SOLO Electrameccanica Vehicles Corporation

ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION

A. Selected financial data

The selected historical consolidated financial information set forth below has been derived from our financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C. Reasons for the offer and use of proceeds

Not applicable.

D. Risk Factors

An investment in our shares carries a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report, including our financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report, before you decide to purchase our shares. Any one of these risks and uncertainties has the potential to cause material adverse effects on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results which could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements expressed by us and a significant decrease in the value of our common shares. Refer to “Forward-Looking Statements”.

We may not be successful in preventing the material adverse effects that any of the following risks and uncertainties may cause. These potential risks and uncertainties may not be a complete list of the risks and uncertainties facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties that we are presently unaware of, or presently consider immaterial, that may become material in the future and have a material adverse effect on us. You could lose all or a significant portion of your investment due to any of these risks and uncertainties.  

Risks Related to our Business and Industry

We have a limited operating history and have generated minimal revenues.

Our limited operating history makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult. We were formed in February 2015, and we have not yet begun mass production or the commercial delivery of our first electric vehicle. To date, we have no revenues from the sale of electric vehicles as any amounts received from the sale of our pre-production electric vehicles were netted off against research and development costs as cost recovery and have had minimal revenue from the sale of non-electric custom cars. We intend to derive revenues from the sales of our SOLO vehicle, our Tofino vehicle and other intended electric vehicles (“EV”s). The Tofino is still in the early design development stage, and the first commercially-produced SOLOs are scheduled to be delivered to our customers during 2020. Our vehicles require significant investment prior to commercial introduction and may never be successfully developed or commercially successful.

We have a history of operating losses and we expect our operating losses to accelerate and materially increase for the foreseeable future.

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, we generated a net loss of $30,742,311, bringing our accumulated deficit to $62,116,008. We anticipate generating a significant loss for the current fiscal year. The report of independent registered public accounting firm on our audited financial statements includes an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern.

We have minimal revenue and expect significant increases in costs and expenses to forestall profits for the foreseeable future, even if we generate revenues in the near term. We have not begun the commercial mass production or sale of our flagship vehicle, the SOLO, and we expect to incur significant additional costs and expenses through the launch of the vehicle. Even if we are able to successfully launch the SOLO into commercial mass production, and to launch the Tofino or other intended EVs, they might not become commercially successful. If we are to ever achieve profitability, we must have a successful commercial introduction and acceptance of our vehicles, which may not occur. We expect that our operating losses will increase substantially in 2020 and thereafter, and we also expect to continue to incur operating losses and to experience negative cash flows for the next several years.

We expect the rate at which we will incur losses to increase significantly in future periods from current levels as we:

Because we will incur the costs and expenses from these efforts before we receive any revenues with respect thereto, our losses in future periods will be significantly greater than the losses we would incur if we developed the business more slowly. In addition, we may find that these efforts are more expensive than we currently anticipate or that these efforts may not result in profits or even revenues, which would further increase our losses.

Our ability to achieve profitability will depend, in part, on our ability to materially reduce the bill of materials and per unit manufacturing cost of our products.

We anticipate that the gross profit generated from the sale of the SOLO will not be sufficient to cover our operating expenses. To achieve our operating and strategic goals while remaining competitive, we will, among other things, need to reduce the bill of materials and the per-unit manufacturing cost of the SOLO. We expect the primary factors to contribute to a reduced bill of materials and per unit manufacturing cost to include:

Continued product development is subject to feasibility and engineering risks. Any increase in manufacturing volumes is dependent upon a corresponding increase in sales. The occurrence of one or more factors that negatively impact the manufacturing or sales of the SOLO, or reduce our manufacturing efficiency, may prevent us from achieving our desired reduction in manufacturing costs, which would negatively affect our operating results and may prevent us from attaining profitability.

We currently have negative operating cash flows, and if we are unable to generate positive operating cash flows in the future our viability as an operating business will be adversely affected.

