors such as usage, time and stress patterns may also impact the battery’s ability to hold a charge, which would decrease our ECVs range before needing to recharge. Such battery deterioration and the related decrease in range may negatively influence purchase decisions by channel partners and end-users. 26 Table of Contents Our business is subject to the risk of disruption in our supply chain. We depend on suppliers for the sourcing of ECV components and principal raw materials. Our suppliers (and those they depend upon for materials and services) are subject to risks, including labor disputes or constraints, financial liquidity, inclement weather, natural disasters, significant public health and safety events, supply constraints or shortages, and general economic and political conditions that could limit their ability to provide us with components and raw materials. Our business and operations would be adversely affected if any of our key suppliers were to experience significant disruption affecting the price, quality, availability or timely delivery of parts they supply to us or if any one or more or our key suppliers discontinued operations. Furthermore, if we experience significant increased demand, or need to replace our existing suppliers, there can be no assurance that additional suppliers of component parts will be available when required on terms that are favorable to us, or at all, or that any supplier would allocate sufficient supplies to us in order to meet our requirements or fill our orders in a timely manner. The partial or complete loss of these suppliers, or a significant adverse change in the sourcing of ECV components, could result in lost revenue, added costs and distribution delays that could harm our business and channel partner relationships. In addition, concentration in our supply chain can exacerbate our exposure to risks associated with the termination by key suppliers of our supply-chain arrangements or any adverse change in the terms of such arrangements, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. We may be unsuccessful in our continuous efforts to source less expensive suppliers for certain parts, redesign certain parts to make them less expensive to produce and negotiate with existing suppliers to obtain cost reductions and avoid unfavorable changes to terms. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain our existing relationships with our suppliers and continue to be able to source key components we use in our ECVs on a stable basis and at reasonable prices or at all. For example, our suppliers may increase the prices for the components we purchase and/or experience disruptions in their production of the components. We are dependent on our suppliers, certain of which are single-source suppliers, and the inability of these suppliers to continue to deliver, or their refusal to deliver, necessary components of our ECVs at prices and volumes acceptable to us could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects and operating results. Historically, we have generally obtained components from multiple sources whenever possible, similar to other automotive manufacturers. However, a small number of our components used in our ECVs are purchased from a single source. We refer to these component suppliers as our single-source suppliers. For example, while several sources for the airbag module for the Metro® are available, we currently have only one supplier for these components. We generally do not maintain long-term agreements with our single-source suppliers. Any disruption in the supply of airbag modules from our single-source supplier, for instance, could temporarily disrupt production of our ECVs. While we believe that we may be able to establish alternate supply relationships for our single-source components and can obtain or engineer replacement components, we may be unable to do so in the short term or at all at prices or costs that are favorable to us. The loss of any single or limited source supplier or the disruption in the supply of components from these suppliers could lead to delays in vehicle deliveries to our channel partners, which could hurt our relationships with them and their end-user customers and also materially adversely affect our business, prospects and operating results. In the long-term, we intend to establish supply chain relationships in North America and the European Union to support our manufacturing and assembly needs in these markets, thereby reducing the time in transit and potentially the duties associated with importing our components and spare parts from China. We believe that our deep supply chain development know-how will provide us significant advantages; however, substantially all of our supply chain experience is limited to China. If we are unable to effectively manage the sourcing of our components and the responsiveness of our supply chain in areas outside of China, our business and results of operations may be harmed. It is also likely that in the early stages of our supply chain expansion, we can expect most component sources will be single-source suppliers. Changes in international trade policies, tariffs and rising political tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China, may adversely impact our business and operating results. In recent years, China and the United States have implemented certain increasingly protective trade measures with continuing trade tensions, including significant tariff increases, between these countries. Most recently, on March 4, 2025, U.S. president, Donald J. Trump, announced that the U.S. would impose an additional 20% tariff on Chinese imports starting March 4, 2025. The additional tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on certain products imported from China may impact our supply chain and cost structure. Additionally, the U.S. government continues to signal that it may alter trade agreements and terms between China and the United States, including limiting trade with China, and may impose additional tariffs on imports from China and other countries from which we import goods. Although the United States and China previously, successfully reached an interim trade deal in January 2020 that de-escalated the trade tensions with both sides rolling back tariffs, the extent to which this trade deal, or potential future trade deals, will be successfully implemented is unpredictable. A decrease in the level of imports to and exports from China could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. Rising trade and political tensions could reduce levels of trades, investments, technological exchanges and other economic activities between China and other countries, which would have an adverse effect on global economic conditions, the stability of global financial markets, and international trade policies. It could also adversely affect the financial and economic conditions in the jurisdictions in which we operate, as well as our global expansion, our financial condition, and results of operations. 27 Table of Contents Moreover, the imposition of tariffs and trade restrictions as a result of international trade disputes or changes in trade policies may adversely affect our sales and profitability. For example, the U.S. government recently imposed and proposed, among other actions, new or higher tariffs on specified imported products originating from China in response to what it characterized as unfair trade practices, and China responded by imposing and proposing new or higher tariffs on specified U.S. products. There can be no assurance that a broader trade agreement will be successfully negotiated between the United States and China to reduce or eliminate these tariffs. These tariffs, and the related geopolitical uncertainty between the United States and China, may cause decreased demand for our products or increase cost of components used in our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. For example, certain of our foreign customers may respond to the imposition of tariffs or threat of tariffs on products we produce by delaying purchase orders or purchasing products from our competitors. Ongoing international trade disputes and changes in trade policies could also impact economic activity and lead to a general contraction of customer demand. In addition, tariffs on components for our ECVs that we may import from China or other nations will adversely affect our profitability unless we are able to exclude such components of our ECVs from the tariffs or we raise prices for our products, which may result in our products becoming less attractive relative to products offered by our competitors. Future actions or escalations by either the United States or China that affect trade relations may also negatively affect our business, or that of our suppliers or customers, and we cannot provide any assurances as to whether such actions will occur or the form that they may take. The resulting environment of retaliatory trade or other practices or additional trade restrictions or barriers, if implemented on a broader range of products or raw materials, could harm our ability to obtain necessary raw materials and product components or sell our ECVs at prices customers are willing to pay, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations, and cash flows. Relatedly, trade policies could lead to an increasing number of competitors entering the United States, thereby creating more competition. For example, other foreign companies could begin manufacturing vehicles in Mexico in order to take advantage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that could allow the free flow of trade into the United States and Canada. To the extent that our sales or profitability are negatively affected by any such tariffs or other trade actions, our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. We rely on third parties to manufacture substantially all of our components and vehicle kits for each of our new series of ECV models. Our qualified suppliers and manufacturing partners may fail to deliver components and vehicle kits, respectively, according to schedules, prices, quality and volumes that are acceptable to us. We have shifted substantially all component manufacturing processes for our new vehicles to qualified suppliers. The continuous and stable supply of components needed in the manufacture and assembly of our ECVs that meet our standards will be crucial to our operations and production. Unexpected changes in business conditions, materials pricing, labor issues, wars, governmental changes, tariffs, natural disasters, health epidemics such as the global COVID-19 pandemic, trade and shipping disruptions and other factors beyond our or our suppliers’ control could affect their ability to deliver components to us and expose us to component shortages. The unavailability of any component or supplier could result in production delays, idle manufacturing facilities, product design changes and loss of access to important technology and tools for producing and supporting our products. Moreover, significant increases in our production or product design changes by us may require us to procure additional components in a short amount of time. Our suppliers may not be willing or able to sustainably meet our timelines or our cost, quality and volume needs, or to do so may cost us more, which may require us to replace them with other sources. While we believe that we will be able to secure additional or alternate sources or develop our own replacements for most of our components, there is no assurance that we will be able to do so quickly or at all. As part of our light-asset distributed manufacturing business model and methodology, vehicle kits (and in some instances, fully-assembled vehicles) for our new ECV series are manufactured by third-party manufacturing partners. From time to time, these manufacturing partners may experience production problems or delays and may not be able to meet our demand for vehicles. We may be required to retain additional third-party manufacturing partners to assure continuity in production, but finding additional manufacturing partners in a timely and cost-effective manner may be difficult. Any delays in the manufacture of our vehicle kits could cause the loss of sales, and harm our brand, all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results or prospects. If our suppliers, channel partners or manufacturing partners fail to use ethical business practices and comply with applicable laws and regulations, our brand image and business could be harmed due to negative publicity. Our core values, which include developing high quality ECVs while operating with integrity, are an important component of our brand image, which makes our reputation sensitive to allegations of unethical business practices. We do not control our independent suppliers, channel partners or manufacturing partners or their respective business practices. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee their compliance with ethical business practices, such as environmental responsibilities, fair wage practices, and compliance with child labor laws, among others. A failure in compliance could lead us to seek alternative suppliers, channel partners or manufacturing partners, which could increase our costs or result in delayed delivery of our products, product shortages or other disruptions of our operations. Violation of labor or other laws by our suppliers, channel partners or manufacturing partners or the divergence of an independent supplier’s labor or other practices from those generally accepted as ethical in the markets in which we do business could also attract negative publicity for us and our brand. This could diminish the value of our brand image and reduce demand for our ECVs if, as a result of such violation, we were to attract negative publicity. Any negative publicity that results from unethical practices by third parties could harm our brand image, business, financial condition, operating results or prospects. If other manufacturers in our industry encounter similar problems with their third-party partners, any negative publicity with respect to the ECV industry could negatively impact us. 28 Table of Contents We heavily rely on our third-party logistics service providers for international shipping of our products, and if disruptions in our transportation network continue to occur or our shipping costs continue to increase, we may be unable to sell or timely deliver our products, and our gross margin could decrease. Our success is dependent on our ability to transport our ECVs (whether as vehicles kits or fully assembled vehicles) from China to markets in the North America, Europe and Asia in a timely and cost-effective manner. We rely heavily on third parties, including ocean carriers and truckers, in that process. The global transportation industry is experiencing ocean shipping disruptions, trucking shortages, increased ocean shipping rates and increased trucking and fuel costs, and we cannot predict when these disruptions will end. In recent years, the global transportation industry has experienced higher volatility in shipping rates from the trans-Pacific Ocean carriers due to various factors, including limited availability of shipping capacity, and geopolitical tensions. Our primary shipping routes originate from Shanghai and serve the United States West Coast and European markets. Trans-Pacific shipping rates experienced substantial swings in 2025, driven in part by shippers frontloading imports ahead of U.S. tariff increases, followed by a significant softening in demand in the second half of the year. On Asia-Europe lanes, elevated freight costs persisted into 2025 as a result of ongoing geopolitical disruptions, with routing conditions and carrier capacity deployment remaining subject to change. These conditions have had, and if persistent, may continue to have a negative impact on our vehicle production costs, gross profit margins, product delivery timelines, and revenue recognition. We expect such incidence causing rising shipping rates volatility to continue for the foreseeable future. The commercial viability of our Cenntro iChassis relies on third-party hardware and software that may not be available, which could render our product less marketable and negatively impact our business, prospects and operating results. The commercial viability of our Cenntro iChassis depends in large part on third-party developers utilizing hardware and software that is required for autonomous driving. The Cenntro iChassis is an open-platform and programmable chassis product, designed to act as a basic and core execution unit of an automated or autonomous driving vehicle. An automated system typically runs within a well-defined set of parameters and is restricted in what tasks can be performed. In contrast, an autonomous system learns and adapts to dynamic environments, and evolves as the environment around it changes. To be driven autonomously, the Cenntro iChassis requires hardware and software that we do not produce, such as detection devices and decision-making software. The Cenntro iChassis can only be utilized if such hardware and software is otherwise available and third parties are willing to integrate such technology with the Cenntro iChassis. To the extent our competitors develop and market a fully integrated autonomous EV, we may be at a commercial disadvantage. The marketability of the Cenntro iChassis is dependent on the willingness of third-party autonomous driving vehicle producers to adopt our programmable chassis technology rather than adopting other similar technologies or developing their own proprietary programmable chassis, as well as the willingness of end-users to purchase autonomous driving vehicles from such third parties. If any of these factors is not present then the marketability of our Cenntro iChassis will suffer, which could negatively impact our business, prospects and operating results. Furthermore, there are many uncertainties relating to the homologation of autonomous driving vehicles, and we are unable to predict when the market for autonomous driving vehicles will develop more fully. Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our executive officers, and our business may be severely disrupted if we lose their services. Our future success depends substantially on the continued services of our executive officers, especially our CEO and Chairman, Mr. Peter Z. Wang. We do not currently maintain key man life insurance on any of our executive officers. If any of our executive officers are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them readily, if at all. Therefore, our business may be severely disrupted, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit and retain new officers. In addition, if any of our executive officers joins a competitor or forms a competing company, our business, financial condition, operating results or prospects could be harmed. 29 Table of Contents Our facilities or operations could be damaged or adversely affected as a result of disasters or unpredictable events. We maintain manufacturing and assembly facilities in Changxing and Yangzhong, China, and local assembly facilities in Freehold, New Jersey and Barstow, California in the United States, and also rely on third-party OEM manufacturing partners in China for the production of vehicle components and fully assembled units. If major disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, wars, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, pandemics, or other unpredictable events including cyber-attacks, occur that impact our facilities or those of our manufacturing or distribution partners, we may be required to stop or delay production and shipment of our ECVs, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. If major disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, wars, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, pandemics (such as COVID-19) or other unpredictable events, such as cyber-attacks, occur that impact our facilities or the facilities of our channel and manufacturing partners, we may have to stop or delay production and shipment of our ECVs, and our operations may be seriously damaged. We may incur expenses relating to such delays or damages, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Global economic conditions could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. The global macroeconomic environment is facing challenges, and the uncertain state of the global economy continues to impact businesses around the world, including as a result of COVID-19. If global economic and financial market conditions do not improve or further deteriorate, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects may be materially and adversely affected. Some of the factors that could materially and adversely affect us include: • Slower spending may result in reduced demand for our ECVs, reduced orders from our channel partners, order cancellations, lower revenues, higher discounts, increased inventories and lower gross margins. • Continued volatility in the markets and exchange rates for foreign currencies and contracts in foreign currencies could have a significant impact on our reported operating results and financial condition. We conduct transactions in various currencies, which increases our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. Dollar. • Volatility in the availability and prices for commodities and raw materials we use in our ECVs from our supply chain could have a material adverse effect on our costs, gross margins and profitability. • Instability in global financial and capital markets may impair our ability to raise additional equity or debt financing on reasonable terms or at all in order to grow our business. Our financial results may vary significantly from period-to-period due to the seasonality of our business and fluctuations in our operating costs. Our operating results may vary significantly from period-to-period due to many factors, including seasonal factors that may have an effect on the demand for our ECVs. Demand for vehicles in the automotive industry in general typically decline over the winter season, while sales are generally higher during the spring and summer months. Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to judge the exact nature or extent of the seasonality of our business. Also, any unusually severe weather conditions in some markets may impact demand for our vehicles. Our operating results could also suffer if we do not achieve revenue consistent with our expectations for this seasonal demand. We also expect our period-to-period operating results to vary based on our operating costs which we anticipate will increase significantly in future periods as we, among other things, design and develop additional ECVs and components, establish new channel partners relationships, establish new local assembly facilities and technology support and research and developments centers, and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. In addition, our channel partner network includes companies that have in the past, and may in the future, experience financial difficulty and, in some instance, have been unable to pay amounts owed to us on a timely basis, or at all. This has led us to from time to time recognize provision for doubtful accounts that vary from period to period and are difficult to anticipate. As a result of these factors, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our operating results are not necessarily meaningful and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Our distributed manufacturing methodology and channel partner network model is different from the predominant current distribution model for automotive manufacturers, which makes evaluating our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects difficult. Our distributed manufacturing model allows us to focus our efforts on the design of ECV models and related technologies while outsourcing various portions of the manufacturing, assembly and marketing of our vehicles to qualified third parties, allowing the Company to operate with lower capital investment than traditional vertically integrated automotive companies. For the last several years, we relied substantially on “private label” channel partners to assemble the Metro® from vehicle kits that we manufactured in our facilities. With the introduction of our new ECV models, we have begun the process of shifting the manufacturing of our vehicle kits, and in some cases fully assembled vehicles, to third party OEM manufacturing partners and, in the case of vehicle kits, assembling in our own facilities in North America and Europe. This model of vehicle distribution is relatively new and unproven and subjects us to substantial risk. For example, our success depends in large part on our ability to effectively establish and maintain successful relationships with manufacturing partners and channel partners and for them to implement successful processes for manufacturing our vehicles or marketing, sales, and servicing, respectively. 30 Table of Contents Our business model is subject to numerous significant challenges and uncertainties, some of which are outside of our control, and we may not be successful in addressing these challenges. For instance, we have limited control or oversight over our manufacturing partners and channel partners. To the extent a manufacturing partner or channel partner is not conducting its business in an ethical manner or is not performing to the required standards, we have limited recourse. Our manufacturing partner and channel partner networks are based solely on contractual arrangements and such contractual arrangements do not currently, and may not into the future, provide us with adequate oversight over our channel partners to protect our reputation. Additionally, in certain markets we intend to increase direct sales to dealers, upfitters, enterprises and government organizations, which will require that we add overhead and business structures to service a direct sales business model that we do not currently have in place. Our business plans require will additional capital in the future, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. Our business plans will require additional capital in the future, including to strengthen the selling and marketing functions of our EV Centers and to develop our distribution centers for parts backed by the PARDISYS system. However, we expect to have a constrained cash outlay throughout 2025, and plan to focus on internally generated cash flow rather than on relying on the expectations of future external capital financing. To support this goal, no we do not plan to invest in any production facilities in the near future unless necessary and plan to improve our existing EV Center networks so they may be more efficient. We expect that our level of capital expenditures may be relatively lower in 2025 but may be affected by the profitability and cash generating capacities of our recently established EV Centers around the global markets. The fact that we have a limited operating history means we have limited historical data regarding the demand for our products and services and our future capital requirements. As a result, our future actual capital requirements may be uncertain and actual capital requirements may be materially different from those we currently anticipate. We may seek equity or debt financing to finance a portion of our capital requirements in the future. Such financing might not be available to us in a timely manner or on terms that are acceptable, or at all. Our ability to obtain the necessary financing to carry out our business plans is subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and investor acceptance of our business plans. These factors may make the timing, amount, terms and conditions of such financing unattractive or unavailable to us. If we are unable to raise sufficient funds, we will have to significantly reduce our spending, and delay or cancel our planned activities. As we shift component and vehicle kit manufacturing to qualified suppliers and manufacturing partners, we may have to shorten the useful lives of any equipment to be retired as a result, and the resulting acceleration in our depreciation could adversely affect our financial results We have invested 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, throughout 2023 and well into 2024, we continued to shift procurement of vehicle component, and semi-knocked-down kit manufacturing to qualified suppliers. Continuing into 2025, we have also outsourced vehicle kit manufacturing (and, in some instances, vehicle assembly) to qualified manufacturers for our new ECV series to manufacturing partners to reduce our capital expenditure requirements. As we shift component and vehicle kit manufacturing of our new ECV series to our qualified suppliers and manufacturing partners, respectively, we may have to shorten the useful life of any equipment we retire as a result, which would require that we accelerate the depreciation on such equipment. Any such accelerated depreciation on our equipment, to the extent we own such equipment, could adversely affect our results of operations. 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. We may have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. This may result in our inability to accurately estimate the supply and demand for our vehicles. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021 and continuing into the first quarter of 2022, we introduced into the market the Neibor® and Logistar™ series of ECVs as well as the Teemak™ off-road ECV. We cannot predict whether these new ECV models will be readily adopted by channel partners and end-users in their respective markets. We may need to provide forecasts of our demand to our suppliers several months prior to the scheduled delivery of products to our channel partners. Currently, there is limited historical basis for making judgments on the demand for our planned or existing vehicles or our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver vehicles, or our profitability in the future. 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 channel partners could be delayed, which would harm our business, financial condition and operating results. 31 Table of Contents Our ECVs use lithium-ion battery cells, which have the potential to catch fire or vent smoke and flame and may lead to additional concerns about batteries used in automotive applications. The battery packs in our ECVs use lithium-ion cells, and we intend to use lithium-ion cells in our future ECV products. 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. Extremely rare incidents of laptop computers, cell phones and EV battery packs catching fire have focused consumer attention on the safety of these cells. These events have raised concerns about batteries used in automotive applications. To address these questions and concerns, a number of battery cell manufacturers are pursuing alternative lithium-ion battery cell chemistries to improve safety. The battery packs used in our ECVs may need to be redesigned, 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 us, could seriously harm our business. The majority of the battery packs we use in our ECVs are shipped in a “just in time” fashion so that we are generally not housing them for a long period of time. Nonetheless, we may in the future store lithium-ion cells at our facilities from time to time. Any incident involving battery cells may cause disruption to the operation of our facilities. While we have implemented safety procedures related to the handling of the cells, we cannot assure you that a safety issue or fire related to the cells would not disrupt our operations. Such damage or injury could lead to adverse publicity and potentially a safety recall. Moreover, any type of battery failure in relation to a competitor’s ECV may cause indirect adverse publicity for us and our ECVs. Such adverse publicity could negatively affect our brand and harm our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting that could materially harm our company. If we fail to remediate the material weakness, or if we experience material weaknesses in the future, we may not be able to accurately and timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us. Historically Cenntro had not retained a sufficient number of professionals with an appropriate level of accounting knowledge, training and experience to appropriately analyze, record and disclose accounting matters under U.S. GAAP. Similarly it does not retain certain a sufficient number of professionals which to address its internal control over financial reporting in accordance with requirements applicable to public companies. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of control deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. During the preparation of its 2021 and 2022 financial statements, Cenntro’s management identified a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting. Specifically, Cenntro did not historically have adequate accounting staff generally in its finance and accounting department, particularly with respect to (i) the preparation of financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and the inclusion of proper disclosures in the related footnotes, and (ii) the design, documentation and implementation of internal controls surrounding risk management and financial reporting processes. During the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, management reassessed the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Although controls and supervision over risk management and financial reporting processes have improved, management has concluded that the Company continues to have this material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting. Management has taken and is continuing to take actions to remediate this material weakness and is taking steps to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting and risk management. Our Financial Controller for North America joined us in January 2022 and she is a CPA license holder. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have a total of four professionals on our Finance team in the United States including two certified public accountants (CPAs) and one staff accountant who has passed the CPA exams with public accounting experience. We intend to hire additional professional accountants with greater familiarity with U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements. We strive to continue to take measures to improve compliance with our overall financial reporting process by (i) further developing and implementing formal policies, processes and documentation procedures relating to our financial reporting as well as (ii) addressing the accounting function’s staffing needs and training and strengthen our internal control processes. This material weakness will not be considered remediated until management completes the design and implementation of the measures described above and the controls operate for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded that these controls are effective. 32 Table of Contents To the extent we are unable to remediate this material weakness or identify future material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, such material weakness could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations and could cause future investors to lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, we could become subject to litigation from investors and shareholders, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets. Risks Related to Our Industry The unavailability or reduction of government and economic incentives or the elimination of regulatory policies which are favorable for ECVs could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our business depends significantly on government subsidies, economic incentives and government policies that support the growth of new energy vehicles generally and ECVs specifically. Any reduction, elimination or discriminatory application of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives due to the perceived success of ECVs, fiscal tightening or other factors may result in the diminished competitiveness of the alternative fuel vehicle industry generally or our ECVs in particular. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our future growth is dependent upon end-users’ willingness to adopt ECVs. Our growth is highly dependent upon the adoption by national and local governments and the commercial vehicle market of, and we are subject to a risk of any reduced demand for, alternative fuel vehicles in general and ECVs in particular. The market for alternative fuel vehicles (including ECVs) is relatively new and rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements and changing consumer demands and behaviors. If the market for ECVs in North America, Europe, Asia or elsewhere does not develop as we expect, or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects will be harmed. Other factors that may influence the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles, and specifically ECVs, include: • perceptions about electric vehicle quality, safety, design, performance and cost, especially if adverse events or accidents occur that are linked to the quality or safety of electric vehicles, whether or not such vehicles are produced by us or other manufacturers; • perceptions about vehicle safety in general, in particular safety issues that may be attributed to the use of advanced technology, including electric vehicle systems; • the limited range over which electric vehicles may be driven on a single battery charge and the speed at which batteries can be recharged; • the decline of an electric vehicle’s range resulting from deterioration over time in the battery’s ability to hold a charge; • concerns about electric grid capacity and reliability; • the availability of new energy vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel; • improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine; • the availability of service for electric vehicles; • the environmental consciousness of end-users; • access to charging stations, standardization of electric vehicle charging systems and perceptions about convenience and cost to charge an electric commercial vehicle; • the availability of tax and other governmental incentives to purchase and operate electric vehicles or future regulation requiring increased use of nonpolluting vehicles; • perceptions about and the actual cost of alternative fuel; and • macroeconomic factors. 33 Table of Contents Any of the factors described above may cause our channel partners and their customers not to purchase our ECVs. If the market for ECVs does not develop as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects will be adversely affected. Continued elevated levels of inflation could adversely impact our business and results of operations. Adverse and uncertain economic conditions and, in particular, the impact of global general price inflation, may negatively impact our business and operating results. We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, price increases from, among other things, our component suppliers. Sustained inflation, combined with key component shortages, may require us to raise the prices of our ECVs in order to offset cost increases, which may negatively impact the demand for our vehicles. As a result, our channel partners may become more conservative in response to such conditions and seek to reduce their inventories. Conversely, to the extent inflation or other factors increase our business costs, it may not be feasible to pass price increases on to our channel partners, which will adversely affect our profitability. Our results of operations depend upon, among other things, our ability to maintain and increase sales volume with our channel partners, our ability to attract new channel partners, the financial condition of end-consumers in the commercial ECV market and our ability to provide ECVs that appeal to our channel partners and other direct customers at a competitive upfront cost. Unfavorable macroeconomic conditions may lead our channel partners to reduce, delay, curtail or cancel proposed or existing contracts, decrease the overall demand for our ECVs or otherwise adversely affect our results of operations. The duration and severity of the current inflationary period cannot be estimated with precision. We could experience cost increases or disruptions in the supply of raw materials or components used in our vehicles, and a shortage of key components, such as semiconductors, can disrupt our production of ECVs. We incur significant costs related to the procuring of raw materials and components required to manufacture our vehicles. Our ECVs use various raw materials including aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, non-ferrous metals such as copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt, as well as key component inputs such as semiconductors. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on factors beyond our control, including market conditions and global demand for these materials, and could adversely affect our business and operating results. In particular, the automotive industry is currently facing a significant shortage of semiconductors. The global semiconductor supply shortage is having wide-ranging effects across multiple industries, particularly the automotive industry, and it has impacted multiple suppliers that incorporate semiconductors into the parts they supply to us. As a result, the semiconductor supply shortage has had, and will continue to have, a negative impact on our vehicle production. To date, we have experienced price decreases compared to the rising market prices in 2022, which resulted in higher vehicle costs. The market in 2025 was favorable for the entire new energy industry in terms of vehicle costs. For example, semiconductor shortage that previously constrained vehicle production had largely subsided, and the prices of batteries, motors and electronic controls continued fallen. Increases in the cost, disruptions of supply or shortages of lithium-ion batteries could harm our business. Our business depends on the continued supply of battery cells for our vehicles. Battery cell manufacturers may refuse to supply battery cells to electric vehicle manufacturers to the extent they determine that the vehicles are not sufficiently safe. We are exposed to multiple risks relating to availability and pricing of quality lithium-ion battery cells. These risks include: • the inability or unwillingness of current battery cell manufacturers to build or operate battery cell manufacturing plants to supply the numbers of lithium-ion cells required to support the growth of the electric vehicle industry as demand for such cells increases; • disruption in the supply of cells due to quality issues or recalls by the battery cell manufacturers; and • an increase in the cost or shortages of raw materials, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, used in lithium-ion cells. Any disruption in the supply of battery cells could temporarily disrupt the planned production of our ECVs until such time as a different supplier is fully qualified. Furthermore, strong growth in sales of our ECVs may in some instances outpace the production and availability of lithium-ion batteries, which could result in substantial increases in the price of batteries used in our vehicles. Substantial increases in the prices for lithium-ion batteries would increase our operating costs, and could reduce our gross margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs through increased ECV prices. Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in the internal combustion engine may materially and adversely affect the demand for our ECVs. Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, ethanol, hydrogen fuel cells or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine, may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. Any failure by us to develop new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay the development and introduction of new and enhanced ECVs, which could result in the loss of competitiveness of our vehicles, decreased revenue and a loss of market share to competitors. 34 Table of Contents The automotive market is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this industry. Both the automotive industry generally, and the ECV segment in particular, are highly competitive, and we will be competing for sales with both ICE commercial vehicles and other ECVs. 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 and support of ECVs. We expect competition for ECVs to intensify due to increased demand and a regulatory push for alternative fuel vehicles and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry. Factors affecting competition include product quality and features, innovation and development time, pricing, reliability, safety, fuel economy, customer service, and financing terms. Increased competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, and prospects. If we are unable to keep up with advances in electric vehicle technology, we may suffer a decline in our competitive position. We may be unable to keep up with changes in ECV technology, and we may suffer a resulting decline in our competitive position, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our research and development efforts, as well as our manufacturing and supply chain capacity, may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in ECV technology. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our ECVs and introduce new models in order to continue to provide our ECVs with the latest technology, including battery cell technology. However, our ECVs may not compete effectively with ECVs manufactured and marketed by our competitors if we are not able to develop and integrate the latest technology into our ECVs. Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Matters Our business is subject to substantial regulations, which are evolving, and unfavorable changes or the failure by us or our channel partners to comply with these regulations could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Motor vehicles are subject to substantial regulation under U.S. federal, state and local laws as well as the laws of each of our target markets. We incur significant costs to comply with these regulations, including obtaining required vehicle certifications in the jurisdictions in which our ECVs are sold, and we may be required to incur additional costs related to any changes to such regulations. Any failures by us or our channel partners to comply with existing or future regulations could result in significant expenses, vehicle recalls, delays or fines. We and our channel partners are subject to laws and regulations applicable to the supply, manufacture, import, sale and service of automobiles internationally. For example, in countries outside of the United States, we or our channel partners are required to meet standards relating to vehicle safety and testing, fuel economy, battery safety, transportation, testing and recycling and greenhouse gas emissions, among other things, that are often materially different from requirements in the United States, thus resulting in additional investment into the vehicles and systems 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. See “Business-Governmental Regulations.” To the extent U.S. or international laws change, some or all of our vehicles may not comply with any new applicable international, federal, state or local laws, which would have an adverse effect on our business. Compliance with changing regulations could be burdensome, time consuming, and expensive. To the extent compliance with new regulations is cost prohibitive, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be adversely affected. Similarly, compliance with various regulations pertaining to ECVs in our various target markets may limit our ability to sell certain of our ECV models in such markets. Our ECVs may be subject to product liability claims or recalls which could cause us to incur expenses, damage our reputation or result in a diversion of management resources. As manufacturer of record of our ECVs (except in the case of vehicles assembled by our private label channel partners), we may be responsible for product liability claims or costs associated with product recalls. We may be subject to lawsuits resulting from injuries associated with the use of the ECVs that we design, manufacture and sell to our channel partners. We may incur losses relating to these claims or the defense of these claims. Our ECVs may also be subject to recalls if any of our ECV designs prove to be defective, or our channel partners may voluntarily initiate a recall or make payments related to such claims as a result of various industry or business practices or the need to maintain good customer relationships. Such a recall would result in a diversion of resources and could damage our reputation with both our channel partners and their customers. Any claims or recalls associated with our ECVs could exceed our insurance coverage and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. 35 Table of Contents We face risks associated with our global operations and expansion, including unfavorable regulatory, political, legal, economic, tax and labor conditions, and with establishing ourselves in new markets, all of which could harm our business. We currently have international operations and subsidiaries in various countries and jurisdictions, and we expect to expand and optimize our channel partner network internationally and to invest in new manufacturing and assembly facilities in various jurisdictions as part of our growth plan. Accordingly, we and our products are subject to a variety of legal, political and regulatory requirements and social and economic conditions over which we have little control. For example, we may be impacted by trade policies, political uncertainty and economic cycles involving geographic regions where we have significant sales or operate. We are subject to a number of risks associated with international business activities that may increase our costs, impact our ability to sell our ECVs and require significant management attention. These risks include: • conforming our products to various international regulatory and safety requirements in establishing, staffing and managing foreign operations; • challenges in attracting channel partners; • compliance with foreign government taxes, regulations and permit requirements; • our ability to enforce our contractual rights and intellectual property rights; • compliance with trade restrictions and customs regulations as well as tariffs and price or exchange controls; • fluctuations in freight rates and transportation disruptions; • fluctuations in the values of foreign currencies; • compliance with certification and homologation requirements; and • preferences of foreign nations for domestically manufactured products. In many of these markets, long-standing relationships between potential customers and their local partners and protective regulations and disparate networks and systems used by each country will create barriers to entry. We are currently selling our ECVs in North America, Europe and Asia, and, as a result, we are subject to laws and regulations in those jurisdictions that are applicable to the import and/or sale of electric vehicles. For example, we are required to meet vehicle-specific safety standards that are often materially different across markets, thus resulting in additional investment into the vehicles and systems to ensure regulatory compliance. For each of the markets in which we sell our ECVs, we must obtain advanced approval from regulatory agencies regarding the proper certification or homologation of our vehicles to enter into these markets. This process necessitates that regulatory officials in each market review and certify our vehicles prior to market entry. Any delay in the homologation process could adversely impact our ability to introduce any of these ECV models in their respective markets on our planned timeframe, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results and harm our reputation. Our business will be adversely affected if we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights from unauthorized use or infringement by third parties. Any failure to adequately protect our intellectual property rights could result in the weakening or loss of such rights, which may allow our competitors to offer similar or identical products or use identical or confusingly similar branding, potentially resulting in the loss of some of our competitive advantage, a decrease in our revenue or an attribution of potentially lower quality products to us, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our success depends, at least in part, on our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of patents, patent applications, trade secrets (including know-how), employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements, copyright protection, trademarks, intellectual property licenses and other contractual rights to establish and protect our intellectual property rights in our technology. Our registered patents are under PRC law and have not been given reciprocal treatment and protection under the laws of either the United States or the European Union. We may be unable to adequately protect our proprietary technology and intellectual property from use by third parties. 