EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1499961
Filing Year: 2025
Filename: 1499961_10-K_2025_0001437749-25-001816.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
References in this Annual Report to the “Company”, “we”, “us”, “our” or similar references, or “Mullen,” mean Mullen Automotive Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries Ottava Automotive, Inc., a California corporation, Mullen Indiana Real Estate, LLC., a Delaware corporation, Mullen Investment Properties LLC, a Mississippi corporation, Mullen Advanced Energy Operations LLC, a California corporation, and a majority ownership in Bollinger Motors, Incorporated in Delaware.
Background
We are a Southern California-based technology and electric vehicle company that operates in various verticals of energy technology and automotive industry. The Company was originally formed on April 20, 2010, as a developer and manufacturer of electric vehicle technology. During 2021, the Company completed a merger with Net Element, Inc., a Delaware-incorporated company. The merger was accounted for as a reverse merger transaction, in which Mullen Automotive-California is treated as the acquirer for financial accounting purposes. The Company changed its name from “Net Element, Inc.” to “Mullen Automotive Inc.” The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (Nasdaq Capital Market) ticker symbol for the Company’s common stock changed from “NETE” to “MULN” at the opening of trading on November 5, 2021.
The Company
Mullen Automotive is a Southern California-based technology and automotive company that is building and delivering the newest generation of Commercial Trucks.
The Company entered the Commercial Truck Business executing two opportunistic acquisitions in the later part of 2022. On September 7, 2022, the first acquisition of Bollinger Motors was announced. The purchase price was $148.6 million in cash and stock for a 60% controlling interest, which provided Mullen with majority ownership of Bollinger Motors, Inc. This provided Mullen short term entry into the medium duty truck classes 4-6, and also the possibility to enter the Sport Utility and Pick Up Truck EV segments. In accordance with the stock purchase agreement signed on July 26, 2024, the Company, as part of activities to launch production in the Bollinger segment, invested an additional $12.7 million in newly issued shares of the subsidiary ($18.7 million by January 23, 2025), increasing controlling interest of the Company to 66% on a fully diluted basis at September 30, 2024 (and to approximately 68% by January 23, 2025).
The second acquisition was in October 2022, when the U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the Company’s acquisition of ELMS’ (Electric Last Mile Solutions) assets in an all-cash purchase of $105 million, which includes approximately of $10 million vendor payables assumed at closing. With this transaction, Mullen acquired a manufacturing plant in Mishawaka, Indiana and all the intellectual property needed to engineer and build Class 1 and Class 3 electric vehicles.
These two acquisitions gave Mullen a portfolio in the Commercial EV truck market with vehicles ranging from Class 1 to 6 where the Company believes there is very little current competition and, in some segments, no other announced entries.
The Tunica Mississippi manufacturing plant was equipped during 2023 as the Mullen Commercial Manufacturing Center. Tunica was commissioned with two lines to manufacture the Class 1 and 3 vehicles and began shipping Class 3 trucks in September 2023 and Class 1 vans in November 2023. Bollinger Motors has a contract manufacturing relationship with Roush Enterprises in Livonia, Michigan that began producing Class 4 trucks in September, 2024.
The third key strategic transaction was the purchase of the assets of Romeo Battery. This established the base for in house manufacturing of modules and packs for Mullen vehicles as well the possibility for sales to non-Mullen customers as well.
The Mullen FIVE, the Company’s first planned consumer electric crossover, has been put on hold as Mullen focuses its efforts and resources on the commercial EV market segment that we believe has more opportunities.
Company Overview
Our Strength and Strategy
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Experienced and proven team in the Electric Vehicle (“EV”) space. Our executive team has extensive experience in the automotive original equipment manufacturing ("OEM") space. They have a detailed understanding of the product development cycle from blank sheet to post launch activities. The team brings expertise in all the critical areas required to be successful - studio design, engineering product development, energy storage systems, supply chain management, manufacturing, and sales & service.
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Manufacturing plants. Mullen owns two manufacturing plants: Tunica, MS and Mishawaka, IN. Unlike many other new EV companies that must still invest time and money to acquire manufacturing capacity, Mullen has this capability today, with Tunica in production. In addition, pursuant to a contract manufacturing agreement, Bollinger is currently manufacturing the Bollinger B4 truck at Roush Enterprises, a third-party manufacturer, in Livonia, Michigan. From time to time, we may seek out partnerships with an existing manufacturer rather than constructing a new production facility. This contract manufacturing approach is intended to lower our upfront costs, capital expenditures and start-up costs.
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Unique plan. Mullen’s approach for Class 1 and 3 Commercial Markets was to prioritize speed-to-market and low capital cost of entry by leveraging other OEMS engineering and tooling and only spend Mullen’s capital on the required customer and legal requirements for the vehicles to be sold in the North American market. This resulted in lower capital investment requirements compared to other startup EV companies and an opportunity to launch into the market before other entries arrive. This strategy was executed with both launches (Class 1 and 3) in the fourth calendar quarter of 2023. Bollinger's approach for Class 4 was a new architecture designed in house from ground up as a purpose built Electric Vehicle using many existing proven product systems from well-known suppliers and using contract manufacturing to reduce initial capital outlays and reduce start up risk.
Our Market Opportunity
There is a significant transformation occurring in the motor vehicle landscape. All major OEM’s have announced billions of dollars of investments to transform their vehicle portfolio from gas powered to various forms of electric propulsion. We believe that Mullen is at the forefront of this transformation leading the way in Commercial Trucks.
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Policy changes at federal, state and local levels put in place aggressive rebates and credits to support early adoption of electric vehicles. These initiatives support the commercial fleet adoption to meet the requirements to transition and purchase a portion of their fleet to electric starting in 2023 and increasing through the decade ahead.
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The truck market-use cases are highly varied. In urban duty cycles, electric powered trucks have become an economic option where the overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) has equaled or in some case become lower than the gas alternatives.
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As more entries come to market, the overall volume of available EV’s increase and the supply industry is able to produce lower cost EV components improving the affordability of the vehicles. A prime example is the decrease in cost of batteries while at the same time having improved technology and performance.
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Many of the large OEM’s started their EV investment with high-volume Retail/Passenger vehicles and left their commercial truck conversions low in their roll-out prioritization for market introduction.
The Importance of Commercial and Fleet Business Segments
Fleet and Commercial segments represent a large portion of the total U.S. commercial market and includes Government, Commercial and Lease/Rental segments. Our goal is to build strong customer relationships with fleet operators to capture a significant market opportunity as the broad trend of vehicle electrification continues.