We have made significant up-front investments in research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses to rapidly develop and expand our business. We are currently incurring expenditures related to our operations that have generated a negative operating cash flow. Operating cash flow may decline in certain circumstances, many of which are beyond our control. We might not generate sufficient revenues in the near future. Because we continue to incur such significant future expenditures for research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses, we may continue to experience negative cash flow until we reach a sufficient level of sales with positive gross margins to cover operating expenses. An inability to generate positive cash flow until we reach a sufficient level of sales with positive gross margins to cover operating expenses or raise additional capital on reasonable terms will adversely affect our viability as an operating business.

To carry out our proposed business plan to develop, manufacture, sell and service electric vehicles, we will require a significant amount of capital.

To carry out our proposed business plan for the next 12 months, we estimate that we will need approximately $25 million. If cash on hand, revenue from the sale of our cars, if any, and cash received upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, if any are exercised, are not sufficient to cover our cash requirements, we will need to raise additional funds through the sale of our equity securities, in either private placements or registered offerings, and shareholder loans. If we are unsuccessful in raising enough funds through such capital-raising efforts, we may review other financing possibilities such as bank loans. Financing might not be available to us or, if available, only on terms that are not acceptable to us.

Our ability to obtain the necessary financing to carry out our business plan is subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and investor acceptance of our business plan. 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, delay or cancel our planned activities or substantially change our current corporate structure. We might not be able to obtain any funding, and we might not have sufficient resources to conduct our business as projected, both of which could mean that we would be forced to curtail or discontinue our operations.

Terms of future financings may adversely impact your investment.

We may have to engage in common equity, debt or preferred stock financing in the future. Your rights and the value of your investment in our securities could be reduced. Interest on debt securities could increase costs and negatively impacts operating results. Preferred stock could be issued in series from time to time with such designation, rights, preferences and limitations as needed to raise capital. The terms of preferred stock could be more advantageous to those investors than to the holders of common shares. In addition, if we need to raise equity capital from the sale of common shares, institutional or other investors may negotiate terms at least as, and possibly more, favorable than the terms of your investment. Common shares which we sell could be sold into any market which develops, which could adversely affect the market price.

Our future growth depends upon consumers’ willingness to adopt three-wheeled single-seat electric vehicles.

Our growth highly depends upon the adoption by consumers of, and we are subject to an elevated risk of, any reduced demand for alternative fuel vehicles in general and electric vehicles in particular. If the market for three-wheeled single seat electric vehicles does not develop as we expect, or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be negatively impacted. The market for alternative fuel vehicles is relatively new, 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. Factors that may influence the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles, and specifically electric vehicles, include:

The influence of any of the factors described above may cause current or potential customers not to purchase our electric vehicles, which would materially adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.

The range of our electric vehicles on a single charge declines over time which may negatively influence potential customers’ decisions whether to purchase our vehicles.

The range of our electric vehicles on a single charge declines principally as a function of usage, time and charging patterns. For example, a customer’s use of their vehicle as well as the frequency with which they charge the battery of their vehicle can result in additional deterioration of the battery’s ability to hold a charge. We currently expect that our battery pack will retain approximately 85% of its ability to hold its initial charge after approximately 3,000 charge cycles and eight years, which will result in a decrease to the vehicle’s initial range. Such battery deterioration and the related decrease in range may negatively influence potential customer decisions whether to purchase our vehicles, which may harm our ability to market and sell our vehicles.

Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in the internal combustion engine may materially adversely affect the demand for our electric vehicles.

Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, ethanol, fuel cells or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine, may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. For example, fuel which is abundant and relatively inexpensive in North America, such as compressed natural gas, may emerge as consumers’ preferred alternative to petroleum-based propulsion. Any failure by us to develop new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay our development and introduction of new and enhanced electric vehicles, which could result in the loss of competitiveness of our vehicles, decreased revenue and a loss of market share to competitors.

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 electric vehicle technology and, as a result, may suffer a decline in our competitive position. Any failure to keep up with advances in electric vehicle technology would result in a decline in our competitive position which would materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in electric vehicle technology. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new models to continue to provide vehicles with the latest technology, in particular battery cell technology. However, our vehicles may not compete effectively with alternative vehicles if we are not able to source and integrate the latest technology into our vehicles. For example, we do not manufacture battery cells which makes us depend upon other suppliers of battery cell technology for our battery packs.