36 Table of Contents The protection provided by patent laws is and will be important to our business. However, such patents and agreements and various other measures we take to protect our intellectual property from use by others may not be effective for various reasons, including the following: • our pending patent applications may not result in the issuance of patents; • our patents may not be broad enough to protect our commercial endeavors; • the patents we have been granted may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented because of the pre-existence of similar patented or unpatented technology or for other reasons; • the costs associated with obtaining and enforcing patents in the countries in which we operate, confidentiality and invention agreements or other intellectual property rights may make enforcement impracticable; or • current and future competitors may independently develop similar technology, duplicate our vehicles or design new vehicles in a way that circumvents our intellectual property protection. Existing trademark and trade secret laws and confidentiality agreements afford only limited protections. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States and policing the unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult. For example, historically the implementation and enforcement of PRC intellectual property-related laws have been limited. Accordingly, protection of intellectual property rights in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other countries. Some of the components in our supply chain are co-designed with third-party vendors, who are generally restricted from selling parts that are co-designed with us to other parties. However, in the event we discontinue our purchases of such co-designed components from our vendors, these vendors may no longer be restricted from selling such co-designed components to third parties. We may need to defend ourselves against patent or trademark infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and could cause us to incur substantial costs. Companies, organizations or individuals, including our competitors, may hold or obtain patents, trademarks or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop or sell our vehicles or vehicle kits, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we receive notices from holders of patents or trademarks regarding their proprietary rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights may bring suits against us alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise assert their rights and seek licenses. Even if we are successful in these proceedings, any intellectual property infringement claims against us could be costly, time-consuming, harmful to our reputation, and could divert the time and attention of our management and other personnel or result in injunctive or other equitable relief that may require us to make changes to our business, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows, results of operations or prospects. In addition, if we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do one or more of the following: • cease selling vehicles or incorporating or using designs or offering goods or services that incorporate or use the challenged intellectual property; • pay substantial damages; • obtain a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property right, which license may not be available on reasonable terms or at all; or • redesign our vehicles or other goods or services. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to the infringed technology or other intellectual property right, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be materially adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not valid, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. In addition, we have agreed, and expect to continue to agree, to indemnify our channel partners for certain intellectual property infringement claims regarding our products. As a result, if infringement claims are made against our channel partners, we may be required to indemnify them for damages (including expenses) resulting from such claims or to refund amounts they have paid to us. 37 Table of Contents Compliance with environmental regulations can be expensive, and noncompliance with these regulations may result in adverse publicity and potentially significant monetary damages and fines. Our business operations may generate noise, wastewater, end-of-life batteries, gaseous byproduct and other industrial waste. We are required to comply with all applicable national and local regulations regarding the protection of the environment. We believe we are in compliance with current environmental protection requirements and have all necessary environmental permits to conduct our business. However, if more stringent regulations are adopted in the future, the costs of compliance with these new regulations could be substantial. Additionally, if we fail to comply with present or future environmental rules or regulations, we may be liable for cleanup costs or be required to pay substantial fines, suspend production or cease operations. Any failure by us to control the use of, or to adequately restrict the unauthorized discharge of, hazardous substances or comply with other environmental regulations could subject us to potentially significant monetary damages and fines or suspensions to our business operations. Additionally, as we expand our local assembly capabilities in our target markets, our expansion will necessarily increase our exposure to liability with respect to environmental regulations and the fines and injunctive actions related thereto and require us to spend further resources and time complying with complex environmental regulations in such jurisdictions. Contamination at properties currently or formerly owned or operated by us, and properties to which hazardous substances were sent by us, may result in liability for us under environmental laws and regulations, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). The U.S. government can impose liability on us under CERCLA for the full amount of remediation-related costs of a contaminated site without regard to fault. Such costs can include those associated with the investigation and cleanup of contaminated soil, ground water and buildings as well as to reverse impacts to human health and damages to natural resources. Pursuant to the Environmental Protection Law of the PRC, which was adopted on December 26, 1989, and amended on April 24, 2014, effective on January 1, 2015, any entity which discharges pollutants must adopt measures to prevent and treat waste gas, waste water, waste residue, medical waste, dust, malodorous gas, radioactive substances generated in manufacturing, construction or any other activities as well as environmental pollution and hazards such as noise, vibration, ray radiation, electromagnetic radiation etc. Environmental protection authorities impose various administrative penalties on entities in violation of the Environmental Protection Law, including warnings, fines, orders to rectify within a prescribed period, cease construction, restrict or suspend production, make recovery, disclose relevant information or make an announcement, or seize and confiscate facilities and equipment which cause pollutant emissions, the imposition of administrative action against relevant responsible persons, and orders to shut down enterprises. In addition, pursuant to the Civil Code of the PRC, which was adopted on May 28, 2020, and became effective on January 1, 2021, in the event of damage caused to others as a result of environmental pollution and ecological destruction, the actor will bear tortious liability. In the event a party, in violation of laws and regulations, intentionally pollutes the environment or damages the ecology, thereby causing serious consequences, the infringed party is entitled to claim appropriate punitive damages. Any violations of the Environmental Protection Law or the Civil Code of the PRC could expose us to liabilities including fines and damages that could impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. China has implemented several regulations, policies and measures to regulate the batteries used in ECVs, which cover the security standards, recycling activities and other specifications. For example, the Interim Measures for the Management of the Recycling of Power Battery in New Energy Vehicles (“PRC Battery Measures”) regulate the recycling and disposal of end-of-life batteries for new energy vehicles. The PRC Battery Measures provide that manufacturers of new energy vehicles must take primary responsibilities of the recycling of batteries and are required, for instance, to transfer batteries that have been damaged during manufacturing to vendors that provide recycling services, and to maintain records of the vehicles they have manufactured, the identification codes of the batteries incorporated into the vehicles, and the owners of the vehicles. The batteries used in our ECVs are also subject to a number of national standards in China, including functional safety requirements and testing methods for the battery management system of electric vehicles. The EU has specific regulations on batteries and the disposal of batteries to minimize the negative environmental effects of batteries and hazardous waste. The EU Battery Directive (2006/66/EC) (the “EU Battery Directive”) is intended to cover all types of batteries regardless of their shape, volume, weight, material composition or use. It is aimed at reducing mercury, cadmium, lead and other metals in the environment by minimizing the use of these substances in batteries and by treating and re-using old batteries. This directive applies to all types of batteries except those used to protect European Member States’ security, for military purposes, or sent into space. To achieve these objectives, the EU Battery Directive prohibits the marketing of some batteries containing hazardous substances. It establishes processes aimed at high levels of collection and recycling of batteries with quantified collection and recycling targets. The directive sets out minimum rules for producer responsibility and provisions with regard to labeling of batteries and their removability from equipment. Product markings are required for batteries and accumulators to provide information on capacity and to facilitate reuse and safe disposal. We currently ship our ECVs pursuant to the requirements of the directive. Our current estimated costs associated with our compliance with this directive based on our current market share are not significant. However, we continue to evaluate the impact of this directive as European Union member states implement guidance, and actual costs could differ from our current estimates. In December 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise the EU Battery Directive. The proposal is designed to modernize the EU’s regulatory framework for batteries to secure the sustainability and competitiveness of battery value chains. It could introduce mandatory requirements on sustainability (such as requiring responsible sourcing of raw materials, restrictions on the use of hazardous substances, carbon footprint rules, minimum recycled content targets, performance and durability criteria), safety and labelling for the marketing and putting into service of batteries, and requirements for end-of-life management including to facilitate the repurposing of industrial and electric-vehicle batteries as stationary energy storage batteries. The proposal also includes due diligence obligations for economic operators as regards the sourcing of raw materials. 38 Table of Contents The EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC (the “RoHS Directive”) places restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. All applicable products sold in the European Union market after July 1, 2006 must comply with EU RoHS Directive. While this directive does not currently affect our ECVs in any meaningful way, should any changes occur in the directive that would affect our ECVs, we will need to comply with any new regulations that are imposed. Our noncompliance with any of these regulations may materially and adversely affect our operations or financial condition. We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws, and noncompliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, prospects and reputation. We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws and regulations in various jurisdictions in which we conduct activities, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. The FCPA prohibits us and our officers, directors, employees and business partners acting on our behalf, including agents, from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing or providing anything of value to a “foreign official” for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. The FCPA also requires companies to make and keep books, records and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls. A violation of these laws or regulations could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, prospects and reputation. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies and state-owned affiliated entities in the ordinary course of business. These interactions subject us to an increased level of compliance-related concerns. We are in the process of implementing policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by us and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents and business partners with applicable anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws and regulations. However, our policies and procedures may not be sufficient, and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, and business partners could engage in improper conduct for which we may be held responsible. Noncompliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering or financial and economic sanctions laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, prospects and reputation. In addition, changes in economic sanctions laws in the future could adversely affect our business and investments in our shares. Risks Related to Information Technology, Data Security, and Privacy We seek to continuously expand and improve our information technology systems and use security measures designed to protect our systems against breaches and cyber-attacks. If these efforts are not successful, our business and operations could be disrupted, and our operating results and reputation could be harmed. We seek to continuously expand and improve our information technology systems, including implementing new internally developed and/or external industry standard enterprise resource planning systems (“ERP systems”), to assist us in the management of our business. We maintain information technology measures designed to protect us against intellectual property theft, data breaches and other cyber-attacks. The implementation, maintenance 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 and supply chain processes. Despite network security and back-up measures, our information technology systems are potentially vulnerable to physical or electronic break-ins, computer viruses and similar disruptive problems. Despite precautionary measures to prevent unanticipated problems that could affect our information technology systems, sustained or repeated system failures that interrupt our ability to generate and maintain data could adversely affect our ability to manage our data and inventory, procure parts or supplies or manufacture, sell, deliver ECVs, or achieve and maintain compliance with, or realize available benefits under, tax laws and other applicable regulations. We cannot assure you that any of our new information technology systems or their required functionality will be effectively implemented, maintained or expanded as planned. If we do not successfully maintain our information technology or expand these systems as planned, 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 adversely affect our ability to certify our financial results. Moreover, our proprietary information could be compromised or misappropriated, and our reputation may be adversely affected. 