The decisions for a Fleet Customer to purchase an EV versus a gas-powered vehicle is pragmatic, a business decision relying on cost variables and company strategies, much different than the decision processes that a retail customer includes in their purchase decision. Fleets have generally well-known routes and duty cycles that allow a good match between range capabilities of the vehicles and the actual daily required range, supporting the early adoption of EV’s in the Commercial space.
Mullen Commercial Portfolio of Vehicles
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Mullen Class 1 Cargo Van: The Mullen ONE van features specifications offering a good fit for a variety of applications including last mile delivery and vocational service applications. Riding on a 120-inch wheelbase and measuring in at 186 inches long, 65 inches wide, and 75 inches tall, it has 160 cubic-feet of cargo volume accessible via dual sliding side doors or a tall rear liftgate. It features a curb weight of 3,198 pounds and can carry a maximum payload of 1,683 pounds up to 110 miles with its 42kWh battery. The turning radius is approximately 20 feet, about the same as the smaller Ford Transit van. In this segment, all other OEMs have withdrawn their gas entry so the Mullen ONE currently has no competition from the legacy manufacturers, in both gas and electric.
Mullen Class 1 Cargo Van
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Mullen Class 3: The Mullen THREE is a low cab forward electric vehicle targeting over 5,684 pounds of max payload, 11,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and approximately 120 miles of range with its 89 KwH battery. The tilt cab chassis design of the vehicle is configurable and can be outfitted with a dry box, flat bed, stake bed, and other customizable cargo options. The cab-over design not only provides great visibility for the driver but also results in a tight turning circle of approximately 38 ft, which makes this truck extremely maneuverable on narrow city streets.
Mullen THREE
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Bollinger B4 Chassis Cab: The all-new 2025 Bollinger B4 chassis cab began serial production on September 16, 2024, and is currently fulfilling orders and deliveries to dealers and customers nationwide. The B4’s product differentiation centers around its proprietary purpose-built EV chassis. It’s 40-inch-wide frame rails (vs. traditional 34-inch-wide frame) allows all batteries and components to be securely and optimally housed between the rails. It also includes its unique Quad-Bend technology which enables the 40-inch-wide chassis to turn like a 34-inch chassis, providing impressive driving dynamics and maneuverability. With a GVWR of 15,500 pounds, the Bollinger B4 can carry over 7,325 lbs. of payload and upfits making it ideal for a variety of applications. It comes equipped with dual Our Next Energy (ONE) LFP battery packs, delivering an average range of 185 miles, and can be charged on both Level 2 and DC fast charge systems. With a 158 in. wheelbase, this chassis can be upfit with a body length up to 18 ft. yet still be capable of an impressive 46-foot turning circle, making this truck an excellent choice for urban and semi-urban driving. Every aspect of these trucks has been streamlined and optimized to be as versatile as possible. The cab forward design provides better visibility and frees up space behind the driver for more cargo area. An additional benefit of the B4’s purpose-built engineering is that it is optimized for serviceability by making all components, including the batteries, accessible from below the frame. Finally, the 2025 Bollinger B4 is fully certified by the EPA, NHTSA and CARB. Bollinger is in development to launch a Class 5 (B5) in CY 2025 and Class 6 truck in the coming years.
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Mullen I-GO: Perfect for international urban markets, the Mullen I-GO bridges the gap between the growing demand for quick deliveries and space constraints in dense cities. The I-GO commercial EV is certified, and ready for sale in initial markets of UK, Germany, Spain, France, and Ireland. The I-GO is a small L7E class vehicle with dimensions that include a 96-inch wheelbase and gross vehicle weight of 1,753 lbs.
Battery Technology
The Company is using Li-Ion technology for its first vehicles supplied from world leader CATL. Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry has proven to be the best combination for Commercial vehicles when balancing cost, reliability and performance.
As part of Mullen’s strategy to increase our vertical integration of critical systems, Mullen has expanded its battery development and manufacturing capabilities by purchasing battery related assets of Romeo Power in September 2023 for $3.5 million. This purchase included battery production lines as well as testing equipment and a significant amount of inventory for pack production and the Intellectual Properties (IP) to produce the Legions and Hermes battery systems. In addition, Mullen leased a 122,000 square foot facility in Fullerton, California for battery operations including the installation of Romeo equipment purchased. The purchase of these assets and the acquisition of the battery facility in Fullerton, CA, provides Mullen with the capability to produce an in-house battery system and reduce supply chain risks in a very critical component of the vehicle by reducing reliance on external suppliers.
Production Lines in Fullerton Facility
Solid State Development
Mullen is currently in development of a semi-Solid State battery to be used initially in their Class 3 vehicle. Early vehicle testing was completed in March 2024 on the Class 1 vehicle. The Company plans to introduce this technology into the Class 3 vehicle lines after full vehicle testing and certification has been completed.
Mullen Vehicle Manufacturing
We have a 124,700 sq ft facility located in Tunica, Mississippi that was purchased during 2021. Following all plant preparations, the first fully certified Class 3 vehicles launched from the plant in September 2023. Following that, the Class 1 assembly line began production in November.
Mishawaka Manufacturing
Mullen owns a 675,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Mishawaka, Indiana. This was the original manufacturing plant for General Motors Hummer H2, and later the Mercedes-Benz R-Class.
Bollinger Manufacturing
Bollinger Motors is producing the B4 class 4 EV truck via a contract manufacturing partnership with Roush Industries. The manufacturing work is being conducted at their Livonia, Michigan facility with 135,000 square feet of dedicated to Bollinger Motors assembly, warehouse and office space. This space will be utilized for both ongoing B4 production, and then the B5 starting in CY 2026.
This takes advantage of Roush's long history in manufacturing low volume vehicles and avoided a major capital outlay by Bollinger for a plant facility. As part of the contract, Bollinger purchased and owns the production line allowing relocation if desired at a later time.
Mullen Commercial Sales, Service and Distribution
The commercial sales and distribution plan is to form distribution partnerships with existing top performing commercial dealerships that will cover the National fleet business requirements.
On December 13, 2022, the Company announced Randy Marion Isuzu LLC as its first dealer group partner for Mullen’s commercial EV lineup.
During 2024, Mullen expanded its distribution and added six dealer partnerships providing national coverage with Mullen commercial vehicles offered at approximately 67 dealership locations.
