MONTREAL, May 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ - The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX:
LEV) ("Lion" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of
all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, today announced
its financial and operating results for the first quarter of fiscal
year 2024, which ended on March 31, 2024. Lion reports its
results in US dollars and in accordance with International
Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").
Q1 2024 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Revenue of $55.5 million, up
$0.8 million, as compared to
$54.7 million in Q1 2023.
- Delivery of 196 vehicles, a decrease of 24 vehicles, as
compared to the 220 delivered in Q1 2023.
- Gross loss, reflecting higher manufacturing costs due to the
introduction of new products, of $11.1
million as compared to a gross loss of $2.3 million in Q1 2023.
- Net loss of $21.7 million, as
compared to net loss of $15.6 million
in Q1 2023.
- Adjusted EBITDA1 of negative $17.3 million, as compared to negative
$14.5 million in Q1 2023.
- Additions to property, plant and equipment of $0.4 million, down $22.7
million, as compared to $23.1
million in Q1 2023.
- Additions to intangible assets, which mainly consist of vehicle
and battery development activities, amounted to $11.3 million, ($8.2
million net of government assistance received), down
$5.2 million as compared to
$16.5 million in Q1 2023.
___________________________________
|
1
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure. See "Non-IFRS
Measures and Other Performance Metrics" section of this press
release.
|
BUSINESS UPDATES
- More than 2,000 vehicles on the road, with over 25 million
miles driven (over 40 million kilometers).
- Vehicle order book2 of 2,004 all-electric medium-
and heavy-duty urban vehicles as of May 7,
2024, consisting of 211 trucks and 1,793 buses, representing
a combined total order value of approximately $475 million based on management's
estimates.
- LionEnergy order book of 350 charging stations and related
services as of May 7, 2024,
representing a combined total order value of approximately
$8 million.
- 12 experience centers in operation in the United States and Canada.
- Initial deliveries to customers of Lion5 trucks (delivered with
medium duty Lion battery packs) and of LionD buses during the first
quarter of 2024.
On April 18, 2024, the Company
announced a reduction of its workforce, combined with other
cost-cutting measures, including in areas such as third-party
inventory logistics, lease expenses, consulting, product
development and professional fees. The workforce reduction affected
approximately 120 employees in overhead and product development
functions. These measures were aimed at further reducing the
Company's operating expenses and aligning its cost structure to
current market dynamics, notably delays experienced with the ZETF,
which continue to adversely impact the Company's school bus
deliveries.
"Despite a challenging first quarter marked by turbulence in the
electric vehicle sector, our commitment to long-term growth remains
unwavering. This drove us to make the tough decision to streamline
our workforce and implement cost-saving measures. While difficult,
this move was essential to fortify our liquidity in the face of
market volatility, ensuring sustainability without compromising
production capacity," commented Marc
Bedard, CEO-Founder of Lion. "As we commence deliveries of
the LionD and Lion5, our focus for the remainder of the year is on
ramping up purchase orders and accelerating deliveries, essential
steps in reaching profitability," he concluded.
_________________________________
|
2 See
"Non-IFRS Measures and Other Performance Metrics" section of this
press release. The Company's vehicle and charging stations order
book is determined by management based on purchase orders that have
been signed, orders that have been formally confirmed by clients or
products in respect of which formal joint applications for
governmental programs, subsidies or incentives have been made by
the applicable clients and the Company. The order book is expressed
as a number of units or a total dollar value, which dollar value is
determined based on the pricing of each unit included in the order
book. The vehicles included in the vehicle order book as of
May 7, 2024 provided for a delivery period ranging from a few
months to the end of the year ending December 31, 2028, with
substantially all of such vehicles currently providing for
deliveries before the end of the year ending December 31, 2025,
which corresponds to the latest date by which claims are required
to be made according to the current eligibility criteria of the
ZETF, unless otherwise agreed by Infrastructure Canada. In
addition, substantially all of the vehicle orders included in the
order book are subject to the granting of governmental subsidies
and incentives, including programs in respect of which applications
relating to vehicles of Lion have not yet been fully processed to
date. The processing times of governmental programs, subsidies and
incentives are also subject to important variations. There has been
in the past and the Company expects there will continue to be
variances between the expected delivery periods of orders and the
actual delivery times, and certain delays could be significant.
Also, there has been in the past and the Company expects there will
continue to be variances in the eligibility criteria of the various
programs, subsidies and incentives introduced by governmental
authorities, including in their interpretation and application.
Such variances or delays could result in the loss of a subsidy or
incentive and/or in the cancellation of certain orders, in whole or
in part. The Company's presentation of the order book should not be
construed as a representation by the Company that the vehicles and
charging stations included in its order book will translate into
actual sales.
|
SELECT EXPLANATIONS ON RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE FIRST
QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2024
Revenue
For the three months ended March 31,
2024, revenue amounted to $55.5
million, an increase of $0.8
million, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023. The increase in revenue was
primarily due to the impact of a higher proportion of U.S. vehicle
sales (which results in a more favorable product mix), partially
offset by the impact of a decrease in vehicle sales volume of 24
units, from 220 units (207 school buses and 13 trucks; 215 vehicles
in Canada and 5 vehicles in the
U.S.) for the three months ended March 31,
2023, to 196 units (184 school buses and 12 trucks; 165
vehicles in Canada and 31 vehicles
in the U.S.) for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
Cost of Sales
For the three months ended March 31,
2024, cost of sales amounted to $66.6
million, representing an increase of $9.7 million, compared to the three months ended
March 31, 2023. The increase was
primarily due to increased manufacturing costs related to the
ramp-up of the new products (LionD, Lion5, and the Lion battery
packs) partially offset by lower vehicle sales volumes.