If we are unable to design, develop, market and sell new electric vehicles and services that address additional market opportunities, our business, prospects and operating results will suffer.

We may not be able to successfully develop new electric vehicles and services, address new market segments or develop a significantly broader customer base. To date, we have focused our business on the sale of the SOLO, a three-wheeled single seat electric vehicle, and have targeted mainly urban residents of modest means and fleets. We will need to address additional markets and expand our customer demographic to further grow our business. Our failure to address additional market opportunities would harm our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

Demand in the vehicle industry is highly volatile.

Volatility of demand in the vehicle industry may materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. The markets in which we will be competing have been subject to considerable volatility in demand in recent periods. Demand for automobile sales depends to a large extent on general, economic, political and social conditions in a given market and the introduction of new vehicles and technologies. As a new start-up manufacturer, we will have fewer financial resources than more established vehicle manufacturers to withstand changes in the market and disruptions in demand.

We depend on a third-party for our near-term manufacturing needs.

In October 2017, we entered into a manufacturing agreement with Zongshen, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zongshen Industrial Group Co. Ltd., an affiliate of Zongshen Power Machinery Co., Ltd., located in Chongqing, China. Under the agreement, Zongshen has begun the process of establishing tooling and has contracted to produce 75,000 SOLO vehicles in the three full years from the commencement of production. The delivery of SOLO vehicles to our future customers and the revenue derived therefrom depends on Zongshen’s ability to fulfill its obligations under that manufacturing agreement. Zongshen’s ability to fulfill its obligations is outside of our control and depends on a variety of factors, including Zongshen’s operations, Zongshen’s financial condition and geopolitical and economic risks that could affect China. Our manufacturing agreement with Zongshen provides that non-performance by either us or Zongshen shall be excused to the extent that such performance is rendered impossible by strike, fire, flood, earthquake or governmental acts, orders or restrictions; provided that either we or Zongshen, as applicable, uses commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of such non-performance. Notwithstanding any such efforts, any such non-performance by either us or Zongshen shall be cause for termination of the manufacturing agreement by the other party if the non-performance continues for more than six months. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic or measures taken by the Chinese government relating thereto may result in non- performance by Zongshen under our manufacturing agreement. If Zongshen is unable to fulfill its obligations or is only able to partially fulfill its obligations under our existing manufacturing agreement with them, or if Zongshen either voluntarily or is forced to terminate our agreement with them, either as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese government’s measures relating thereto or otherwise, we will not be able to produce or sell our SOLO vehicle in the volumes anticipated and on the timetable that we anticipate, if at all.

The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the global economy and our operations remains uncertain, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition and on the market price of our common shares.

In December 2019, a strain of novel coronavirus (now commonly known as COVID-19) was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 has since spread rapidly throughout many countries, and, on March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. In an effort to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many countries, including the United States, Canada and China, have imposed unprecedented restrictions on travel, and there have been business closures and a substantial reduction in economic activity in countries that have had significant outbreaks of COVID-19. [Although our manufacturing partner, Zongshen, reports that its operations have not been materially affected at this point], significant uncertainty remains as to the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our and Zongshen’s operations (including, without limitation, staffing levels), supply chains for parts and sales channels for our products, and on the global economy as a whole. It is currently not possible to predict how long the pandemic will last or the time that it will take for economic activity to return to prior levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial market volatility and uncertainty in recent weeks. A continuation or worsening of the levels of market disruption and volatility seen in the recent past could have an adverse effect on our ability to access capital, on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and on the market price of our common shares.

We do not currently have all arrangements in place that are required to allow us to fully execute our business plan.

To sell our vehicles as envisioned, we will need to enter into certain additional agreements and arrangements that are not currently in place. These include entering into agreements with distributors, arranging for the transportation of the mass-produced SOLOs to be delivered pursuant to our manufacturing agreement with Zongshen, obtaining battery and other essential supplies in the quantities that we require. If we are unable to enter into such agreements, or are only able to do so on terms that are unfavorable to us, we may not be able to fully carry out our business plans.

We depend on certain key personnel, and our success will depend on our continued ability to retain and attract such qualified personnel.