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. 39 Table of Contents Data collection is governed by restrictive regulations governing the use, processing, and cross-border transfer of personal information. International jurisdictions have their own data security and privacy legal framework with which companies or their customers must comply. The collection, use, storage, transfer, and other processing of personal data regarding individuals in the European Economic Area is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which came into effect in May 2018. It contains numerous requirements and changes from previously existing EU law, including more robust obligations on data processors and heavier documentation requirements for data protection compliance programs by companies. Among other things, the GDPR regulates transfers of personal data subject to the GDPR to countries outside of the European Union that have not been found to provide adequate protection to such personal data, including the United States. The European Data Protection Board has issued draft guidance requiring additional measures be implemented to protect EU personal data from foreign law enforcement, including in the U.S. These additional measures may require us to expend additional resources to comply. The GDPR also introduced numerous privacy-related changes for companies operating in the European Union, including greater control for data subjects, increased data portability for EU consumers, data breach notification requirements and increased fines. Fines of up to 20 million Euros or up to 4% of the annual global revenue of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater, could be imposed for violations of certain GDPR requirements. Such penalties are in addition to any civil litigation claims by customers and data subjects. The GDPR requirements apply not only to third-party transactions but also to transfers of information between us and our subsidiaries, including employee information. The collection and processing of electronic communications data in the EU is regulated by the ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC), which applies to the confidentiality of communications, the use of tracking technologies (such as cookies), and direct marketing practices. Unlike the GDPR, which focuses on personal data protection, the ePrivacy Directive regulates the privacy of communications and metadata, including data collected from connected devices, such as our ECVs. The directive has been implemented inconsistently across EU member states, leading to fragmented compliance requirements. A proposed ePrivacy Regulation intended to replace the directive and create a uniform legal framework was withdrawn in February 2025, leaving uncertainty regarding future reforms. Compliance with varying national implementations of the ePrivacy Directive may require additional operational adjustments and could result in regulatory fines or enforcement actions if found noncompliant. Scheduled to take effect on September 12, 2025, the EU Data Act introduces new regulatory requirements for data access, sharing, and portability, extending beyond personal data to include non-personal data. This legislation aims to facilitate data sharing among businesses and with governments, but its broad scope and evolving implementation may create uncertainties and compliance challenges for our operations. The Act imposes obligations on data holders-which could include companies managing connected devices such as our Electric Commercial Vehicles (ECVs)-to provide access to certain data upon request under regulated conditions. Compliance with these requirements may necessitate modifications to our data management systems, contractual agreements, and security protocols. Non-compliance could result in regulatory enforcement actions, penalties, and increased operational costs, particularly as EU member states implement and enforce the Act in different ways. Additionally, the evolving regulatory landscape in the EU could create uncertainties regarding data monetization, competitive practices, and cross-border data transfers, potentially impacting our business model and operations. Following the United Kingdom’s (the “UK”) exit from the European Union, the GDPR was transposed into UK law (“UK GDPR”) as supplemented by the UK Data Protection Act 2018. As a result, the UK GDPR will not automatically incorporate any changes made to the GDPR going forward (which would need to be specifically incorporated by the UK Government). At present, the GDPR and the UK GDPR are broadly similar and have parallel regimes, which have not yet diverged significantly. However, the UK Government has launched a public consultation on proposed reforms to the data protection framework in the UK. This may lead to future divergence and variance between the two regimes. In addition, China has laws relating to the supervision of data and information protection. The Cybersecurity Law regulates the activities of “network operators,” which include companies that manage any network under PRC jurisdiction. As such, certain of our PRC subsidiaries may be regarded as network operators under the Cybersecurity Law, since our ECVs are fitted with networking devices. The Cybersecurity Law requires that the collection of personal data is subject to consent by the person whose data is being collected. On June 10, 2021, China enacted the Data Security Law of the PRC (“DSL”), which became effective as of September 1, 2021. The DSL introduces several changes and new features to data security regulation and a comprehensive data security regime, which authorizes national departments to conduct stricter supervision of data in China. For example, the PRC government will establish a catalogue of crucial data categories and promulgate stricter regulations over the protection of such crucial data listed in the catalogue. The DSL also will introduce the concept of “National Core Data,” which refers to data related to, among other topics, national security, the PRC economy, and significant public interests, and provides that stricter regulations may be imposed on such National Core Data. The cross-border transfer of domestic data as required by non-PRC judicial or enforcement authorities is also subject to the approval of competent Chinese authorities. Effective January 1, 2025, China’s Network Data Security Management Regulations introduce enhanced requirements for data security and privacy, particularly concerning personal information protection, data localization, and cross-border data transfers. These regulations impose stricter compliance obligations on data handlers, including requirements to conduct regular data security risk assessments, implement classified data protection measures, and obtain governmental approval for certain cross-border data transfers. Additionally, companies processing large volumes of “important data” or “national core data” may face heightened scrutiny and stricter regulatory oversight. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in significant financial penalties, operational disruptions, revocation of business licenses, or restrictions on cross-border operations. As a result, we may be required to adjust our data handling practices, enhance internal compliance measures, and allocate additional resources to meet evolving regulatory requirements in China. Compliance with the GDPR, the UK GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, as well as the Cybersecurity Law, DSL and enhanced regulations in China, may involve substantial operational costs or require us to change business practices. While we have not had a substantial presence in the European Union historically, in January 2022, we opened our European Operations Center in Dusseldorf, Germany and, in March 2022, we acquired a 65% equity interest in Tropos Motors Europe GmbH (“TME”), a “private label” channel partners that assembles and distributes branded ECVs based on our Metro® called the ABLE and one of our largest customers since 2019. As a result, we may be required to comply with certain provisions of the GDPR. As a result, we may need to undertake an update of certain of our business practices, including (i) updating internal records, policies and procedures; (ii) updating publicly facing privacy notices and consent mechanisms, where required; (iii) implementing employee privacy training; (iv) appointing an individual responsible for privacy compliance; (v) implementing an inter-group data transfer agreement; (vi) reviewing/updating contracts with vendors that process data on our behalf, and (vii) implementing an audit framework. Furthermore, if we begin selling our ECVs directly to end-users in the European Union, UK or China, we would likely be required to comply with additional regulatory requirements. To the extent we become subject to any such regulations, our noncompliance could result in proceedings by governmental entities, customers, data subjects or others and may result in fines, penalties, and civil litigation claims. 40 Table of Contents Our ECVs are fitted with a networking device connecting the vehicle to our proprietary cloud-based software, which enables end-users to collect data about vehicle configuration, vehicle status and user efficiency through a system of digitally enabled components, which we sometimes refer to as “smart components.” With the permission of the end-users of the vehicles, we received data collected from approximately 950 Metro® units that we put into service through a company affiliated with our former parent company, CAG Cayman, in the Chinese market. This data included vehicle-specific data collected for operational analysis, which we used to make improvements in the quality and durability of such components. We enable end-users to collect, store and analyze data using tools that we have developed but we do not have access to this end-user collected data unless we request and receive access from the end-user. We do not currently collect, use or store any vehicle-specific or driver-specific data in any region and do not intend to do so in the future. These laws, rules, and regulations are constantly evolving and may be interpreted, applied, created, or amended in a manner that could harm our current or future business and operations and may result in ever increasing regulatory and public scrutiny and escalating levels of enforcement and sanctions. Any significant changes to applicable laws, regulations, or industry practices regarding the use, transfer, or disclosure of individual data, or regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of individuals for the use and disclosure of such data is obtained - or in how these applicable laws, regulations, or industry practices are interpreted and enforced by state, federal, and international privacy regulators - could require us to modify our services and features, possibly in a material and costly manner, may subject us to legal claims, regulatory enforcement actions and fines, and may limit our ability to develop new services and features that make use of the data that individuals share with us, should we begin to collect such data. To the extent we are required to comply with regulations under the GDPR, the UK GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, the Cybersecurity Law, the DSL and China’s enhanced regulations (collectively, the “Data Security Regulations”), any non-compliance could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Compliance with Data Security Regulations may be a rigorous and time-intensive process that may increase our cost of doing business or require us to change our business practices, and despite those efforts, there is a risk that we may be subject to fines and penalties, litigation, and reputational harm in connection with any future activities. Any unauthorized control or manipulation of our ECV’s information technology systems could result in loss of confidence in us and our ECVs and harm our business. Our ECVs are equipped with complex information technology systems. For example, our ECVs are designed with built-in data connectivity to improve their functionality. We have designed, implemented and tested security measures intended to prevent unauthorized access to our information technology networks, our ECVs and their systems. However, hackers may attempt in the future to gain unauthorized access to modify, alter and use such networks and ECV systems to gain control of, or to change, our ECVs’ functionality, user interface and performance characteristics, or to gain access to data stored in or generated by our ECVs. In addition, there are limited preventative measures that we can take to prevent unauthorized access to our information technology network by an employee that is knowledgeable about our information technology network and its various safeguards. We encourage reporting of potential vulnerabilities in the security of our ECVs, and we aim to remedy any reported and verified vulnerability. However, there can be no assurance that vulnerabilities will not be exploited in the future before they can be identified, or that our remediation efforts are or will be successful. Any unauthorized access to or control of our ECVs or their systems or any loss of data could result in legal claims or proceedings. In addition, regardless of their veracity, reports of unauthorized access to our ECVs, their systems or data, as well as other factors that may result in the perception that our ECVs, their systems or data are capable of being “hacked,” could adversely affect our brand, business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Breaches in data security, failure of information security systems, cyber-attacks or other security or privacy-related incidents affecting us or our suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and brand, harm our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows, and subject us to legal or regulatory fines or damages. Threats to networks and information technology infrastructure are increasingly diverse and sophisticated. Traditional computer “hackers,” malicious code (such as viruses and worms), phishing attempts, employee theft or misuse, denial of service attacks, ransomware attacks, and sophisticated nation-state and nation-state supported actors engage in intrusions and attacks that create risks for our (and our suppliers’) internal networks, vehicles, infrastructure, and cloud deployed products and the information they store and process, including personal information of our employees and customers, including names, accounts, user IDs and passwords, vehicle information, and payment or transaction related information. Although we have implemented security measures designed to prevent such attacks, our networks and systems may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, employee error, malfeasance, a combination of these, or otherwise, and as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to our systems, networks, or data, resulting in data being publicly disclosed, altered, lost, or stolen, which could subject us to liability and adversely impact our financial condition. Further, any breach in our data security could allow malicious parties to access sensitive systems, such as our product lines and the vehicles themselves. Such access could adversely impact the safety of our employees and customers. We and our suppliers have been and continue to be subject to ransomware and phishing attacks. While we seek to learn from all attacks directed at us and implement remedial measures where necessary under the framework of our cybersecurity risk management program we have developed and expect our suppliers to do the same, we cannot guarantee that such remedial measures will prevent material cybersecurity incidents in the future. We also face increasing and evolving disclosure obligations related to cyber and other security events. Despite our cybersecurity risk management program and processes, we may fail to meet our existing or future disclosure obligations and/or may have our disclosures misinterpreted. 