Gross Loss
For the three months ended March 31,
2024, gross loss increased by $8.9
million to negative $11.1
million, compared to negative $2.3
million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to
increased manufacturing costs related to the ramp-up of the new
products (LionD, Lion5, and the Lion battery packs).
Administrative Expenses
For the three months ended March 31,
2024, administrative expenses decreased by $1.9 million, from $13.0
million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, to $11.1
million. Administrative expenses for the three months ended
March 31, 2024 included $0.3 million of non-cash share-based
compensation, compared to $1.0
million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Excluding the impact of non-cash
share-based compensation, administrative expenses decreased from
$12.0 million for the three months
ended March 31, 2023, to $10.8 million for three months ended March 31, 2024. The decrease was mainly due to a
decrease in expenses and a lower headcount, both resulting from the
workforce reduction and cost reduction initiatives implemented
starting in November 2023. As a
percentage of sales, administrative expenses were 20% of revenues
for the three months ended March 31,
2024, compared to 24% for the three months ended
March 31, 2023.
Selling Expenses
For the three months ended March 31,
2024, selling expenses decreased by $2.1 million, from $5.9
million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, to $3.8
million. Selling expenses for the three months ended
March 31, 2024 included $0.1 million of non-cash share-based
compensation, compared to $0.4
million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Excluding the impact of non-cash
share-based compensation, selling expenses decreased from
$5.5 million for the three
months ended March 31, 2023, to
$3.7 million for three months
ended March 31, 2024. The decrease
was primarily due to streamlined selling related expenses,
including lower headcount and marketing costs resulting from the
workforce reduction and cost reduction initiatives implemented
starting in November 2023.
Finance Costs
For the three months ended March 31,
2024, finance costs increased by $9.2
million, from $1.4 million for
the three months ended March 31,
2023, to $10.6 million for the
three months ended March 31, 2024.
Finance costs for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were net of $0.3 million of capitalized borrowing costs,
compared to $1.7 million for the
three months ended March 31, 2023.
Excluding the impact of capitalized borrowing costs, finance costs
increased by $7.8 million compared to
the three months ended March 31,
2023. The increase was driven primarily by higher interest
expense on long-term debt, due to higher average debt outstanding
during the first quarter of fiscal 2024 relating to borrowings made
under the Revolving Credit Agreement, the IQ Loan, the SIF Loan,
the Finalta-CDPQ Loan Agreement, and the Supplier Credit Facility
(as such terms are defined below), interest (including interest
paid in kind with respect to the Convertible Debentures) and
accretion expense as well as financing costs related to the
Convertible Debentures and Non-Convertible Debentures issued in
July 2023, and an increase in
interest costs related to lease liabilities, including for the
Battery Plant. Finance charges for the three months ended
March 31, 2024 included non-cash
charges of $5.5 million related to
interest paid in kind with respect to the Convertible Debentures
and accretion expense.
Foreign Exchange Loss (Gain)
Foreign exchange loss (gain) relates primarily to the
revaluation of net monetary assets denominated in foreign
currencies to the functional currencies of the related Lion
entities. For the three months ended March
31, 2024, foreign exchange loss was $2.6 million, compared to a gain of $1.2 million in the prior year, related primarily
to the impact of changes in foreign currency rates (impact of
changes in the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar).
Change in Fair Value of Conversion Options on Convertible
Debt Instruments
For the three months ended March 31,
2024, change in fair value of conversion options on
convertible debt instruments resulted in a gain of $10.7 million, and was related to the revaluation
of the conversion options on the Convertible Debentures issued in
July 2023 resulting mainly from the
decrease in the market price of Lion equity as compared to the
previous valuations.
Change in Fair Value of Share Warrant
Obligations
Change in fair value of share warrant obligations moved from a
gain of $5.7 million for the three
months ended March 31, 2023, to a
gain of $6.7 million, for the three
months ended March 31, 2024. The gain
for the three months ended March 31,
2024 was related to the Specific Customer Warrants, the
public and private Business Combination Warrants, the 2022
Warrants, and the July 2023 Warrants,
and resulted mainly from the decrease in the market price of Lion
equity as compared to the previous valuations.
Net Loss
The net loss of $21.7 million for
the three months ended March 31, 2024
as compared to the net loss of $15.6
million for the prior year was mainly due to the higher
gross loss and higher finance costs, partially offset by the impact
of the reduction in administrative and selling expenses as well as
higher gains related to non-cash decrease in the fair value of
share warrant obligations and the conversion options on convertible
debt instrument.
CONFERENCE CALL
A conference call and webcast will be held on May 8, 2024, at 8:30 a.m.