Our success depends on the efforts, abilities and continued service of Michael Paul Rivera, our Chief Executive Officer, Bal Bhullar, our Chief Financial Officer, Henry Reisner, our President and Chief Operating Officer, and Isaac Moss, our Chief Administrative Officer. A number of these key employees and consultants have significant experience in the automobile manufacturing and technology industries. A loss of service from any one of these individuals may adversely affect our operations, and we may have difficulty or may not be able to locate and hire suitable replacements. We are currently in the process of obtaining “key person” insurance on certain key personnel.

Since we have little experience in mass-producing electric vehicles, any delays or difficulties in transitioning from producing custom vehicles to mass-producing vehicles may have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects and operating results.

Our management team has experience in producing custom designed vehicles and is now switching focus to mass producing electric vehicles in a rapidly evolving and competitive market. If we are unable to implement our business plans in the timeframe estimated by management and successfully transition into a mass-producing electric vehicle manufacturing business, then our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition will be negatively impacted and our ability to grow our business will be harmed.

We are subject to numerous environmental and health and safety laws and any breach of such laws may have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

We are subject to numerous environmental and health and safety laws, including statutes, regulations, bylaws and other legal requirements. These laws relate to the generation, use, handling, storage, transportation and disposal of regulated substances, including hazardous substances (such as batteries), dangerous goods and waste, emissions or discharges into soil, water and air, including noise and odors (which could result in remediation obligations), and occupational health and safety matters, including indoor air quality. These legal requirements vary by location and can arise under federal, provincial, state or municipal laws. Any breach of such laws and/or requirements would have a material adverse effect on our Company and its operating results.

Our vehicles are subject to motor vehicle standards and the failure to satisfy such mandated safety standards would have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

All vehicles sold must comply with federal, state and provincial motor vehicle safety standards. In both Canada and the United States vehicles that meet or exceed all federally mandated safety standards are certified under the federal regulations. In this regard, Canadian and U.S. motor vehicle safety standards are substantially the same. Rigorous testing and the use of approved materials and equipment are among the requirements for achieving federal certification. Failure by us to have the SOLO, the Tofino or any future model EV satisfy motor vehicle standards would have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

If we are unable to reduce and adequately control the costs associated with operating our business, including our costs of manufacturing, sales and materials, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects will suffer.

If we are unable to reduce and/or maintain a sufficiently low level of costs for designing, manufacturing, marketing, selling and distributing and servicing our electric vehicles relative to their selling prices, our operating results, gross margins, business and prospects could be materially and adversely impacted.

If our vehicles fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our electric vehicles could be harmed.

Our vehicles may contain defects in design and manufacture that may cause them not to perform as expected or that may require repair. For example, our vehicles use a substantial amount of software code to operate. Software products are inherently complex and often contain defects and errors when first introduced. While we have performed extensive internal testing, we currently have a very limited frame of reference by which to evaluate the performance of our SOLO in the hands of our customers and currently have no frame of reference by which to evaluate the performance of our vehicles after several years of customer driving. With the Tofino we are still in early design development phase, whereby the similar evaluations are further behind.

We have very limited experience servicing our vehicles. If we are unable to address the service and warranty requirements of our future customers our business will be materially and adversely affected.

If we are unable to successfully address the service requirements of our future customers our business and prospects will be materially and adversely affected. In addition, we anticipate the level and quality of the service we will provide our customers will have a direct impact on the success of our future vehicles. If we are unable to satisfactorily service our customers, our ability to generate customer loyalty, grow our business and sell additional vehicles could be impaired.

We have very limited experience servicing our vehicles. We plan for mass production to begin for SOLO vehicles for deliveries during 2020. The total number of SOLOs that we have produced as pre-production as of December 31, 2019 is approximately 114 (64 from Canada and 50 from Zongshen). Throughout its history, our subsidiary, InterMeccanica, has produced approximately 2,500 cars, which include providing after sales support and servicing. We only have limited experience servicing the SOLO as a limited number of SOLOs have been produced. Servicing electric vehicles on a mass scale is different than servicing electric vehicles and vehicles with internal combustion engines and requires specialized skills, including high voltage training and servicing techniques on a mass scale

In addition, we presently expect that our warranty covering the SOLO will cover 24 months, however, the final details on such coverage have not yet been completed. Furthermore, the SOLO battery pack is expected to have a 60-month warranty period, however, the final details on the exact warranty specifications is still being determined and is being developed in conjunction with our battery pack and cell suppliers.