Mullen’s Dealer Group now includes:
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Pritchard Group, a national leader in the adoption of electric vehicles with commercial fleets supporting leading fleet customers nationwide.
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The Papé Group, the West's premiere, full-service truck dealer offering an extensive parts inventory and reliable service departments which includes Papé Kenworth, consists of over 44 locations in nine states, with 818 service bays and more than 1,500 technicians.
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Eco Auto, a dedicated EV dealer, covering national fleet opportunities in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont to meet the growing demand for commercial EVs and support the Company’s full line of commercial electric vehicles in these regions.
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Minnesota-based Ziegler Truck Group and Washington-based Range Truck Group, a part of the Ziegler Companies distribution network now represents Mullen with a focus on the Pacific Northwest and upper Midwest regions of the United States.
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California based National Auto Fleet Group known nationally for its placements with state and municipal customers, offers Mullen’s full line of all-electric commercial vehicles Sourcewell and in two key market locations in California: Watsonville, CA (Northern California) and Alhambra, CA (Southern California).
In August 2024, we signed a three-year purchase agreement with Volt Mobility, which subsequently assigned the contract to one of its wholly owned companies, Lessor Car Rental LLC. The agreement was for the purchase of Mullen commercial EVs at preferred wholesale pricing for distribution in the United Arab Emirates region as an exclusive representative. VoltiE Group, an independent entity, which was previously described as a subsidiary of the Company in error, agreed to provide chargers. Volt Mobility committed to purchase 3,000 Class 3 commercial EVs with an initial deposit of $3.0 million for initial orders of 300 units within 60 days of execution and the balance of 2,700 units in calendar year 2025. As of the date of this report, Mullen has fulfilled its initial commitment by providing vehicles to support homologation. However, Volt Mobility has not made the deposit nor placed the initial orders. At this time, it is not known if the Company will continue the relationship and is currently investigating alternative distributors for the region.
Government Procurement Programs
Mullen Automotive has been actively targeting government contracts. However, entering the government sector presents unique challenges at a state level, each of the fifty states has its own procurement office that releases vehicle bid specifications, which can vary significantly in requirements. On the federal level, the U.S. government, through its diverse agencies and departments, relies heavily on procurement processes managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) Automotive Branch.
The Biden administration issued an executive order in 2021 focused on revitalizing the electric-vehicle (EV) program of the U.S. government, requiring the replacement of the government’s entire fleet of about 650,000 vehicles with American-made EVs. The Company focus is establishing Mullen’s EV lineup within the overall federal fleet procurement process with a partner organization RRDS that has extensive experience in Government sales. The application for approval for sales was submitted jointly with RRDS on November 24, 2023. The company awaits the decision by the GSA which federal agencies as well as states have the option to procure vehicles through GSA contracts. Other states opt to use purchasing platforms, like Sourcewell. Mullen and Bollinger have access to use the Sourcewell platform to market and sell their product lines.
A key challenge electric vehicles could face in the federal space is the potential for changes to the current GSA EV procurement policy under the new Administration. However, some federal agencies have already invested in EV infrastructure, which strongly suggests that the GSA and federal agencies will continue to purchase electric vehicles through automotive contracts. States like California, Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, part of 17 CARB-states, and even some southern states like North Carolina and Florida have established contracts requiring local governments to transition to electric vehicles by 2025. Mullen expects more states to adopt similar procurement policies, offering a broader selection of vehicles and giving individual agencies the flexibility to choose which vehicles they wish to purchase as electric commercial vehicles have proven to offer a lower total cost of ownership within their duty cycles.
After Sales Strategy
We anticipate that customers will have access to all contracted Dealers to use the Service Facilities that are part of their Dealership network. In addition, to ensure all Customers nationwide have access to fast response for required servicing of their vehicles, Mullen and Bollinger have partnered with Amerit Fleet Solutions to use both their facilities and mobile vehicles. Amerit technicians have been trained and are ready to service Customer deliveries.
Bollinger Motors Sales, Service and Distribution Approach
Bollinger Motors employs a traditional OEM-Dealer Network sales approach. By December 31, 2024, Bollinger Motors has built a network of more than 50 dealership locations, nationwide. These dealers are established, respected commercial truck dealers, including Nacarato Truck Centers, Bergey’s Truck Centers, TEC Equipment, Affinity Truck Center, Anderson Motors and Nuss Truck & Equipment. As Bollinger Motors authorized dealers, they will provide sales and service support to both prospective and current Bollinger Motors owners. Bollinger expects to grow their national network to 100-plus dealership locations in 2025.
Government Sales for Bollinger Motors are handled through the existing dealer network and a partnership with RRDS. Additionally, Bollinger Motors has access to a key government procurement portal, Sourcewell, via partnership with National Auto Fleet Group (NAFG) and their Sourcewell-approved contract (#032824-NAF), as well as the BidNet tool.
After-sales service will be primarily handled for Bollinger Motors owners via Bollinger’s national dealer network who have the parts, tooling and training on the Bollinger Motors product. For those customers outside of the service area of a network dealers, Bollinger has partnered with Amerit to provide mobile service.
Vehicle Fleet Connectivity
To assist fleets to improve their operating costs, safety and productivity, Mullen and Bollinger offer Advanced Telematics Systems which provides Driver and Fleet Manager connectivity to the vehicles with real time alerts for vehicle location, routing, maintenance alerts, and battery state of charge.
Mullen Vehicle Marketing
In 2023, we launched a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote Mullen’s commercial vehicles. Our multi-channel approach encompassed targeted Email Campaigns, engaging Social Media content, strategic Paid Advertising, Press Releases, Editorial Features, Sponsorships, and participation in 20 key regional and national trade shows. We partnered with top-tier agencies to enhance our advertising, event presence, social media engagement, and videography efforts.
In 2024, we built on this momentum with expanded commercial marketing initiatives, including increased trade show participation, a stronger online presence, event collaborations, and an expanded direct sales outreach to new markets. Beginning in April 2024, we conducted over 120 product demonstrations directly with large regional fleets, municipal customers and small businesses.
With the addition of our dealer partners, we have significantly expanded our market reach. Our efforts now include collaborative marketing and product promotion, targeting their customer bases to drive greater visibility and growth.