(Eastern Time) to discuss the results. To participate in the
conference call, please dial (404) 975-4839 or (833) 470-1428
(toll free) using the Access Code 431009. An investor presentation
and a live webcast of the conference call will also be available at
www.thelionelectric.com under the "Events and Presentations"
page of the "Investors" section. An archive of the event will be
available for a period of time shortly after the conference
call.
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
This year, the Company will be holding its Annual Meeting of
Shareholders as a completely virtual meeting, which will be
conducted via live webcast on May 15,
2024, at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern
Time). Shareholders of the Company, regardless of their
geographic location, may attend the Meeting online at
https://www.icastpro.ca/elion240515.
The Company's management information circular and notice of
annual meeting of shareholders relating to the Annual Meeting of
Shareholders are available on Lion's website at
www.thelionelectric.com in the Investors section, under Events
and Presentations, and have been filed on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
FINANCIAL REPORT
This release should be read together with the 2024 first quarter
financial report, including the unaudited condensed interim
consolidated financial statements of the Company and the related
notes as at March 31, 2024 and for the three months ended
March 31, 2024 and 2023, and the
related management discussion and analysis ("MD&A"), which will
be filed by the Company with applicable Canadian securities
regulatory authorities and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, and which will be available on SEDAR+ as well as on our
website at www.thelionelectric.com. Capitalized terms not otherwise
defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the
MD&A.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION
As at
March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023
(Uaudited, in US
dollars)
|
Mar 31,
2024
|
|
Dec 31, 2023
|
|
$
|
|
$
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
|
Cash
|
4,800,260
|
|
29,892,966
|
Accounts
receivable
|
82,471,935
|
|
75,641,780
|
Inventories
|
237,453,532
|
|
249,606,756
|
Prepaid expenses and
other current assets
|
3,739,738
|
|
1,553,276
|
Current
assets
|
328,465,465
|
|
356,694,778
|
Non-current
|
|
|
|
Other non-current
assets
|
7,176,939
|
|
6,994,815
|
Property, plant and
equipment
|
193,215,364
|
|
198,536,683
|
Right-of-use
assets
|
86,437,411
|
|
89,663,139
|
Intangible
assets
|
177,662,811
|
|
175,703,257
|
Contract
asset
|
13,205,156
|
|
13,528,646
|
Non-current
assets
|
477,697,681
|
|
484,426,540
|
Total
assets
|
806,163,146
|
|
841,121,318
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES
|
|
|
|
Current
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
payables
|
76,764,529
|
|
92,424,961
|
Deferred revenue and
other deferred liabilities
|
11,976,970
|
|
18,267,139
|
Current portion of
long-term debt and other debts
|
27,146,623
|
|
27,056,476
|
Current portion of
lease liabilities
|
7,977,519
|
|
7,984,563
|
Current
liabilities
|
123,865,641
|
|
145,733,139
|
Non-current
|
|
|
|
Long-term debt and
other debts
|
230,728,249
|
|
197,885,889
|
Lease
liabilities
|
81,482,202
|
|
83,972,023
|
Share warrant
obligations
|
22,142,897
|
|
29,582,203
|
Conversion options on
convertible debt instruments
|
16,183,762
|
|
25,034,073
|
Non-current
liabilities
|
350,537,110
|
|
336,474,188
|
Total
liabilities
|
474,402,751
|
|
482,207,327
|
SHAREHOLDERS'
EQUITY
|
|
|
|
Share
capital
|
489,454,628
|
|
489,362,920
|
Contributed
surplus
|
139,878,113
|
|
139,569,185
|
Deficit
|
(277,443,337)
|
|
(255,746,097)
|
Cumulative translation
adjustment
|
(20,129,009)
|
|
(14,272,017)
|
Total shareholders'
equity
|
331,760,395
|
|
358,913,991
|
Total shareholders'
equity and liabilities
|
806,163,146
|
|
841,121,318
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF LOSS AND COMPREHENSIVE
EARNINGS
For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023
(Unaudited, in
US dollars)
|
Three months
ended
|
|
Mar 31,
2024
|
|
Mar 31,
2023
|
|
$
|
|
$
|
Revenue
|
55,480,889
|
|
54,703,405
|
Cost of
sales
|
66,624,576
|
|
56,960,693
|
Gross
loss
|
(11,143,687)
|
|
(2,257,288)
|
|
|
|
|
Administrative
expenses
|
11,117,333
|
|
13,002,685
|
Selling
expenses
|
3,760,994
|
|
5,859,660
|
Operating
loss
|
(26,022,014)
|
|
(21,119,633)
|
|
|
|
|
Finance
costs
|
10,617,741
|
|
1,420,354
|
Foreign exchange loss
(gain)
|
2,552,764
|
|
(1,211,645)
|
Change in fair value of
conversion options on convertible debt instruments
|
(10,746,034)
|
|
—
|
Change in fair value of
share warrant obligations
|
(6,749,245)
|
|
(5,744,896)
|
Net
loss
|
(21,697,240)
|
|
(15,583,446)
|
Other comprehensive
loss
|
|
|
|
Item that will be
subsequently reclassified to net loss
|
|
|
|
Foreign currency
translation adjustment
|
(5,856,992)
|
|
463,677
|
Comprehensive loss
for the period
|
(27,554,232)
|
|
(15,119,769)
|
|
|
|
|
Loss per
share
|
|
|
|
Basic loss per
share
|
(0.10)
|
|
(0.07)
|
Diluted loss per
share
|
(0.10)
|
|
(0.07)
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the three
months ended March 31, 2024 and
2023
(Unaudited, in US Dollars)
|
Three months
ended
|
|
Mar 31,
2024
|
|
Mar 31, 2023
|
|
$
|
|
$
|
OPERATING
ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
(21,697,240)