We may not succeed in establishing, maintaining and strengthening the ElectraMeccanica brand, which would materially and adversely affect customer acceptance of our vehicles and components and our business, revenues and prospects.

Our business and prospects heavily depend on our ability to develop, maintain and strengthen the ElectraMeccanica brand. Any failure to develop, maintain and strengthen our brand may materially and adversely affect our ability to sell our planned electric vehicles. If we are not able to establish, maintain and strengthen our brand, we may lose the opportunity to build a critical mass of customers. Promoting and positioning our brand will likely depend significantly on our ability to provide high quality electric cars and maintenance and repair services, and we have very limited experience in these areas. In addition, we expect that our ability to develop, maintain and strengthen the ElectraMeccanica brand will also depend heavily on the success of our marketing efforts. To date, we have limited experience with marketing activities as we have relied primarily on the internet, word of mouth and attendance at industry trade shows to promote our brand. To further promote our brand, we may be required to change our marketing practices, which could result in substantially increased advertising expenses, including the need to use traditional media such as television, radio and print. The automobile industry is intensely competitive, and we may not be successful in building, maintaining and strengthening our brand. Many of our current and potential competitors, particularly automobile manufacturers headquartered in Detroit, Japan and the European Union, have greater name recognition, broader customer relationships and substantially greater marketing resources than we do. If we do not develop and maintain a strong brand, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be materially and adversely impacted.

Increases in costs, disruption of supply or shortage of raw materials, in particular lithium-ion cells, could harm our business.

We may experience increases in the cost or a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of raw materials. Any such increase or supply interruption could materially negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. We use various raw materials in our business including aluminum, steel, carbon fiber and non-ferrous metals such as copper and cobalt. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on market conditions and global demand for these materials and could adversely affect our business and operating results. For instance, we are exposed to multiple risks relating to price fluctuations for lithium-ion cells. These risks include:

Our business depends on the continued supply of battery cells for our vehicles. We do not currently have any agreements for the supply of batteries and depend upon the open market for their procurement. Any disruption in the supply of battery cells from our supplier could temporarily disrupt the planned production of our vehicles until such time as a different supplier is fully qualified. Moreover, battery cell manufacturers may choose to refuse to supply electric vehicle manufacturers to the extent they determine that the vehicles are not sufficiently safe. Furthermore, current fluctuations or shortages in petroleum and other economic conditions may cause us to experience significant increases in freight charges and raw material costs. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials would increase our operating costs, and could reduce our margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs through increased electric vehicle prices. We might not be able to recoup increasing costs of raw materials by increasing vehicle prices. We have also already announced an estimated price for the base model of our SOLO, and the Tofino. However, any attempts to increase the announced or expected prices in response to increased raw material costs could be viewed negatively by our potential customers, result in cancellations of SOLO and Tofino reservations and could materially adversely affect our brand, image, business, prospects and operating results.

The unavailability, reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

Any reduction, elimination or discriminatory application of government subsidies and economic incentives that are offered to purchasers of EVs or persons installing home charging stations, the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives due to the perceived success of the electric vehicle, fiscal tightening or other reasons may result in the diminished competitiveness of the alternative fuel vehicle industry generally or our electric vehicles in particular. This could materially and adversely affect the growth of the alternative fuel automobile markets and our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

If we fail to manage future growth effectively, we may not be able to market and sell our vehicles successfully.

Any failure to manage our growth effectively could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. We plan to expand our operations in the near future in connection with the planned production of our vehicles. Our future operating results depend to a large extent on our ability to manage this expansion and growth successfully. Risks that we face in undertaking this expansion include:

We intend to continue to hire a number of additional personnel, including design and manufacturing personnel and service technicians, for our electric vehicles. Competition for individuals with experience in designing, manufacturing and servicing electric vehicles is intense, and we may not be able to attract, assimilate, train or retain additional highly qualified personnel in the future. The failure to attract, integrate, train, motivate and retain these additional employees could seriously harm our business and prospects.