The Marketing team has built on the success of our launch efforts, to strengthen our web presence, expand marketing outreach, and increase participation in national trade shows. Our sales team is actively collaborating with dealer partners to attend key regional events and boost the availability of our pilot programs. Additionally, we launched a robust upfitter partnership program to showcase our vehicles at upfitter booths across local, regional, and national trade shows. Our marketing and advertising efforts also extend into industry-specific publications, while our online visibility continues to experience significant growth.
We have leveraged the combination of Mullen’s sales team and our dealer partners representation in the fleet sector to build relationships with potential national, regional and small business fleets, upfitters, fleet management companies and federal and municipal customers.
We built an aggressive demo program for fleets to test our vehicles across real world use cases and environment. These demonstrations have been critical piece to our overall go to market strategy and has provided resourceful feedback for product development, interest and sales volume. 
The addition of nationally renowned, leading dealerships has significantly enhanced Mullen’s brand presence among top national fleets. Mullen has worked hand in hand with our dealer partners to grow market awareness and arm their sales teams with all of the pertinent information about our Commercial Product line enabling them to successfully market and sell our vehicles. In addition, we have worked with each of the dealerships marketing teams to develop joint marketing materials, promotional videos and social media campaigns.
Additionally, we have worked with national upfitters to continually demonstrate the versatility of Mullen’s product line across vocational sectors.
Bollinger Motors Vehicle Marketing
Bollinger takes a multi-pronged approach to marketing their products, leveraging the strength of their unique brand.
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Digital
The foundation of Bollinger’s marketing activities, this channel is used for brand, product and selling activities, as it is both a permanent hub, and flexible tool.
o Website (bollingermotors.com): Redesigned in April 2024. This acts as the hub for Bollinger information.
o Social media: Active and growing accounts on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram. This is a key element of staying connected to potential customers, with multiple posts per week.
o Search Marketing: This is both search optimization (SEO) and paid search (SEM)
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CRM
This is a key integration point between the sales organization and marketing and is used for communicating and managing existing customers and prospects, as well as conducting outreach to build a robust prospect database for sales opportunities.
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Events
Events, especially those that include “Ride and Drive” activities are critical to the exposure and adoption of the B4, as actual customer experience driving the B4 creates positive business/sales opportunities.
o “National”: Bollinger engages in several key, large national industry events, including NTEA Work Truck Week, and ACT Expo.
o “Local”: In 2024, Bollinger Motors engaged in over 30 smaller local and regional events, which often allow more flexibility, and access to fleet decision makers “on their turf”. Often, these events are combined with broader electrification and environmental efforts and involve partnerships with Bollinger Motors dealers who have a local presence.
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PR
o Press Releases: Bollinger Motors has an active press release schedule, executing an average of three releases per month.
o Pitching: Proactive outreach to outlets across all media channels to generate articles and interviews.
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Collateral
Bollinger develops digital and physical collateral materials to support the sales and events activations.
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Dealer Support
Bollinger Motors partners and supports its national dealer network by providing them with materials that enable them to market Bollinger Motors at their facilities and online consistently with the Bollinger Motors brand. Elements include: brand standards guides, web page templates, collateral materials, and signage guidelines, along with partnering on press releases, social media, and event activations.
Research and Development
As an emerging automaker, we rely heavily on research and development to establish and strengthen our market position. We conduct our research and development activities in Troy, Michigan and Oak Park Michigan facilities for our Commercial Platforms and Fullerton California for the Battery Business.
During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 we incurred research and development expense of approximately $74.9 million and $77.4 million, respectively. Expenses consisted primarily of personnel costs for our teams in engineering as well as contract and professional services that included the production of several demonstrator vehicles.
Intellectual Property
We place a strong emphasis on our innovative approach and proprietary designs which bring intrinsic value and uniqueness to our product portfolio. As part of our business, we seek to protect the underlying intellectual property rights of these innovations and designs such as with respect to patents, trademarks, trade secrets and other measures, including through employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements and other contractual arrangements. Our success depends in part upon our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. We have nondisclosure and invention assignment agreements with our consultants and employees, and we seek to control access to and distribution of our proprietary information through non-disclosure agreements with our vendors and business partners.
Trademarks and Patents
We plan to file additional applications for the registration of our trademarks and issuances of patents in the United States and foreign jurisdictions as our business expands under current and planned distribution arrangements. Protection of registered trademarks and issued patents in some jurisdictions may not be as extensive as the protection provided by the United States. There are no assurances given that pending applications will be granted or that they will, if granted, contain all of the claims currently included in the applications. Refer to Intellectual Property Table.
Patents
Trademarks
Company
U.S.
Non U.S.
U.S.
Non U.S.
Status
Total
Comments
Mullen Automotive
Issued/Registered
Not included 111 pending patents and 34 pending trademarks
Bollinger Motors
Issued/Registered
Not included 7 pending patents and 18 pending trademarks
Total
Trade Secrets
We own certain intellectual property, including trade secrets, which we seek to protect, in part, through confidentiality agreements with employees and other parties. Even where these agreements exist, there can be no assurance that these agreements will not be breached, that we would have adequate remedies for any breach, or that our trade secrets will not otherwise become known to or independently developed by competitors.
We intend to protect our legal rights concerning intellectual property by all appropriate legal action. Consequently, we may become involved from time to time in litigation to determine the enforceability, scope, and validity of any of the foregoing proprietary rights. Any patent litigation could result in substantial cost and divert the efforts of management and technical personnel.
Government Regulation and Credits
We operate in an industry that is subject to extensive environmental regulation, which has become more stringent over time. The laws and regulations to which we are subject govern, among others, water use; air emissions; use of recycled materials; energy sources; the storage, handling, treatment, transportation and disposal of hazardous materials; the protection of the environment, natural resources and endangered species; and the remediation of environmental contamination. Compliance with such laws and regulations at an international, regional, national, state and local level is an important aspect of our ability to continue our operations.
Environmental standards applicable to us are established by the laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate, including standards adopted by regulatory agencies as well as the permits and licenses required by such agencies. Each of these sources is subject to periodic modifications and we anticipate increasingly stringent requirements. Violations of these laws, regulations or permits and licenses may result in substantial civil and criminal fines, penalties, and possibly orders to cease the violating operations or to conduct or pay for corrective works. In some instances, violations may also result in the suspension or revocation of permits and licenses.
Emissions
There are vehicle emissions performance standards that may provide an opportunity for us to sell emissions credits.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues emissions credits and the fleet-average evaporative emission standards. Current Model Year Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles Regulation and are paid in relation to vehicles sold and registered in the U.S.