|
|
(15,583,446)
|
Non-cash
items:
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and
amortization
|
8,087,314
|
|
4,913,657
|
Share-based
compensation
|
400,636
|
|
1,413,843
|
Accretion
expense
|
3,026,073
|
|
—
|
Interest paid in kind
on convertible debt instruments
|
2,472,927
|
|
—
|
Change in fair value
of share warrant obligations
|
(6,749,245)
|
|
(5,744,896)
|
Change in fair value
of conversion options on convertible debt instruments
|
(10,746,034)
|
|
—
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange loss (gain)
|
2,636,537
|
|
616,474
|
Net change in non-cash
working capital items
|
(21,130,974)
|
|
(23,216,385)
|
Cash flows used in
operating activities
|
(43,700,006)
|
|
(37,600,753)
|
INVESTING
ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
Acquisition of
property, plant and equipment
|
(3,823,945)
|
|
(27,584,447)
|
Addition to intangible
assets
|
(11,114,307)
|
|
(21,709,070)
|
Proceeds from Mirabel
battery building sale-leaseback
|
—
|
|
20,506,589
|
Government assistance
related to property, plant and equipment and intangible
assets
|
3,128,796
|
|
—
|
Cash flows used in
investing activities
|
(11,809,456)
|
|
(28,786,928)
|
FINANCING
ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
Increase in long-term
debt and other debts
|
36,794,550
|
|
26,166,466
|
Repayment of long-term
debt and other debts
|
(4,367,249)
|
|
(22,489,772)
|
Payment of lease
liabilities
|
(1,992,541)
|
|
(1,361,347)
|
Proceeds from issuance
of shares through "at-the-market" equity program, net of issuance
costs
|
—
|
|
4,625,234
|
Proceeds from the
issuance of units through the December 2022 Offering -
Warrants
|
—
|
|
2,907,226
|
Proceeds from the
issuance of units through the December 2022 Offering - Common
Shares, net of issuance
costs
|
—
|
|
4,175,836
|
Cash flows from
financing activities
|
30,434,760
|
|
14,023,643
|
Effect of exchange rate
changes on cash held in foreign currency
|
(18,004)
|
|
69,535
|
Net decrease in
cash
|
(25,092,706)
|
|
(52,294,503)
|
Cash, beginning of
year
|
29,892,966
|
|
88,266,985
|
Cash, end of
period
|
4,800,260
|
|
35,972,482
|
Other information on
cash flows related to operating activities:
|
|
|
|
Income taxes
paid
|
—
|
|
—
|
Interest
paid
|
4,439,209
|
|
1,741,339
|
Interest paid under
lease liabilities
|
1,258,202
|
|
998,903
|
NON-IFRS MEASURES AND OTHER PERFORMANCE METRICS
This press release makes reference to Adjusted EBITDA, which is
a non-IFRS financial measure, as well as other performance metrics,
including the Company's order book, which are defined below. These
measures are neither required nor recognized measures under IFRS,
and, as a result, do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by
IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar
measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are
provided as additional information to complement those IFRS
measures by providing further understanding of the Company's
results of operations from management's perspective. Accordingly,
they should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for
analysis of the Company's financial information reported under
IFRS. Lion compensates for these limitations by relying primarily
on Lion's IFRS results and using Adjusted EBITDA and order book on
a supplemental basis. Readers should not rely on any single
financial measure to evaluate Lion's business. Adjusted gross
profit (loss) and adjusted gross margin, as defined in section 4.0
entitled "Non-IFRS Measures and Other Performance Metric" of the
Company's MD&A for the years ended 2023 and 2022, are not
presented in this press release as the inventory write-down
recorded by the Company in connection with its decision to
indefinitely delay the start of commercial production of the LionA
and LionM minibuses did not have an impact on the Company's results
for the three months ended March
31, 2024 and 2023.
Adjusted EBITDA
"Adjusted EBITDA" is defined as net earnings (loss) before
finance costs, income tax expense or benefit, and depreciation and
amortization, adjusted to exclude share-based compensation, change
in fair value of conversion options on convertible debt
instruments, change in fair value of share warrant obligations,
foreign exchange (gain) loss and transaction and other
non-recurring expenses. Lion uses adjusted EBITDA to facilitate a
comparison of the profitability of its business on a consistent
basis from period-to-period and to provide a further understanding
of factors and trends affecting its business. The Company also
believes this measure is useful for investors to assess the
Company's profitability, its cost structure and its ability to
service debt and to meet other payment obligations. However,
readers should be aware that when evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, Lion
may incur future expenses similar to those excluded when
calculating Adjusted EBITDA. In addition, Lion's presentation of
these measures should not be construed as an inference that Lion's
future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring
items. Readers should review the reconciliation of net earnings
(loss), the most directly comparable IFRS financial measure, to
Adjusted EBITDA presented by the Company under section 13.0
of the Company's MD&A for the three months ended
March 31, 2024 entitled "Results of
Operations - Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA."