Our business may be adversely affected by labor and union activities.

Although none of our employees are currently represented by a labor union, it is common throughout the automobile industry generally for many employees at automobile companies to belong to a union, which can result in higher employee costs and increased risk of work stoppages. We have a manufacturing agreement with Zongshen to produce 75,000 SOLO vehicles in the first three full years from the commencement of production. Zongshen’s workforce is not currently unionized, though they may become so in the future or industrial stoppages could occur in the absence of a union. We also directly and indirectly depend upon other companies with unionized work forces, such as parts suppliers and trucking and freight companies, and work stoppages or strikes organized by such unions could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or operating results. If a work stoppage occurs within our business, or that of Zongshen or our key suppliers, it could delay the manufacture and sale of our electric vehicles and have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, operating results or financial condition. Additionally, if we expand our business to include full in-house manufacturing of our vehicles, our employees might join or form a labor union and we may be required to become a union signatory.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. The automobile industry experiences significant product liability claims and we face inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event our vehicles do not perform as expected or malfunction resulting in personal injury or death. Our risks in this area are particularly pronounced given we have limited field experience of our vehicles. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay a substantial monetary award. Moreover, a product liability claim could generate substantial negative publicity about our vehicles and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of other future vehicle candidates which would have a material adverse effect on our brand, business, prospects and operating results. We plan to maintain product liability insurance for all our vehicles with annual limits of approximately $30 million on a claims-made basis, but any such insurance might not be sufficient to cover all potential product liability claims. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages either in excess of our coverage, or outside of our coverage, may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business and financial condition. We may not be able to secure additional product liability insurance coverage on commercially acceptable terms or at reasonable costs when needed, particularly if we do face liability for our products and are forced to make a claim under our policy.

Our patent applications may not result in issued patents, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from interfering with our commercialization of our products.

The registration and enforcement of patents involves complex legal and factual questions and the breadth and effectiveness of patented claims is uncertain. We cannot be certain that we are the first to file patent applications on these inventions, nor can we be certain that our pending patent applications will result in issued patents or that any of our issued patents will afford sufficient protection against someone creating competing products, or as a defensive portfolio against a competitor who claims that we are infringing its patents. In addition, patent applications filed in foreign countries are subject to laws, rules and procedures that differ from those of the United States, and thus we cannot be certain that foreign patent applications, if any, will result in issued patents in those foreign jurisdictions or that such patents can be effectively enforced, even if they relate to patents issued in the United States.

We may need to defend ourselves against patent or trademark infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and would 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, sell or market our vehicles or components, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we may receive communications from third parties that allege our products are covered by their patents or trademarks or other intellectual property rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights may bring suits alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise assert their rights. If we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do things that include one or more of the following:

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, prospects, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not valid, could result in substantial costs, negative publicity and diversion of resources and management attention.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited because we are incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, a substantial portion of our assets are in Canada and all of our executive officers and most of our directors reside outside the United States

We are organized pursuant to the laws of the Province of British Columbia under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the “Business Corporations Act”) and our executive offices are located outside of the United States in Vancouver, British Columbia. Three of our four officers, our auditor and all but four of our directors reside outside the United States. In addition, a substantial portion of their assets and our assets are located outside of the United States. As a result, you may have difficulty serving legal process within the United States upon us or any of these persons. You may also have difficulty enforcing, both in and outside of the United States, judgments you may obtain in U.S. courts against us or these persons in any action, including actions based upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. Federal or state securities laws. Furthermore, there is substantial doubt as to the enforceability in Canada against us or against any of our directors, officers and the expert named in this Annual Report who are not residents of the United States, in original actions or in actions for enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts, of liabilities based solely upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. In addition, shareholders in British Columbia companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in U.S. federal courts.

As a result, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against us, our management, our directors or our major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.

Global economic conditions could materially adversely impact demand for our products and services.