41 Table of Contents Any actual, alleged, or perceived failure to prevent a security breach or to comply with our privacy policies or privacy-related legal obligations, failure in our systems or networks, or any other actual, alleged, or perceived data security incident we or our suppliers suffer, could result in: damage to our reputation; negative publicity; loss of customers and sales; loss of competitive advantages over our competitors; increased costs to remedy any problems and provide any required notifications, including to regulators and individuals, and otherwise respond to any incident; regulatory investigations and enforcement actions; costly litigation; and other liabilities. In addition, we may incur significant financial and operational costs to investigate, remediate, and implement additional tools, devices, and systems designed to prevent actual or perceived security breaches, and other security or privacy-related incidents, as well as costs to comply with any notification obligations resulting from any such incidents. Further, we could also be exposed to a risk of loss or litigation and potential liability under laws, regulations, and contracts that protect the privacy and security of personal information. Any of these negative outcomes could adversely impact the market perception of our products and customer and investor confidence in our Company, and would materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Risks Related to Doing Business in China Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. A significant amount of our assets and operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced by political, economic and social conditions in China generally. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. In some instances, these regulatory measures could negatively impact us. For instance, the Chinese government restricts foreign direct investment in certain industries, which could in the future, if such restrictions are expanded to include the ECV industry, limit our ability to operate through Chinese subsidiaries. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in China, in the policies of the Chinese government or in the laws and regulations in China could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China. Such developments could adversely affect our business and operating results, lead to reduction in demand for our ECVs and adversely affect our competitive position. While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate adjustments, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, which may also adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. The PRC government may intervene or otherwise adversely affect our operations at any time, or may exert more control over foreign investment in issuers with operations in China, which could materially affect our operations. The PRC government may intervene or otherwise adversely affect our operations at any time, or may exert more control over foreign investment in issuers with operations in China, which could materially affect our operations. For example, the PRC government has recently published new policies that significantly affected certain industries such as the education and Internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies regarding the electric commercial vehicle or any other related industry that could adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of our company. Furthermore, the PRC government has also recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over foreign investment in companies with China-based operations. Rules and regulations in China can change with little advance notice. Any such action, once taken by the PRC government, could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline. 42 Table of Contents Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on certain activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas (particularly those using variable interest entity structures), adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews (particularly for companies that process large amounts of sensitive consumer data), and expanding efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative bodies will respond, what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operations or the ability to accept foreign investments. Uncertainties with respect to the Chinese legal system could materially and adversely affect us and may restrict the level of legal protections to foreign investors. China’s legal system is based on statutory law. Unlike the common law system, statutory law is based primarily on written statutes. Previous court decisions may be cited as persuasive authority but do not have a binding effect. Although the Supreme People’s Court has determined and issued guiding caselaw that courts should refer to when trying similar cases, it may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. Since 1979, the Chinese government has been promulgating and amending laws, regulations and relevant interpretations regarding economic matters, such as corporate organization and governance, foreign investment, commerce, taxation and trade. However, since these laws and regulations are relatively new, and the Chinese legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretation of many laws, regulations and rules is not always uniform, and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules may involves uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to us. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management’s attention. The legal system in China may not provide investors with the same level of protection as in the United States or Australia. We are governed by laws and regulations generally applicable to local enterprises in China. Many of these laws and regulations are still being continuously revised and improved. Interpretation, implementation and enforcement of the existing laws and regulations can be uncertain and unpredictable and therefore may restrict the legal protections available to foreign investors. We currently conduct a significant amount of our operations through our subsidiaries established in China. Adverse regulatory developments in China may subject us to additional regulatory review or regulatory approval, and additional disclosure requirements. Also, regulatory scrutiny in response to recent tensions between the United States and China may impose additional compliance requirements for companies like ours with significant China-based operations. These developments could increase our compliance costs or subject us to additional disclosure requirements. We currently conduct a significant amount of our operations through our subsidiaries established in China. Because of our corporate structure, we and our investors are subject to unique risks due to uncertainty regarding the interpretation and application of currently enacted PRC laws and regulations and any future actions of the PRC government relating to companies with significant PRC operations, and the possibility of sanctions imposed by PRC regulatory agencies, including the China Securities Regulatory Commission, if we fail to comply with their rules and regulations. For example, as a result of our PRC operations, we are subject to PRC laws relating to, among others, data security and restriction over foreign investments. Recent regulatory developments in China, in particular with respect to restrictions on companies with significant operations in China raising capital offshore, including companies that process large amounts of sensitive consumer data and companies with a variable interest entities structure, or a VIE structure, may lead to additional regulatory review or approval in China over our financing and capital raising activities in the U.S. capital markets. On December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “Cyberspace Administration”) and other competent authorities issued the amended Cybersecurity Review Measures (effective as of February 2022), which provides, among other things, that online platform operators (i.e., over one million users) must apply for cybersecurity review prior to public listings outside of China. Under such rules, the Cyberspace Administration has jurisdiction to review and limit foreign public listings of critical information infrastructure operators (data operators in industries such as energy, water conservancy and public services) and online platform operators with more than one million users (for example, companies that operate consumer platforms such as ride-sharing, personal banking or retail). Additionally, on December 24, 2021, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) published the Regulations of the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Issuance and Listing of Securities by Domestic Enterprises (Draft for Public Comments) and the Measures for the Administration of Overseas Issuance and Listing of Securities by Domestic Enterprises (Draft for Public Comments) for public comments, which will apply to a domestic enterprise that issues shares, depositary receipts, corporate bonds convertible into shares, or other securities of an equity nature outside of the PRC, or lists its securities for trading outside of the PRC. 43 Table of Contents On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Overseas Offering and Listing Measures, which provides principles and guidelines for direct and indirect issuance of securities overseas by a Chinese domestic company. Under the Overseas Offering and Listing Measures, the substance rather than the form of issuance will govern when determining whether an issuance constitutes “indirect issuance of securities overseas by a Chinese domestic company”, and an issuance meeting the following two conditions simultaneously will be deemed as an “indirect issuance of securities overseas by a Chinese domestic company”: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic enterprises, and (ii) the principal business is conducted or the principal business place is within the territory of mainland China, or the majority of senior management in charge of business operation are Chinese citizens or have habitual residence within the territory of mainland China. In the event any listing or issuance of securities has fallen under this definition, the issuer shall assign one of its related major Chinese domestic operating entities to make filings with the CSRC within three business days after its initial public offering or any offerings after the initial public offering. As the Company is an Australian company with (i) only partial business operations conducted within the territory of mainland China constituting less than 50% of our total financials on a consolidated basis, and (ii) does not have its principal business conducted or the principal business place within the territory of mainland China, or have majority of senior management in charge of business operation are Chinese citizens or have habitual residence within the territory of mainland China, we understand the Company’s listing and issuance of securities on Nasdaq will not constitute an indirect issuance of securities overseas by a Chinese domestic company under the Overseas Offering and Listing Measures. However, even if we were subject to the Overseas Offering and Listing Measures according to the Overseas Offering and Listing Notice, an issuer who has completed overseas issuance and listing before March 31, 2023 like us is not required to file with the CSRC for the offering or listing that is already completed but is required to make filings with the CSRC for its follow-on financing activities involving overseas offering or listing after the effective date of the Overseas Offering and Listing Measures. As such, we are not required to make filings with CSRC under the Overseas Offering and Listing Measures unless we qualify under the above criteria and conduct new overseas offerings of our securities in the future. As the Overseas Offering and Listing Measures is recently issued and the interpretations and implementation of such regulation still involve uncertainties, we cannot assure you that the Company, and its subsidiaries can complete the filings with the CSRC if the Company become subject to the Listing Measures intends to conduct new overseas offerings of its securities after March 31, 2023. In addition, since regulatory regime of the PRC for securities activities continues to rapidly evolve, we cannot assure you that we will not be required in the future to make filings with or obtain approvals from the CSRC or potentially other regulatory authorities in order to maintain the listing status on Nasdaq due to changes or passing of applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations in the future. In the event that it is determined that the Company, and its subsidiaries are required to make filings with or obtain approval from the CSRC or any other regulatory authority but fail to make such filings or obtain such approvals timely or at all, the PRC subsidiaries of the Company may be subject to non-compliance rectification order, warning letters or fines, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations, and/or the value of our Common Stock, or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. In addition, on July 30, 2021, in response to the recent regulatory developments in China and actions adopted by the PRC government, the Chairman of the SEC issued a statement asking the SEC staff to seek additional disclosures from offshore issuers associated with China-based operating companies before their registration statements will be declared effective, including detailed disclosure related to VIE structures and whether the VIE and the issuer, when applicable, received or were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges and the risks that such approval could be denied or rescinded. We may face heightened scrutiny and negative publicity, which could result in a material change in our operations or significantly limit our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline. Additionally, recent statements by PRC authorities and changes in PRC internal regulatory mandates, such as certain rules surrounding mergers and acquisitions, the Data Security Law, and rules related to entities using a variable interest entity structure, may target the Company due to our significant operations in China and impact our ability to conduct business, accept foreign investments, or maintain a listing on a U.S. exchange. We cannot predict the effects of future developments in the PRC legal system. We may be required in the future to procure additional permits, authorizations and approvals for our existing and future operations, which may not be obtainable in a timely fashion or at all and which could materially affect our operations as a business. The occurrence of any of the aforementioned regulatory obstacles or the inability to obtain such permits or authorizations may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Increases in labor costs and enforcement of stricter labor laws and regulations in China may adversely affect our business and our profitability. China’s overall economy and the average wage in China have increased in recent years and are expected to grow. The average wage level for our employees has also increased in recent years. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will increase. Unless we are able to take effective measures to reduce labor costs or pass on these increased labor costs to those who pay for our ECVs, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. 44 Table of Contents In addition, we have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with our employees, limitation with respect to utilization of labor dispatching, applying for foreigner work permits, labor protection and labor condition and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employee’s probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. In October 2010, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Social Insurance Law, which came into effect on July 1, 2011 and was amended on December 29, 2018. On April 3, 1999, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (the “State Council”) promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Funds, which was amended on March 24, 2002 and March 24, 2019. Companies registered and operating in China are required under the Social Insurance Law and the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Funds to apply for social insurance registration and housing fund deposit registration within 30 days of their establishment, and to pay for their employees different social insurance including pension insurance, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to the extent required by law, as well as housing provident funds. If we are deemed to have violated relevant social insurance and housing funds regulations, we could be subject to orders by the competent authorities for rectification and failure to comply with such orders may further subject us to administrative fines or other corresponding measures. As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, our employment practices may violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all labor-related law and regulations including those relating to obligations to make social insurance payments and contribute to the housing provident funds. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to our employees or assume other responsibilities and our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected. Fluctuations in the value of the RMB and restrictions on currency exchange may adversely affect our business. The reporting currency of our U.S. subsidiary is the U.S. Dollar while our Chinese subsidiaries’ functional currency is RMB. Our Audited Financial Statements are presented in USD and will be affected by the foreign exchange rate of the Renminbi (“RMB”) against the USD. During the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, significant portions of our revenues were derived from the sales in the European Union and United States, denominated in Euros or USD, respectively, while our costs and expenses were primarily incurred in the PRC (and denominated in RMB). The value of the RMB against the Euro, USD and other currencies is affected by changes in China’s political and economic conditions and by China’s foreign exchange policies, as well as currency market conditions and other factors. Since July 21, 2005, the RMB has been permitted to fluctuate within a narrow and managed band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC, U.S. or EU government policy may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the USD or Euro, respectively, in the future. For instance, during the year ended December 31, 2025 the RMB appreciated against the USD by approximately 4%. Currency exchange rate fluctuation in either direction can negatively impact our results of operations or financial condition. Appreciation in RMB could have the effect of increasing our operating costs so long as a material amount of our current operations occur in China. Conversely, appreciation of USD against the RMB could have the effect of reducing the value of our cash and cash equivalents in China for the purpose of paying any cash dividends. We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business. We conduct our operations in various countries, including China, through wholly owned subsidiaries with direct equity ownership. If our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries, which are foreign-owned enterprises, may pay dividends only out of their respective accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital. Such reserve funds cannot be distributed to us as dividends. At its discretion, a foreign-owned enterprise may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to an enterprise expansion fund, or a staff welfare and bonus fund. To date, we have not been required to set aside and fund any such statutory reserve fund, as we have, since our inception, incurred net losses. 45 Table of Contents Under applicable PRC accounting standards and regulations, intercompany transfers are accounted for under either a general account, for cash transfers in the ordinary course of business, or a capital account, for cash transfers on investments (i.e., dividends and loan repayments). With respect to our capital account, we can send capital investments to our subsidiaries for working capital and our subsidiaries can use such capital at their discretion. To the extent one of our PRC subsidiaries declares and pays a dividend, such subsidiary must pay a transfer tax of 15% to repatriate any profit distributed to our Australian parent company. Our PRC subsidiaries, as Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises (WFOEs) under PRC law, can make dividends up to CAG HK without prior PRC regulatory approval. However, any such subsidiary is limited in its ability to make dividends while that subsidiary has either net losses in the current period or accumulated net losses from prior periods and will only be able to pay dividends during periods in which it has positive net income and no accumulated net losses. We have not made any cash distributions or transfers of other assets between us and any of our subsidiaries. To date, there have been no net profits recognized at any of our PRC subsidiaries and thus there have not been any dividends or distributions made by any of our subsidiaries. With respect to our general account, our subsidiaries purchase and pay for materials and parts, and receive funds for the sale of vehicle kits and vehicles. There is no PRC government approval required for transactions in our general account, where funds can be sent and received in the ordinary course of business freely without government approvals. Revenue generated in Renminbi by our PRC Subsidiaries is not freely convertible into other currencies. As a result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to use their Renminbi revenues to pay dividends to us. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls and more restrictions and substantial vetting processes may be put forward by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, for cross-border transactions. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business. In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC-resident enterprises are incorporated. Changes in U.S. and international trade policies, particularly with regard to China, may adversely impact our business and operating results. Since the beginning of 2018, there has been increasing rhetoric, in some cases coupled with legislative or executive action, from several U.S. and foreign leaders regarding tariffs against foreign imports of certain materials. More specifically, there have been several rounds of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods taking effect in the past few years, some of which prompted retaliatory Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods. Most recently, on March 4, 2025, U.S. president, Donald J. Trump, announced that the U.S. would impose an additional 20% tariff on Chinese imports starting March 4, 2025. The additional tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on certain products imported from China may impact our supply chain and cost structure. Additionally, the U.S. government continues to signal that it may alter trade agreements and terms between China and the United States, including limiting trade with China, and may impose additional tariffs on imports from China and other countries from which we import goods. By January 2020, China and the United States had reached a phase one trade deal to roll back tariffs and suspend certain tariff increases by the United States that were scheduled to take effect; however, such phase one trade deal made reductions in tariffs contingent on certain purchase concessions from China. As of March 2022, China has yet to satisfy the trade deal’s purchase conditions and tariff levels have not been reduced under the agreement. The institution of trade tariffs both globally and between the U.S. and China specifically carries the risk of negatively affecting both countries’ overall economic condition. If these tariffs continue or additional new tariffs are imposed in the future, they could have a negative impact on us as we have significant operations in China. The Chinese government has adopted legislation and new regulations designed to counteract U.S. trade policies towards China, including the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law and the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China Order No. 1 of 2021 on Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures. Pursuant to the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, all entities and individuals (including subsidiaries of multinational companies and foreign citizen) in China (including Hong Kong and Macao) risk being on the anti-sanctions list if they are deemed to aid and abet in the implementation of sanctions imposed by foreign countries. Continuing trade tensions between China and the United States could adversely affect our business and our operations. It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China. Shareholder claims or regulatory investigations that are common in the United States and other developed countries generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigations or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests. 46 Table of Contents PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from making loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. Under PRC laws and regulations, we are permitted to utilize the proceeds of any financing outside China to fund our PRC subsidiaries by making loans to or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, subject to applicable government registration, statutory limitations on amount and approval requirements. These PRC laws and regulations may limit our ability to use Renminbi converted from the net proceeds of any financing outside China to make future loans to our PRC subsidiaries or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law. SAFE requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes certain material events. If our stockholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, our PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and any proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with SAFE registration requirements could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interests in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our stockholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make or obtain, any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects. Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee share incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions. Under SAFE regulations, PRC residents who participate in a share incentive plan in an overseas publicly listed company may be required to register with SAFE or its local branches and complete certain other procedures. We and our PRC resident employees who participate in our share incentive plans may become subject to these regulations. If we or any of these PRC resident employees fail to comply with these regulations, we or such employees may be subject to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law. You may experience difficulties in enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us based on foreign laws. The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in China are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of reciprocity with the United States or Australia that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States or Australia against any of our subsidiaries or assets located in China. 47 Table of Contents Risks Related to Our Common Stock Our Common Stock may be delisted under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors. The delisting of our common stock, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCA Act states if the SEC determines that a company has filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit such Common Stock from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the U.S. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if enacted, would amend the HFCA Act and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three. A bill corresponding to the Senate’s Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accounting Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on December 13, 2021, though such legislation has not yet been passed. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCA Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCA Act, whether the PCAOB 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. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an Annual Report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (i) China, and (ii) Hong Kong. Our current auditor, GGF, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included in this annual report on Form 10-K, as a firm registered with the PCAOB (PCAOB ID:2729), is subject to laws in the U.S. pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. GGF, whose audit report is included in this report, is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, and, as of the date of this Annual Report, was not included in the list of PCAOB Identified Firms in the Determination Report. Recent developments create uncertainty as to the PCAOB’s continued ability to conduct inspections of our independent accounting firm GGF. Our ability to retain an auditor subject to the PCAOB inspection and investigation, including but not limited to inspection of the audit working papers related to us, may depend on the relevant positions of U.S. and Chinese regulators. With respect to audits of companies with operations in China, such as the Company, there are uncertainties about the ability of our auditor to fully cooperate with a request by the PCAOB for audit working papers in China without the approval of Chinese authorities. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the Company’s auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities. Such a prohibition would substantially impair an investor’s ability to sell or purchase the Company’s Common Stock and negatively impact the price of the Common Stock. The delisting of our Common Stock, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment, even making it worthless. Accordingly, the HFCAA calls for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. Our Common Stock price may be volatile, and the value of our Common Stock may decline. The market price of our Common Stock may be highly volatile and may fluctuate or decline substantially as a result of a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control, including: • our future financial performance, including expectations regarding our revenue, expenses and other operating results; • changes in customer acceptance rates or the pricing of our vehicles; • delays in the production of our vehicles; • our ability to establish new channel partners and successfully retain existing channel partners; • our ability to anticipate market needs and develop and introduce new and enhanced vehicles to adapt to changes in our industry; • the success of our competitors; • our operating results failing to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors in a particular period; • changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts concerning us or the industry in which we operate in general; 48 Table of Contents • the stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us; • announcements by us or our competitors of significant business developments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations or capital commitments; • future investments in our business, our anticipated capital expenditures and our estimates regarding our capital requirements; • disputes or other developments related to our intellectual property or other proprietary rights, including litigation; • changes in our capital structure, including future issuances of securities or the incurrence of debt; • changes in senior management or key personnel; • changes in laws and regulations affecting our business; • commencement of, or involvement in, investigations, inquiries or litigation; • the inherent risks related to the electric commercial vehicle industry; • the trading volume of our Common Stock; and • general economic and market conditions. Broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political, regulatory, and market conditions, may also negatively impact the market price of our Common Stock. In addition, technology stocks have historically experienced high levels of volatility. In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their securities have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future, which could result in substantial expenses and divert our management’s attention. Concentration of ownership among our executive officers, directors and their affiliates, may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions. As of December 31, 2025, our executive officers, directors and their affiliates beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 8.6% of our outstanding Common Stock. In particular, as of December 31, 2025, Mr. Peter Z. Wang, our Chief Executive Officer, beneficially owned approximately 8.5% of our outstanding Common Stock. Mr. Wang is able to exercise a significant level of influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our Constitution and approval of significant corporate transactions. This influence could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in management and will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of Mr. Wang. Future sales of our Common Stock by us in the public market could cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline. The issuance of additional Common Stock in connection with financings, acquisitions, investments, our equity incentive plans or otherwise will dilute all other shareholders. Sales of a substantial number of Common Stock in the public market, including sales of Common Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock under our existing universal shelf registration statements on Form F-3, filed with the SEC on May 18, 2021, and January 6, 2022, and on Form S-3, filed with the SEC on January 28, 2026, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our Common Stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the timing of or the effect that any such sales may have on the prevailing market price of our Common Stock. The issuance of additional Common Stock in the future will result in dilution to all other shareholders. In addition, we expect to grant equity awards to employees, directors and consultants under our equity incentive plans. As part of our business strategy, we may acquire or make investments in companies, products or technologies and issue equity securities to pay for any such acquisition or investment. Any such issuances of additional share capital may cause shareholders to experience significant dilution of their ownership interests and the per share value of our Common Stock to decline. 