Order Book
This press release also makes reference to the Company's "order
book" with respect to vehicles (trucks and buses) as well as
charging stations. The Company's vehicles and charging stations
order book is determined by management based on purchase orders
that have been signed, orders that have been formally confirmed by
clients, or products in respect of which formal joint applications
for governmental programs, subsidies or incentives have been made
by the applicable clients and the Company. The order book is
expressed as a number of units or a total dollar value, which
dollar value is determined based on the pricing of each unit
included in the order book as further explained under "Pricing" in
section 10.0 of the Company's MD&A for the three months ended
March 31, 2024 entitled "Order Book".
The vehicles included in the vehicle order book as of May 7,
2024 provided for a delivery period ranging from a few months to
the end of the year ending December 31,
2028, with substantially all of such vehicles currently
providing for deliveries before the end of the year ending
December 31, 2025, which corresponds
to the latest date by which claims are required to be made
according to the current eligibility criteria of the ZETF, unless
otherwise agreed by Infrastructure Canada. In addition,
substantially all deliveries are subject to the granting of
subsidies and incentives with processing times that are subject to
important variations. There has been in the past and the Company
expects there will continue to be variances between the expected
delivery periods of orders and the actual delivery times, and
certain delays could be significant. Also, there has been in the
past and the Company expects there will continue to be variances in
the eligibility criteria of the various programs, subsidies and
incentives introduced by governmental authorities, including in
their interpretation and application. Such variances or delays
could result in the loss of a subsidy or incentive and/or in the
cancellation of certain orders, in whole or in part.
The Company's presentation of the order book should not be
construed as a representation by the Company that the vehicles and
charging stations included in its order book will translate into
actual sales. See the section below for a full description of the
methodology used by the Company in connection with the order book
and certain important risks and uncertainties relating to such
methodology and the presentation of the order book.
General Principle:
|
The Company's vehicle
and charging stations order book is determined by management based
on purchase orders that have been signed, orders that have been
formally confirmed by clients or products in respect of which
formal joint applications for governmental programs, subsidies or
incentives have been made by the applicable clients and the
Company. The order book is expressed as a number of units or a
total dollar value, which dollar value is determined based on the
pricing of each unit included in the order book as further
explained below under the section entitled "Pricing".
The vehicles included
in the vehicle order book as of May 7, 2024 provided for a
delivery period ranging from a few months to the end of the year
ending December 31, 2028, with substantially all of such vehicles
currently providing for deliveries before the end of the year
ending December 31, 2025, which corresponds to the latest date by
which claims are required to be made according to the current
eligibility criteria of the ZETF, unless otherwise agreed by
Infrastructure Canada. In addition, substantially all of the
vehicle orders included in the order book are subject to the
granting of governmental programs, subsidies, and incentives,
including programs in respect of which applications relating to
vehicles of Lion have not yet been fully processed to date. The
processing times of governmental subsidies and incentives are also
subject to important variations. As further described below under
the sections entitled "Delivery Periods" and "Ongoing Evaluation;
Risk Factors", there has been in the past and the Company expects
there will continue to be variances between the expected delivery
periods of orders and the actual delivery times, and certain delays
could be significant. Also, there has been in the past and the
Company expects there will continue to be variances in the
eligibility criteria of the various programs, subsidies and
incentives introduced by governmental authorities, including in
their interpretation and application. Such variances or delays
could result in the loss of a subsidy or incentive and/or in the
cancellation of certain orders, in whole or in part.
The Company's
presentation of the order book should not be construed as a
representation by the Company that the vehicles and charging
stations included in its order book will translate into actual
sales.
|
Delivery Periods:
|
The Company's order
book refers to products that have not yet been delivered but which
are reasonably expected by management to be delivered within a time
period that can be reasonably estimated and includes, in the case
of charging stations, services that have not been completed but
which are reasonably expected by management to be completed in
connection with the delivery of the product.
Purchase orders and
applications relating to vehicles of Lion generally provide for a
time period during which the client expects delivery of the
vehicles. Such period can vary from a specific date, a number or
range of months after the issuance of the order or application, or
a calendar year. The vehicles included in the vehicle order book as
of May 7, 2024 provided for a delivery period, subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in each order (which, in
substantially all cases as further discussed herein, relate to the
approval of governmental subsidies and grants), ranging from a few
months to the end of the year ending December 31, 2028, with
substantially all of such vehicles currently providing for
deliveries before the end of the year ending December 31, 2025,
which corresponds to the latest date by which claims are required
to be made according to the current eligibility criteria of the
ZETF, unless otherwise agreed by Infrastructure Canada. Delivery
periods are disclosed from time to time by the Company when
available in respect of material orders. Delivery periods should
not be construed as a representation or a guarantee by the Company
that the actual delivery time will take place as scheduled. Given
the nature of the business and the products of the Company, the
implied lead time for the production and delivery of a vehicle
(which may be impacted, among other things, by supply chain
challenges or changes in specifications), the nature of certain
customers of the Company (in many cases, fleet owners operating
capital intensive operations which require financing and ongoing
scheduling flexibility), and the fact that, as further described
herein, substantially all of the vehicle orders included in the
order book are subject to the granting of governmental subsidies
and incentives, actual delivery times may be subject to important
variations or delays. Please refer to the section entitled "Ongoing
Evaluation; Risk Factors" below regarding the potential impact of
variations or delays in deliveries.