California has greenhouse gas emissions standards that closely follow the standards of the EPA. The registration and sale of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) in California will earn us ZEV credits that we can sell to other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Other states within the United States have adopted similar standards include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Washington D.C. We intend to take advantage of these regimes by registering and selling ZEVs as our vehicles are sold.
ZEV credits in California are calculated under the California Code of Regulations for 2018 through 2025 Model Year Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles Regulation and are paid in relation to ZEVs sold and registered in California including Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs).
The ZEV program assigns ZEV credits to each vehicle manufacturer. Vehicle manufacturers are required to maintain ZEV credits equal to a set percentage of non-electric vehicles sold and registered in California.
Each vehicle sold and registered in California earns a number of credits based on the drivetrain type and the all-electric range of the vehicle under the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule Test Cycle. Battery electric and fuel cell vehicles receive between one and four credits per vehicle sold in California, based on range.
If a vehicle manufacturer does not produce enough EVs to meet its quota, it can choose to buy credits from other manufacturers who do or pay fines for each credit such manufacturer is short. This will provide an opportunity for us to sell credits to other manufacturers that may not have met their quota. Initial negotiations with a certain OEM's have started in this area.
EPA / CARB Emissions and Certificate of Conformity / Executive Order
The United States Clean Air Act requires that we obtain a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued by the EPA and a California Executive Order (EO) issued by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) concerning emissions for our vehicles. A Certificate of Conformity is required for vehicles sold in states covered by the Clean Air Act’s standards, and an Executive Order is required for vehicles sold in states that have sought and received a waiver from the EPA to utilize California standards. CARB sets the California standards for emissions control for certain regulated pollutants for new vehicles and engines sold in California. States that have adopted the California standards as approved by EPA also recognize the Executive Order for sales of vehicles. There are currently eight states (Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state) which have adopted the California standard for heavy-duty vehicles.
The Greenhouse Gas Rule was incorporated into the Clean Air Act on August 9, 2011. Even though Mullen’s vehicles have zero-emissions, Mullen is still required to seek an EPA Certificate of Conformity for the Greenhouse Gas Rule and a CARB Executive Order for the CARB Greenhouse Gas Rule.
Mullen has received EPA Certificate of Conformity for both Class 1 and Class 3 vehicles. In addition, the California EO has been issued by the CARB for the Mullen ONE, Mullen THREE and Bollinger B4.
Vehicle Safety and Testing
Our vehicles are required to comply with, numerous regulatory requirements established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including applicable United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). All Mullen and Bollinger Motors commercial products fully comply with all applicable FMVSS requirements.
Human Capital Resources
Talent Attraction and Capability Assessment
Where and how we source our talent evolves as conditions and opportunities change. From a capability perspective, we are leveraging best practices in assessments and talent management to current capabilities and future pipeline while reinforcing a culture of belonging, empowerment, and innovation.
Diversity and Inclusion
We strive to attract a pool of diverse and exceptional candidates and support their career growth once they become employees. In addition, we seek to hire based on talent rather than solely on educational pedigree. We also believe that our ability to retain our workforce is dependent on our ability to foster an environment that is sustainably safe, respectful, fair, and inclusive of everyone and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion inside and outside of our business.
Our Employees
As of September 30, 2024, Mullen employed 388 full-time employees including 243 Mullen and 145 Bollinger employees. Most of our employees are engaged in automotive engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing and finance related function. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
Available Information
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and file or furnish reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports, also are available free of charge on the investors section of our website at www.mullenusa.com when such reports are available on the SEC’s website. Further corporate governance information, including our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, governance guidelines, board committee charters, and code of business conduct and ethics, is also available on the investors section of our website.
The contents of the websites referred to above are not incorporated into this filing or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to these websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Report, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes, as well as the preceding “Business” section of this Report, before engaging in any transaction in our securities. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or prospects, and cause the value of our securities to decline, which could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.
Risk Factor Summary
For a summary of risk factors, see our “Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factor Summary” on page 2.
Risks Related to our Securities, Capital Requirements and Financial Condition
We have incurred significant losses since inception and we expect that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, which makes it difficult to assess our future viability.
We have not been profitable since operations commenced, and we may never achieve or sustain profitability. In addition, we have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully overcome many of the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in new and rapidly evolving fields such as the EV industry. Development and deployment of EV technology and vehicles is a highly speculative undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk. We have only commercialized our EV products and generated revenue from sales of such products on a very limited basis. We have previously devoted, and may continue to devote, significant resources to research and development, manufacturing and other expenses related to our ongoing operations.
We will require significant additional capital to continue operations and to execute current business strategy. Mullen cannot estimate with reasonable certainty the actual amounts necessary to successfully continue the development, manufacturing and commercialization of our products and there is no certainty that we will be able to raise the necessary capital on reasonable terms or at all.
We are an early-stage company with a history of losses and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future.
We have incurred a net loss since our inception and particularly incurred losses in the operation of its business related to research and development activities since our inception. We believe that we will continue to incur operating and net losses each quarter until at least the time we begin significant deliveries of our vehicles. Even if we are able to successfully develop, manufacture, and sell or lease our vehicles, there can be no assurance that they will be commercially successful.
We expect the rate at which we will incur losses to be significantly higher in future periods as we, among other things: design, develop and manufacture our vehicles; build up inventories of parts and components for our vehicles; increase our sales and marketing activities; develop our distribution infrastructure; and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. We may find that these efforts are more expensive than we currently anticipate or that these efforts may not result in revenues, which would further increase our losses.
There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to raise additional debt or equity financings or enter strategic partnerships. Since our inception, we have financed our operations through convertible debt and preferred stock financings. We intend to continue to finance our operations through debt or equity financing and/or strategic partnerships. The failure to obtain sufficient financing or strategic partnerships could adversely affect our ability to achieve our business objectives and continue as a going concern.
Our independent registered public accounting firm has included an emphasis of matter paragraph regarding our ability to continue as a going concern in its opinion on our September 30, 2024, consolidated financial statements due to our lack of revenues and insufficient capital for us to fund our operations.
Our operating and financial results forecast relies in large part upon assumptions and analyses developed by us. If these assumptions or analyses prove to be incorrect, our actual operating results may be materially different from our forecasted results.