49 Table of Contents If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish unfavorable or inaccurate research about our business, the market price and trading volume of our Common Stock could decline. The market price and trading volume of our Common Stock is heavily influenced by the way analysts interpret our financial information and other disclosures. We do not have control over these analysts. If industry analysts cease coverage of us or if securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, the price of our Common Stock may be negatively affected. If securities or industry analysts downgrade our Common Stock or publish negative reports about our business, the price of our Common Stock would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our Common Stock could decrease, which might cause a decline in the price of our Common Stock and could decrease the trading volume of our Common Stock. We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future and, as a result, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our Common Stock. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock, and we do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board. Accordingly, you may need to rely on sales of our Common Stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on your investment. There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market. Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements could result in a delisting of our Common Stock. We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with the standards that we are required to meet in order to maintain a listing of our Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”). If we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market, such as the minimum stockholder’s equity requirement, the minimum bid price requirements or the minimum market value of publicly held shares requirement, Nasdaq staff may take steps to de-list our Common Stock. On April 25, 2025, we received a written notification from Nasdaq, notifying us that we are not in compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on Nasdaq. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we were provided 180 calendar days, or until October 22, 2025, to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). To regain compliance, our Common Stock must have a closing bid price of at least US$1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days. In the event we do not regain compliance by October 22, 2025, we may be eligible for additional time to regain compliance or may face delisting. On October 23, 2025, we received a written notice granting an additional 180-day calendar days, or until April 20, 2026, to regain compliance. In an effort to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, we effected a Reverse Stock Split of our outstanding Common Stock at a ratio of 1-for-60, which became effective on April 13, 2026. As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, every sixty (60) issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock were automatically combined into one (1) share of Common Stock. The Reverse Stock Split reduced the number of outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock from approximately 87,912,831 shares to approximately 1,465,214 shares. In addition, all outstanding options, warrants and other convertible securities of the Company were proportionately adjusted in accordance with their terms. The Reverse Stock Split did not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in the Company, except for the impact of fractional share rounding. The par value of the Company’s Common Stock remains unchanged after the Reverse Stock Split. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to timely regain or maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirement. A notice of de-listing or any de-listing would likely have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock and may impair our stockholders’ ability to sell our Common Stock when they wish to do so. In the event that we receive a notice of de-listing, we would plan to take actions to restore our compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any action taken by us would result in our Common Stock maintaining its listing, or that any such action would stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our Common Stock. Under amended Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(iv) (the “Nasdaq Excessive Reverse Share Split Rule”), companies are now limited by how many times they can effect reverse share splits within a certain time period to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. Under the Nasdaq Excessive Reverse Share Split Rule, if a company’s ordinary shares fail to meet the minimum bid price requirement and the company has effected a reverse share split within the prior one-year period, it will not be eligible for any compliance period to address a bid price deficiency. Accordingly, if our Common Stock fall out of compliance with the minimum bid requirement within a one-year period following our most recent share consolidation, we will be issued a delisting determination rather than being granted a compliance period. Under these circumstances, we could appeal the delisting determination to a Hearings Panel, during which time any suspension or delisting action will be stayed. This amendment builds upon a 2020 rule change, which established an automatic delisting threshold for companies that have conducted one or more reverse share splits within a two-year period with a cumulative ratio of 250 shares or more to one. Companies that meet this threshold are also ineligible for a compliance period and are subject to delisting (subject to a stay pursuant to the appeal processes). In the event that our Common Stock are delisted from Nasdaq, U.S. broker-dealers may be discouraged from effecting transactions in our Common Stock because they may be considered penny stocks and thus be subject to the penny stock rules. The SEC has adopted a number of rules to regulate “penny stock” that restricts transactions involving stock which is deemed to be penny stock. Such rules include Rules 3a51-1, 15g-1, 15g-2, 15g-3, 15g-4, 15g-5, 15g-6, 15g-7, and 15g-9 under the Exchange Act. These rules may have the effect of reducing the liquidity of penny stocks. “Penny stocks” generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 per share (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on Nasdaq if current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system). Our Common Stock could be considered to be a “penny stock” within the meaning of the rules. The additional sales practice and disclosure requirements imposed upon U.S. broker-dealers may discourage such broker-dealers from effecting transactions in shares of our Common Stock, which could severely limit the market liquidity of such Common Stock and impede their sale in the secondary market. A U.S. broker-dealer selling a penny stock to anyone other than an established customer or “accredited investor” (generally, an individual with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or an annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 together with his or her spouse) must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. In addition, the “penny stock” regulations require the U.S. broker-dealer to deliver, prior to any transaction involving a “penny stock”, a disclosure schedule prepared in accordance with SEC standards relating to the “penny stock” market, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. A U.S. broker-dealer is also required to disclose commissions payable to the U.S. broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally, a U.S. broker-dealer is required to submit monthly statements disclosing recent price information with respect to the “penny stock” held in a customer’s account and information with respect to the limited market in “penny stocks”. The market for “penny stocks” has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (i) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (ii) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (iii) “boiler room” practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (iv) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (v) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, resulting in losses to our shareholders. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to our securities. 50 Table of Contents If we fail to maintain our Nasdaq listing, we may face increased regulatory burdens and reduced investor protections on over-the-counter markets. If our Common Stock are delisted from Nasdaq, they would likely trade, if at all, on over-the-counter markets such as the OTCQX, OTCQB or OTCID marketplaces. These alternative markets are generally considered to be less efficient and less liquid than Nasdaq. Trading on the over-the-counter markets could subject our Common Stock and our shareholders to additional risks, including limited availability of market quotations, reduced liquidity, decreased market-making activity, reduced analyst coverage, and decreased ability to issue additional Common Stock or obtain additional financing. Additionally, the price of our Common Stock on these markets may be more volatile than on Nasdaq, and shareholders may find it more difficult to dispose of or obtain accurate price information about our Common Stock. Nasdaq has proposed a new $5 million minimum market value continued listing requirement that, if approved, could result in immediate suspension and delisting of our Common Stock without any cure period or opportunity to regain compliance. On January 13, 2026, Nasdaq proposed new listing rules requiring companies on the Nasdaq Global and Capital Markets to maintain a minimum Market Value of Listed Securities of at least $5 million. Under this proposal, if our market value falls below $5 million for 30 consecutive business days, our Common Stock would be immediately suspended from trading and delisted from Nasdaq, with no cure period, no compliance period, and no stay of suspension during any appeal. This proposed rule represents a fundamental departure from Nasdaq’s traditional approach to listing deficiencies. Unlike other continued listing requirements that provide companies with 180 days or more to regain compliance, the proposed market value requirement would result in immediate and irreversible consequences. While we could request a hearing before a Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Hearings Panel to appeal a delisting determination, such a request would not prevent the immediate suspension of our Common Stock from trading. Furthermore, the Hearings Panel would have extremely limited discretion and could only reverse the delisting decision if it determines that the initial determination was in error, and the Panel could not consider evidence that we had subsequently regained compliance or grant us additional time to do so. Nasdaq’s proposal reflects its belief that once a company’s market value falls below $5 million, the challenges facing that company are generally not temporary and are so severe that the company is unlikely to regain and sustain compliance for the long term. Nasdaq further believes it is difficult to maintain fair and orderly markets for such low-value companies. The SEC must decide on the proposal within 45 days of publication in the Federal Register, unless it extends the review period, creating uncertainty regarding whether and when this rule may become effective. Given that we are currently subject to a minimum bid price deficiency notice and our Common Stock have experienced price volatility, there is a risk with our market value falling below $5 million if the proposed rule is adopted. Our market value is calculated as our consolidated closing bid price multiplied by our total Listed Securities. Factors that could cause our market value to fall below the proposed threshold include continued stock price decline, lack of investor interest, adverse market conditions, negative developments in our business operations, dilutive financing transactions, or broader market volatility affecting microcap companies. If we are simultaneously addressing our existing minimum bid price deficiency when the proposed rule becomes effective, we could face multiple overlapping listing threats that compound the risk of delisting. This proposal is part of a broader trend of Nasdaq tightening listing standards for small issuers, including recent rules granting Nasdaq discretion to deny initial listings based on susceptibility to manipulative trading and other market value-based requirements. This increasingly stringent regulatory environment creates greater challenges for microcap companies like us to maintain public listings. If the proposed $5 million market value continued listing requirement is approved and we subsequently fail to maintain the required market value for 30 consecutive business days, our Common Stock would be immediately suspended and delisted from Nasdaq with no opportunity to cure the deficiency, which would have severe adverse consequences for our business, our ability to raise capital, and the liquidity and value of our shareholders’ investments. 51 Table of Contents We are an “emerging growth company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Stock less attractive to investors. We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404 and disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation. Pursuant to Section 107 of the JOBS Act, as an emerging growth company, we have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of issuers who are required to comply with the effective dates for new or revised accounting standards that are applicable to public companies, which may make our Common Stock less attractive to investors. In addition, if we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will no longer be able to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of January 14, 2022, which was the date of the first sale of our Common Stock pursuant to an effective registration statement; (2) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue is $1.235 billion or more; (3) the date on which we have, during the previous rolling three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and (4) the last day of the fiscal year in which the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million as of June 30 of such fiscal year. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. For example, if we do not adopt a new or revised accounting standard, our future results of operations may not be as comparable to the results of operations of certain other companies in our industry that adopted such standards. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock, and our share price may be more volatile. The Nevada Revised Statutes contain anti-takeover provisions, which may discourage a third-party from acquiring us and adversely affect the rights of holders of our Common Stock. The Nevada Revised Statutes contain certain provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire control of our Company. In addition, Nevada law restricts the ability of a corporation to engage in any combination with an interested stockholder for three years from when the interested stockholder acquires shares that cause the stockholder to become an interested stockholder, unless the combination or purchase of shares by the interested stockholder is approved by the Board of Directors before the stockholder became an interested stockholder. These provisions could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company. These provisions could also make it more difficult for you and other shareholders to elect directors of your choosing and cause us to take other corporate actions that you desire. Additionally, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Z. Wang has considerable influence over the composition of our Board. See “⸺Concentration of ownership among our executive officers, directors and their affiliates, may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.” 52 Table of Contents