Our operations and performance depend significantly on economic conditions. Uncertainty about global economic conditions could result in customers postponing purchases of our products and services in response to tighter credit, unemployment, negative financial news and/or declines in income or asset values and other macroeconomic factors, which could have a material negative effect on demand for our products and services and, accordingly, on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

We are vulnerable to a growing trade dispute between the United States and China

A growing trade dispute between the United States and China could increase the proposed sales price of our products or decrease our profits, if any. In June 2018, the current U.S. administration has imposed tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese exports, including a 25% duty on cars built in China and shipped to the United States. Following the imposition of these tariffs, China has imposed additional tariffs on U.S. goods manufactured in the United States and exported to China. Subsequently, the U.S. administration indicated that it may impose tariffs on up to US$500 billion of goods manufactured in China and imported into the United States. These tariffs may escalate a nascent trade war between China and the United States. This trade conflict could affect our business because we intend to mass produce the SOLO in China and our intended principal market is the West Coast of North America. If a trade war were to escalate or if tariffs were imposed on any of our products, we could be forced to increase the proposed sales price of such products or reduce the margins, if any, on such products.

Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ruled that the SOLO has a classification under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States that applies to passenger vehicles for less than 10 people with only electric motors. The total applicable duty for this classification was recently raised to 27.5% (2.5% is a “most-favored-nation” tariff for this classification and 25% derives from this classification being on the China 301 List 1). We envision that the suggested retail purchase price for our SOLO will be USD$18,500. As the landscape for tariffs involving imports to the United States from the People’s Republic of China has been changing over the past year and may change again, we have not determined how to adjust the purchase price in the United States in response to the recent tariff increase.

On January 15, 2020, the United States and the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”) signed “Phase One” of an Economic and Trade Agreement (the “Phase One Agreement”), which entered into force on February 14, 2020. Notwithstanding the coming into force of the Phase One Agreement, the United States will maintain its tariffs on cars built in China and shipped to the United States.

Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.

The legal system in the PRC is based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which legal cases have limited value as precedents. In the late 1970s, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly increased the protections afforded to various production services in the PRC. Zongshen, our manufacturing partner, is subject to various PRC laws and regulations generally applicable to companies in China. However, since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights or Zongshen may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to fulfill its obligations under the manufacturing agreement. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we or Zongshen may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

Risks Related to Our Common Shares

Our executive officers and directors beneficially own approximately 43.8% of our common shares.

As of March 25, 2020, our executive officers and directors beneficially own, in the aggregate, 43.8% of our common shares, which includes shares that our executive officers and directors have the right to acquire pursuant to warrants and stock options which have vested. As a result, they are able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments to our Articles and approval of significant corporate transactions. This control 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 these shareholders.

The continued sale of our equity securities will dilute the ownership percentage of our existing shareholders and may decrease the market price for our common shares.

Our Notice of Articles authorize the issuance of an unlimited number of common shares and the issuance of preferred shares. The Board of Directors has the authority to issue additional shares of our capital stock to provide additional financing in the future and designate the rights of the preferred shares, which may include voting, dividend, distribution or other rights that are preferential to those held by the common shareholders. The issuance of any such common or preferred shares may result in a reduction of the book value or market price, if one exists at the time, of our outstanding common shares. Given our lack of revenues, we will likely have to issue additional equity securities to obtain working capital we require for the next 12 months. Our efforts to fund our intended business plans will therefore result in dilution to our existing shareholders. If we do issue any such additional common shares, such issuance also will cause a reduction in the proportionate ownership and voting power of all other shareholders. As a result of such dilution, if you acquire common shares your proportionate ownership interest and voting power could be decreased. Furthermore, any such issuances could result in a change of control or a reduction in the market price for our common shares.

Additionally, we had 12,888,417 options and 20,603,396 warrants outstanding as of March 25, 2020. The exercise price of some of these options and warrants is below our current market price, and you could purchase shares in the market at a price in excess of the exercise price of our outstanding warrants or options. If the holders of these options and warrants elect to exercise them, your ownership position will be diluted and the per share value of the common shares you have or acquire could be diluted as well. As a result, the market value of our common shares could significantly decrease as well.

Issuances of our preferred stock may adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common shares and reduce the value of our common shares.