Our operating and financial results forecast largely relies on management’s assumptions and analyses, which could be incorrect. Whether actual operating and financial results and business developments will be consistent with our expectations and assumptions as reflected in the forecast depends on a number of factors, many of which are outside our control, including, but not limited to:
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whether we can obtain sufficient and timely capital to sustain and grow its business;
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our ability to manage growth;
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whether we can maintain relationships with key suppliers;
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whether we can
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our ability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals;
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demand for our products and services in its target markets;
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the timing and cost of new and existing marketing and promotional efforts;
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competition, including established and future competitors;
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our ability to retain existing key management, to integrate recent hires and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel;
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the overall strength and stability of domestic and international economies;
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regulatory, legislative and political changes, including tariffs
Specifically, our operating results forecast is based on projected purchase prices, unit costs for materials, manufacturing, labor, packaging and logistics, warranty, sales, marketing and service, tariffs, and its projected number of orders for the vehicles with factors such as industry benchmarks taken into consideration. Any of these factors could turn out to be different than those anticipated. Unfavorable changes in any of these or other factors, which may be beyond our control, could materially and adversely affect its business, prospects, financial results and results of operations.
We will require substantial additional financing to execute our business plan, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our production operations
For the years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, we incurred net losses of $505.8 million and $1,006.7 million, respectively, and net cash used in operating activities was $185.6 million and $179.2 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $2.3 billion. We will need significant capital to, among other things, continue any research and development, increase our production capacity, and expand our sales and service network. We expect to continue to incur substantial operating losses for the next several years as we advance our product development, manufacturing and commercialization efforts.
We expect ongoing capital expenditures in the foreseeable future as we grow our business volumes, including adding new models of our EV products, and that our level of capital expenditures will be significantly affected by user demand for our products and services. The fact that we have a limited operating history means we have limited historical data on the demand for our products and services. As a result, our future capital requirements may be uncertain and actual capital requirements may be different from those we currently anticipate. We will likely need to seek equity or debt financing to finance a portion of our capital expenditures. Such financing might not be available to us in a timely manner, or on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all.
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. In particular, our current ineligibility to file a registration statement on Form S-3 due to our failure to timely file our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2024 and disruptions in the financial markets and volatile economic conditions could affect our ability to raise capital. If we raise additional capital through marketing and distribution arrangements or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish certain valuable rights to our product candidates, technologies, future revenue streams or research programs or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable. If we raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings, the ownership interest of our stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of any new equity securities may have preferential rights over our common stock and further may restrict our ability to obtain additional financing even if needed to continue operations. Further, the ability to fund our needs through equity issuances, warrants or convertible debt is or may be limited by covenants in certain of our existing and future funding or other agreements. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we would have increased debt service obligations and may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt or making capital expenditures, or subject to specified financial ratios, any of which could restrict our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates or operate as a business.
Additional capital may not be available when we need it, on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our establishment of sales and marketing, manufacturing or distribution capabilities, development activities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize our proposed products or other development activities. 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.
We may not be able to raise additional funding nor generate or obtain sufficient cash flows to service all of our existing and future liabilities when they become due, and we may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations, which may not be successful.
We may be unable to obtain alternative sources of financing in an amount sufficient to fund our existing and future liquidity needs. To date, we have yet to generate any significant revenue from our business operations. Our current working capital and development needs have been primarily funded through the issuance of convertible indebtedness, convertible preferred stock and common stock. We will need significant capital to, among other things, conduct research and development, increase our production capacity, and expand our sales and service network. Our ability to successfully expand our business will depend on many factors, including our working capital needs, the availability of equity or debt financing and, over time, our ability to generate cash flows from operations. During the twelve months ended September 30, 2024, the Company used approximately $185.6 million of cash for operating activities.
The Company's principal source of liquidity consists of existing cash and restricted cash of approximately $10.7 million as of September 30, 2024. The net working capital was negative and reached $120.0 million. If we are unable to obtain funding or a refinancing or some restructuring of our obligations or other improvement in liquidity, we may not be able to service all our liabilities when they become due. The Company is actively pursuing additional funds and remains in discussions with potential financiers. As part of its cost-cutting measures, the Company plans to further reduce its workforce and streamline operations, including downsizing its physical locations. However, there is no guarantee that the Company will be able to restructure its liabilities and/or secure the necessary financing on favorable terms. If any of our significant obligations are accelerated, we may not be able to repay the obligations that become immediately due and will have severe liquidity restraints.
We are currently evaluating strategic alternatives to address our liquidity issues, but we cannot assure you that any of our strategies will yield sufficient funds to meet our working capital or other liquidity needs, and any such alternative measures may be unsuccessful or may not permit us to meet scheduled obligations, which could cause us to default on our obligations. As a result, we may seek bankruptcy court protection to continue our efforts to restructure our business and capital structure and may have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our consolidated financial statements.
We have defaulted on the payment of certain Convertible Notes and our failure to comply with the terms of Convertible Notes could result in an event of default that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If there were an event of default under the Senior Convertible Notes that were issued pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement dated May 14, 2024, all amounts outstanding under the Convertible Notes could be due and payable immediately, which would have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. An event of default may occur should our assets or cash flow be insufficient to fully repay borrowings under the Convertible Notes, whether paid in the ordinary course or accelerated, or if we are unable to maintain compliance with relevant obligations thereunder, including financial and other covenants. Various risks and uncertainties may impact our ability to comply with our obligations under the Convertible Notes.
As of September 30, 2024, we had an aggregate amount of approximately $20.3 million of Senior Convertible Notes that were issued pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement dated May 14, 2024. As of September 30, 2024, the Convertible Notes were in cross-default as the Company had not paid a part of the notes that matured during September 2024. As a result, the interest rate on the Convertible Notes increased from 15% to 20%. Although the investors could request immediate payment in cash, the investors did not demand payment. In December 2024, a settlement agreement between the Company and holders of the Convertible Notes was approved by a court, and, as of the date of this Report, almost full amount of the Convertible Notes, including accumulated interest, has been converted to shares of common stock under Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act of 1933.
Our inability to comply with any of the provisions of the Convertible Notes could result in a default, which would permit the holders declare the principal amount and accrued interest immediately due and payable and exercise any or all of its rights, powers, or remedies under the Convertible Notes or applicable law or available in equity. Plus, as security for payment of the amounts due and payable under the Convertible Notes, the Company granted a continuing security interest in all of its right, title and interest in, its assets, whether owned, existing, acquired or arising and wherever located. If we are unable to repay outstanding borrowings when due, the holders also have the right to proceed against the collateral. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Our liquidity issues that can force us to seek protection under the federal bankruptcy laws may impact our business and operations.