|
Pricing:
|
When the Company's
order book is expressed as an amount of sales, such amount has been
determined by management based on the current specifications or
requirements of the applicable order, assumes no changes to such
specifications or requirements and, in cases where the pricing of a
product or service may vary in the future, represents management's
reasonable estimate of the prospective pricing as of the time such
estimate is reported. A small number of vehicles included in the
order book have a pricing that remains subject to confirmation
based on specifications and other options to be agreed upon in the
future between the applicable client and the Company. For purposes
of the determination of the order book and the value allocated to
such orders, management has estimated the pricing based on its
current price lists and certain other assumptions relating to
specifications and requirements deemed reasonable in the
circumstances.
|
Performance Metric:
|
The order book is
intended as a supplemental measure of performance that is neither
required by, nor presented in accordance with, IFRS, and is neither
disclosed in nor derived from the financial statements of the
Company. The Company believes that the disclosure of its order book
provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating the
Company's performance, market penetration for its products, and the
cadence of capital expenditures and tooling.
The Company's
computation of its order book is subject to the specific
methodology described herein and may not be comparable to other
similarly entitled measures computed by other companies, because
all companies may not calculate their order book in the same
fashion. Other companies also sometimes refer to or use "order
backlog" or "order intake" as performance metrics, which are most
likely not calculated on the same basis as the Company's order
book. In addition, as explained above, the Company's presentation
of the order book is calculated based on the orders and the
applications made as of the time that the information is presented,
and it is not based on the Company's assessment of future events
and should not be construed as a representation by the Company that
the vehicles and charging stations included in its order book will
translate into actual sales.
|
Ongoing Evaluation; Risk
Factors:
|
A portion of the
vehicles or charging stations included in the Company's order book
may be cancellable in certain circumstances (whether by reason of a
delivery delay, unavailability of a program, subsidy or incentive
or otherwise) within a certain period. Management reviews the
composition of the order book every time it is reported in order to
determine whether any orders should be removed from the order book.
For purposes of such exercise, management identifies orders that
have been or are reasonably likely to be cancelled and examines,
among other things, whether conditions attaching to the order are
reasonably likely to result in a cancellation of the order in
future periods as well as any other available information deemed
relevant, including ongoing dialogue with clients and governments.
Such exercise may result from time to time in orders that have
previously been included in the order book being removed even if
they have not been formally canceled by the client. See the first
paragraph of this section entitled "Order Book" for a presentation
of the variance in the total number of units and the total dollar
value of the vehicles and charging stations included in the
Company's order book since February 28, 2024, being the last date
on which such information was presented.
The Company cannot
guarantee that its order book will be realized in full, in a timely
manner, or at all, or that, even if realized, revenues generated
will result in profits or cash generation as expected, and any
shortfall may be significant. The Company's conversion of its order
book into actual sales is dependent on various factors, including
those described below and under section 23.0 entitled "Risk
Factors" of the Company's MD&A for the years ended December 31,
2023 and 2022. For instance, a customer may voluntarily or
involuntarily default on an order, may become subject to bankruptcy
or insolvency or cease its business operations. In addition,
substantially all of the vehicle orders included in the order book
are subject to conditions relating to the granting of governmental
subsidies or incentives or a specified timing for the delivery of
the vehicle and, in a limited number of cases, the availability of
certain specifications and options or the renewal of certain routes
by governmental or school authorities. As a result, the Company's
ability to convert its order book into actual sales is highly
dependent on the granting and timing of governmental subsidies and
incentives, most notably subsidies and incentives under the Quebec
government's 2030 Plan for a Green Economy (the "Quebec Green
Economy Plan"), Federal Infrastructure Canada's ZETF, the
Government of Canada Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty
Zero-Emission Vehicles (iMHZEV) Program, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program and California's Hybrid
and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP).
More than half of the vehicles included in the order book are
contingent upon grants under the ZETF, in respect of which
applications relating to vehicles of Lion have not yet been fully
processed to date and December 31, 2025 is the latest date by which
claims are required to be made according to the current eligibility
criteria of the ZETF program, unless otherwise agreed by
Infrastructure Canada. In addition, purchase orders obtained in
connection with the first round of funding under the EPA Program,
require, among other things, that vehicles be delivered on or prior
to October 2024.
Any termination,
modification, delay or suspension of any governmental programs,
subsidies and incentives, including, most importantly as of the
date hereof, the ZETF, the Quebec Green Economy Plan or the EPA
Program could result in delayed deliveries or the
cancellation of all or any portion of orders, which, in turn, could
have a material and adverse effect on the Company's business,
results of operations or financial condition.