Our Notice of Articles authorize the issuance of an unlimited number of shares of preferred stock. Our Board of Directors has the authority to create one or more series of preferred stock and, without shareholder approval, issue shares of preferred stock with rights superior to the rights of the holders of common shares. As a result, shares of preferred stock could be issued quickly and easily, adversely affecting the rights of holder of common shares and could be issued with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control or make removal of management more difficult. Although we currently have no plans to create any series of preferred stock and have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock, any creation and issuance of preferred stock in the future could adversely affect the rights of the holders of common shares and reduce the value of our common shares.

The market price of our common shares may be volatile and may fluctuate in a way that is disproportionate to our operating performance.

Our common shares began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market in August 2018, and before that it had been trading on the OTCQB since September 2017. The historical volume of trading has been low (within the past year, the fewest number of our shares that were traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market was 3,100 shares daily), and the share price has fluctuated significantly (since trading began on the Nasdaq Capital Market, our closing price has been as low as US$0.95 and as high as US$4.81). The share price for our common shares could decline due to the impact of any of the following factors:

Many of these factors are beyond our control. The stock markets in general, and the market for automobile companies in particular, have historically experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market and industry factors could reduce the market price of our common shares regardless of our actual operating performance.

We do not intend to pay dividends and there will thus be fewer ways in which you are able to make a gain on your investment.

We have never paid any cash or stock dividends and we do not intend to pay any dividends for the foreseeable future. To the extent that we require additional funding currently not provided for in our financing plan, our funding sources may prohibit the payment of any dividends. Because we do not intend to declare dividends, any gain on your investment will need to result from an appreciation in the price of our common shares. There will therefore be fewer ways in which you are able to make a gain on your investment.

FINRA sales practice requirements may limit your ability to buy and sell our common shares, which could depress the price of our shares.

Financial Industry Regulation Authority (“FINRA”) rules require broker-dealers to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending that investment to the customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status and investment objectives, among other things. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability such speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, FINRA requirements may make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common shares, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our common shares, have an adverse effect on the market for our common shares and, thereby, depress their market prices.

Our common shares have been thinly traded, and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to sell your common shares to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares.

From October 2017 until August 2018, our common shares were quoted on the OTCQB where they were “thinly-traded”, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common shares at or near bid prices at any given time was relatively small or non-existent. Since we listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market in August 2018, the volume of our common shares traded has increased, but that volume could decrease until we are thinly-traded again. That could occur due to a number of factors, including that we are relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and might be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our common shares until such time as we became more seasoned. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our common shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. Broad or active public trading market for our common shares may not develop or be sustained.

Volatility in our common shares or warrant price may subject us to securities litigation.

The market for our common shares may have, when compared to seasoned issuers, significant price volatility, and we expect that our share or warrant prices may continue to be more volatile than that of a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. In the past, plaintiffs have often initiated securities class action litigation against a company following periods of volatility in the market price of its securities. We may, in the future, be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and liabilities and could divert management’s attention and resources.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act. As such, we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies. For example:

Our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important and are accustomed to receive from U.S. reporting companies.

As an “emerging growth company” under applicable law, we will be subject to lessened disclosure requirements. Such reduced disclosure may make our common shares less attractive to investors.

For as long as we remain an “emerging growth company”, as defined in the JOBS Act, we will elect to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” and including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Because of these lessened regulatory requirements, our shareholders would be left without information or rights available to shareholders of more mature companies. If some investors find our common shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for such securities and their market prices may be more volatile.

We incur significant costs as a result of being a public company, which costs will grow after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company.”

We incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses as a public company that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq Capital Market, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. We are an “emerging growth company”, as defined in the JOBS Act, and will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of : (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following May 23, 2022, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least US$1.07 billion or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds US$700 million as of the prior June 30^th; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than US$1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting and permission to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies.

Compliance with these rules and regulations increases our legal and financial compliance costs and makes some corporate activities more time-consuming and costlier. After we are no longer an emerging growth company, we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. For example, as a public company, we have been required to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We have incurred additional costs in obtaining director and officer liability insurance. In addition, we incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.