Due to the uncertainty about our ability to obtain sufficient cash to service current and future liabilities, there is risk that, among other things:
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third parties’ confidence in our ability to develop and manufacture explore and produce electric vehicles, which could impact our ability to execute on our business strategy;
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it may become more difficult to retain, attract or replace key employees;
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employees could be distracted from performance of their duties or more easily attracted to other career opportunities; and
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our suppliers, vendors and service providers could renegotiate the terms of our arrangements, terminate their relationship with us or require financial assurances from us.
Seeking bankruptcy court protection could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. For as long as a bankruptcy proceeding continued, our senior management would be required to spend a significant amount of time and effort dealing with the reorganization instead of focusing on our business operations. Bankruptcy court protection also could make it more difficult to retain management and other key personnel necessary to the success and growth of our business. In addition, during the period of time we are involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, our customers and suppliers might lose confidence in our ability to reorganize our business successfully and could seek to establish alternative commercial relationships. The occurrence of certain of these events has already negatively affected our business and may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in our failure to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of September 30, 2024 due to material weaknesses, such as certain policies and procedures that are not all formalized in a written procedure format that is up to date, absence of formalized review of key controls processes and/or insufficiently formalized documentation evidencing, certain design deficiencies in management and analytical review of controls associated with the financial close process, lack of in-house accounting expertise, and lack of disclosure controls and procedures to ensure the Company properly presents certain related party disclosures. Management is working to remediate our current material weaknesses and prevent potential future material weaknesses by implementing procedures such as, hiring additional qualified accounting and financial reporting personnel, and further reviewing and enhancing our accounting processes, which are further described under “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures” of this Report. We may not be able to fully remediate any future material weaknesses until these steps have been completed and have been operating effectively for a sufficient period of time. If we are not able to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, our financial statements and related disclosures may be inaccurate, which could have materially adverse effects on our business and our stock price. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations.
Our ability to comply with the annual internal control report requirements will depend on the effectiveness of our financial reporting and data systems and controls across our company. We expect these systems and controls to involve significant expenditures and to become increasingly complex as our business grows. To effectively manage this complexity, we will need to continue to improve our operational, financial, and management controls, and our reporting systems and procedures. Our inability to successfully remediate our existing or any future material weaknesses or other deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting or any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in the implementation or operation of these controls, could harm our operating results and cause us to fail to meet our financial reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our financial statements, which could limit our liquidity and access to capital markets, adversely affect our business and investor confidence in us, and reduce our stock price.
Commercial vehicle sales depend on affordable interest rates and availability of credit for vehicle financing and a substantial increase in interest rates could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
As interest rates have risen, market rates for new vehicle financing have also risen, which may make our vehicles less affordable to customers or steer customers to less expensive vehicles. Additionally, if financial service providers tighten lending standards or restrict their lending to certain classes of credit, customers may not desire or be able to obtain financing to purchase our vehicles or may reduce the number of vehicles they otherwise would have purchased. As a result, a continuing relatively high interest rate environment or tightening of lending standards could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We incurred non-cash impairment charges during 2024 which adversely affected our year fiscal 2024 operating results and we may be required to incur additional future impairment and other charges, which could adversely affect our operating results.
In connection with our acquisitions and other business combinations, including our acquisition of Bollinger Motors in 2022, applicable accounting standards require the net tangible and intangible assets of the acquired business to be recorded on our consolidated balance sheet at their fair values as of the date of acquisition and any excess in the purchase price paid by us over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets of any acquired business to be recorded as goodwill. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are tested at least annually for impairment or more frequently as events and circumstances dictate. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is generally an operating segment or underlying business component. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment at the individual indefinite-lived intangible asset or asset group level, as appropriate. Finite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill considered long-lived assets for impairment testing purposes, are tested for impairment as events and circumstances dictate, and are required to be amortized over their estimated useful lives and this amortization expense may be significant to our ongoing financial results.
If we determine that the anticipated future cash flows from our reporting units, indefinite-lived intangible assets or asset groups, or long-lived asset groups may be less than their respective carrying values, our goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and/or long-lived assets may be deemed to be impaired. If this occurs, applicable accounting rules may require us to write down the value of the goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and/or long-lived assets on our balance sheet to reflect the extent of any such impairment. Any such write-down of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and/or long-lived assets would generally be recognized as a non-cash expense in our financial statements for the accounting period during which any such write-down occurs. Impairment losses recorded during the twelve months ended September 30, 2024 amounted to $119.2 million, while impairment losses recorded during the twelve months ended September 30, 2023 amounted to $84.6 million.
Our financial results may vary significantly from period to period due to fluctuations in our operating costs and other factors.
We expect our period-to-period financial results to vary based on our operating costs, which we anticipate will fluctuate as the pace at which we continue to design, develop and manufacture new products and increase production capacity by expanding our current manufacturing facilities and adding future facilities, may not be consistent or linear between periods. Additionally, our revenues from period to period may fluctuate as we introduce existing products to new markets for the first time and as we develop and introduce new products. As a result of these factors, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our financial results, especially in the short term, are not necessarily meaningful and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Moreover, our financial results may not meet expectations of equity research analysts, ratings agencies or investors, who may be focused only on short-term quarterly financial results. If any of this occurs, the trading price of our stock could fall substantially, either suddenly or over time.
We have not paid cash dividends on our common stock in the past and do not expect to pay dividends on our common stock in the future. Any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the near future. We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to finance the further development and expansion of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on earnings, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions, business prospects and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as the Board of Directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates. Consequently, investors may need to rely on sales of their shares after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment
We may not be able to maintain compliance with the continued listing requirements of the NASDAQ Capital Markets.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Markets. To maintain continued listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other requirements including, without limitation, a minimum bid price of at least $1 per share as set forth in in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Bid Price Rule”). Although the Company regained compliance, during 2022, 2023 and 2024, we received notices from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications staff (“Staff”) that the Company no longer satisfied the Bid Price Rule.