The Company's
conversion of its order book into actual sales is also dependent on
its ability to economically and timely manufacture its vehicles, at
scale. The Company delivered 519 vehicles during the year ended
December 31, 2022 and 852 vehicles during the year ended December
31, 2023. As of May 7, 2024, the Company's vehicle order book stood
at 2,004 vehicles. The execution of the Company's growth strategy
and the conversion of its order book, which currently provides for
deliveries ranging from a few months to the end of the year ending
December 31, 2028, will require that the Company increases its
production cadence. While the Saint-Jerome facility and Joliet
Facility currently have the infrastructure in place, including in
terms of production lines and equipment, to achieve a production
capacity of up to 2,500 vehicles and 2,500 buses, respectively, on
an annual basis (see section 8.0 entitled "Operational Highlights"
and "Product Development and Manufacturing" under section 11.0
entitled "Key Factors Affecting Lion's Performance" of the
Company's MD&A for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
for further details), the Company's operations are currently being
conducted on a lower scale and it has limited experience to date in
high volume manufacturing. In addition, as of May 7, 2024, 155
units included in the order book, consisting of trucks and
representing a combined total order value of approximately $60
million, related to products which had been developed and were
being sold, but that were not currently in commercial production.
See "Products and Solutions" in section 6.2 of the Company's Annual
Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023 entitled
"Business of the Company". Any failure by the Company to
successfully develop its vehicles, source its key components, and
scale its manufacturing processes within projected costs and
timelines could have a material adverse effect on its business,
results of operations or financial condition. As a result, the
Company's realization of its order book is subject to a number of
risks and uncertainties, including the risks described in section
3.0 of the Company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31,
2024 entitled "Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and
section 23.0 entitled "Risk Factors" of the Company's MD&A for
the three months ended March 31, 2024, and there can be no
assurance that the Company will be successful in converting all or
a significant portion of its order book into actual
sales.
|
RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED EBITDA
The following table reconciles net loss to Adjusted EBITDA for
the three months ended March 31, 2024
and 2023:
|
Unaudited - Three
months ended
March 31,
|
|
2024
|
|
2023
|
|
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
$55,481
|
|
$54,703
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
($21,697)
|
|
($15,583)
|
Finance
costs
|
$10,618
|
|
$1,420
|
Depreciation and
amortization
|
$8,087
|
|
$4,914
|
Share-based
compensation(1)
|
$401
|
|
$1,414
|
Change in fair value of
conversion options on convertible debt
instruments(2)
|
($10,746)
|
|
$—
|
Change in fair value of
share warrant obligations(3)
|
($6,749)
|
|
($5,745)
|
Foreign exchange loss
(gain)(4)
|
$2,553
|
|
($1,212)
|
Transaction and other
non-recurring expenses(5)
|
$252
|
|
$320
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
($17,282)
|
|
($14,472)
|
(1)
|
Represents non-cash
expenses recognized in connection with the issuance of stock
options, restricted share units, and deferred share units issued
under Lion's omnibus incentive plan as described in Note 10 to the
condensed interim consolidated financial statements as at March 31,
2024 and for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and
2023.
|
(2)
|
Represents non-cash
change in the fair value of the conversion options on convertible
debt instruments as described in Note 8 to the condensed interim
consolidated financial statements as at March 31, 2024 and for the
three months ended March 31, 2024, and 2023.
|
(3)
|
Represents non-cash
change in the fair value of the share warrant obligations as
described in Note 9 to the condensed interim consolidated financial
statements as at March 31, 2024 and for the three months ended
March 31, 2024, and 2023.
|
(4)
|
Represents losses
(gains) relating to foreign exchange translation.
|
(5)
|
For the three months
ended March 31, 2024, and 2023, represents non-recurring
professional, legal and consulting fees.
|
ABOUT LION ELECTRIC
Lion Electric is an innovative manufacturer of zero-emission
vehicles. The company creates, designs and manufactures
all-electric class 5 to class 8 commercial urban trucks and
all-electric school buses. Lion is a North American leader in
electric transportation and designs, builds and assembles many of
its vehicles' components, including chassis, battery packs, truck
cabins and bus bodies.
Always actively seeking new and reliable technologies, Lion
vehicles have unique features that are specifically adapted to its
users and their everyday needs. Lion believes that transitioning to
all-electric vehicles will lead to major improvements in our
society, environment and overall quality of life. Lion shares are
traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock
Exchange under the symbol LEV.
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains "forward-looking information" and
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable
securities laws and within the meaning of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively,
"forward-looking statements"). Any statements contained in this
press release that are not statements of historical fact, including
statements about Lion's beliefs and expectations, are
forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such.
Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words
such as "believe," "may," "will," "continue," "anticipate,"
"intend," "expect," "should," "would," "could," "plan," "project,"
"potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "target" or other similar
expressions and any other statements that predict or indicate
future events or trends or that are not statements of historical
matters, although not all forward-looking statements may contain
such identifying words. These forward-looking statements include
statements regarding the Company's order book and the Company's
ability to convert it into actual sales, the expected production
capacity of the Company's manufacturing facilities in Saint-Jerome and the
United States and the Company's battery manufacturing plant
(the "Battery Plant") and innovation center in Quebec (the "Innovation Center" and
collectively with the Battery Plant, the "Lion Campus"), the
certification of the Lion heavy duty (HD) battery packs, the
sourcing of lithium-ion battery cells, the Company's future growth
and long-term strategy, the Company's liquidity and capital
requirements and management's forecasts related thereto, ongoing
litigation proceedings, the Company's expected product pipeline,
the implementation by the Company of measures and initiatives aimed
at reducing its cost structure, managing its liquidity profile and
optimizing its balance sheet (including any proposed necessary
amendment to the Revolving Credit Agreement) and the expected
impact thereof, the implementation by the Company of measures to
reduce its vehicle and battery development costs and its inventory
levels (including the Company's fiscal 2024 objectives related
thereto), and the development and timing of commercial production
of certain platforms and models. Such forward-looking statements
are based on a number of estimates and assumptions that Lion
believes are reasonable when made, including that Lion will be able
to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with
customers, suppliers and other business partners, that Lion will
continue to operate its business in the normal course, that Lion
will be able to implement its growth strategy, that Lion will be
able to successfully and timely ramp-up manufacturing capacity at
its Saint-Jerome facility, its
U.S. manufacturing facility and at the Battery Plant and Innovation
Center as required in the future, that Lion will not suffer any
supply chain challenges or any material disruption in the supply of
raw materials on competitive terms, that Lion will be able to
maintain its competitive position, that Lion will continue to
improve its operational, financial and other internal controls and
systems to manage its growth and size, that Lion will be able to
benefit, either directly or indirectly (including through
applications made by the Company and/or its clients), from
governmental programs, subsidies and incentives, that Lion will not
incur any material obligations with respect to product warranty
claims or product recalls, and that Lion will be able to secure
additional funding through equity or debt financing on terms
acceptable to Lion and in the amounts needed if and when required
in the future. Such estimates and assumptions are made by Lion in
light of the experience of management and their perception of
historical trends, current conditions and expected future
developments, as well as other factors believed to be appropriate
and reasonable in the circumstances. However, there can be no
assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be
correct.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on
circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Lion
believes that these risks and uncertainties include the
following:
- any adverse changes in U.S. or Canadian general economic,
business, market, financial, political or legal conditions,
including as a consequence of the ongoing uncertainties relating to
inflation and interest rates;
- any unavailability, reduction, discriminatory application,
delay in processing or elimination of governmental programs,
subsidies or incentives due to policy changes, government
regulations or decisions or otherwise;
- any inability to ramp-up the production of Lion's products and
meet project construction and other project milestones and
timelines;
- any inability to meet the expectations of the Company's
customers in terms of products, specifications, and services;
- any inability to successfully and economically manufacture and
distribute its vehicles at scale;
- any inability to raise additional funds to meet its capital
requirements and pursue its growth strategy when and in the amounts
needed, if any;
- any inability to execute the Company's growth strategy;
- any escalation, deterioration and adverse effects of current
military conflicts, which may affect economic and global financial
markets and exacerbate ongoing economic challenges;
- any unfavorable fluctuations and volatility in the availability
or price of raw materials included in components used to
manufacture the Company's products, including battery cells,
modules and packs;
- the reliance on key suppliers and any inability to maintain an
uninterrupted supply of raw materials;
- any inability to reduce total cost of ownership of electric
vehicles sold by the Company over time;
- the reliance on key management and any inability to attract
and/or retain key personnel;
- labor shortages (including as a result of employee departures,
turnover, and demands for higher wages) which may force the Company
to operate at reduced capacity, to lower its production and
delivery rates or lower its growth plans, and could pose additional
challenges related to employee compensation;
- any inability to maintain the Company's competitive
position;
- any inability to reduce the Company's costs of supply over
time;
- any inability to maintain and enhance the Company's reputation
and brand;
- any significant product repair and/or replacement due to
product warranty claims or product recalls;
- any failure of information technology systems or any
cybersecurity and data privacy breaches or incidents;
- any inability to secure adequate insurance coverage or a
potential increase in insurance costs;
- natural disasters, epidemic or pandemic outbreaks, boycotts and
geo-political events such as civil unrest, acts of terrorism, the
current ongoing military conflicts or similar disruptions;
- any event or circumstance, including the materialization of any
of the foregoing risks and uncertainties, resulting in the
Company's inability to convert its order book into actual sales;
and
- the outcome of any legal proceedings in which the Company is or
may be involved from time to time.
These and other risks and uncertainties related to the business
of Lion are described in greater detail in section 23.0 entitled
"Risk Factors" of the Company's MD&A for the years ended
December 31, 2023 and 2022. Many of these risks are beyond
Lion's management's ability to control or predict. All
forward-looking statements attributable to Lion or persons acting
on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the
cautionary statements contained and risk factors identified in this
MD&A and in other documents filed with the applicable Canadian
regulatory securities authorities and the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC'').
Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, readers
should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as
of the date they are made. Except as required under applicable
securities laws, Lion undertakes no obligation, and expressly
disclaims any duty, to update, revise or review any forward-looking
information, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise.
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SOURCE The Lion Electric Co.