In September 2022, we received a letter from the Staff that, for the previous 30-consecutive business day period, the Company no longer satisfied the Bid Price Rule. Upon approval by the Company’s stockholders, in May 2023, we completed a 1-for-25 reverse split of our outstanding shares of common stock, and in August 2023, we completed a 1-for-9 reverse split of our outstanding shares of common stock. After not regaining compliance during a 180-day compliance period, which was extended for another 180-day period, we requested a hearing before the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel (“Panel”) to request a further extension of time and present our plan to regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule. The Panel granted the Company an extension and, after receiving stockholder approval, on December 21, 2023, the Company effectuated a 1-for-100 reverse split of its outstanding shares of common stock. On January 24, 2024, the Company announced that it received formal notice from the Staff that it had regained compliance with the Bid Price Rule.
More recently, on September 16, 2024, we received another formal notice from the Staff of Nasdaq that, based upon the closing bid price for our common stock, for the previous 30-consecutive business day period, the Company no longer satisfied the Bid Price Rule. The Staff further indicated that, based upon the Company’s implementation of one or more reverse stock splits within the past two years at a cumulative ratio of 250 shares or more to one in contravention of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(iv), the Company’s securities were subject to delisting unless the Company timely requested a hearing before the Panel, which the Company did. After receiving stockholder approval, on September 17, 2024, the Company implemented a 1-for-100 reverse split of its outstanding shares of common stock. On October 16, 2024, the Company received formal notice from Nasdaq confirming that it had regained compliance with the Bid Price Rule and the previously scheduled Nasdaq hearing was canceled.
While Nasdaq rules do not impose a specific limit on the number of times a listed company may effect a reverse stock split to maintain or regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule, Nasdaq has stated that a series of reverse stock splits may undermine investor confidence in securities listed on Nasdaq. Accordingly, Nasdaq may determine that it is not in the public interest to maintain our listing, even if we regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule as a result of the reverse stock split. In addition, Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(iv) states that any listed company that fails to meet the Bid Price Rule after effecting one or more reverse stock splits over the prior two-year period with a cumulative ratio of 250 shares or more to one, then the company is not eligible for a Minimum Bid Price Rule Compliance Period. As a result, since the Company had effected an 1-for-25 reverse stock split on May 4, 2023, an 1-for-9 reverse stock split on August 11, 2023, an 1-for-100 reverse stock split on December 21, 2023, and another 1-for-100 reverse stock split on September 17, 2024, if we subsequently fail to satisfy the Bid Price Rule, Nasdaq will begin the process of delisting our common stock without providing a Minimum Bid Price Rule Compliance Period. However, the Company is still eligible to request a hearing before the Nasdaq Panel to present its plan for regaining and sustaining compliance with the Bid Price Rule.
If our common stock ceases to be listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we would expect that our common stock would be traded on one of the three tiered marketplaces of the OTC Markets Group. If Nasdaq were to delist our common stock, it would be more difficult for our stockholders to dispose of our common stock or warrants and more difficult to obtain accurate price quotations on our common stock. Our ability to issue additional securities for financing or other purposes, or otherwise to arrange for any financing we may need in the future, may also be materially and adversely affected if our common stock or warrants are not listed on a national securities exchange. The OTC Markets (the “OTC Mkts”) are generally regarded as a less efficient trading market than the NASDAQ Capital or Global Markets or the New York Stock Exchange.
Although the OTC Mkts do not have any listing requirements, to be eligible for quotation on the OTC Mkts, issuers must remain current in their filings with the SEC or applicable regulatory authority. If we are not able to pay the expenses associated with our reporting obligations, we will not be able to apply for quotation on the OTC Board. Market makers are not permitted to begin quotation of a security whose issuer does not meet this filing requirement. If we are delisted to the OTC Mkts and no market is ever developed for our common stock or warrants, it will be difficult for you to sell any shares you purchase in this offering. In such a case, you may find that you are unable to achieve any benefit from your investment or liquidate your shares without considerable delay, if at all.
A reverse stock split may decrease the liquidity of the shares of our common stock and may have a dilutive effect on the ownership of existing stockholders.
The liquidity of the shares of our common stock may be affected adversely by a reverse stock split given the reduced number of shares that will be outstanding following the reverse stock split, especially if the market price of our common stock does not increase as a result of the reverse stock split. In addition, a reverse stock split may increase the number of shareholders who own odd lots (less than 100 shares) of our common stock, creating the potential for such shareholders to experience an increase in the cost of selling their shares and greater difficulty effecting such sales.
While we expect that the reduction in the number of outstanding shares of common stock will proportionally increase the market price of our common stock, we cannot assure you that a reverse stock split will increase the market price of our common stock by a multiple of the reverse stock split ratio, or result in any permanent or sustained increase in the market price of our common stock. The market price of our common stock will continue to be based, in part, on our performance and other factors unrelated to the number of shares outstanding. A reverse stock split will reduce the number of outstanding shares of our common stock without reducing the number of shares of available but unissued common stock, which will also have the effect of increasing the number of shares of common stock available for issuance. The issuance of additional shares of our common stock may have a dilutive effect on the ownership of existing stockholders. The current economic environment in which we operate, the debt we carry, along with otherwise volatile equity market conditions, could limit our ability to raise new equity capital in the future.
In addition, a reverse stock split will reduce the total number of outstanding shares of common stock, which may lead to reduced trading and a smaller number of market makers for our common stock, particularly if the price per share of our common stock does not increase as a result of a reverse stock split.
Following a reverse stock split, the resulting market price of our common stock may not attract new investors, including institutional investors, and may not satisfy the investing requirements of those investors. Consequently, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not improve.
Although we believe that a higher market price of our common stock may help generate greater or broader investor interest, there can be no assurance that a reverse stock split will result in a share price that will attract new investors, including institutional investors. In addition, there can be no assurance that the market price of our common stock will satisfy the investing requirements of those investors. As a result, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not necessarily improve.
Our common stock may be subject to the “penny stock” rules in the future. It may be more difficult to resell securities classified as “penny stock.”
Our common stock may be subject to “penny stock” rules (generally defined as non-exchange traded stock with a per-share price below $5.00) in the future. While our common stock is currently not considered “penny stock” since they are listed on the NasdaqCM, if we are unable to maintain that listing and our common stock are no longer listed on the NasdaqCM, unless we maintain a per-share price above $5.00 or are able to satisfy any another condition, our common stock will become “penny stock.” These rules impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers that recommend the purchase or sale of penny stocks to persons other than those who qualify as “established customers” or “accredited investors.” For example, broker-dealers must determine the appropriateness for non-qualifying persons of investments in penny stocks. Broker-dealers must also provide, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about penny stocks and the risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, disclose the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction, furnish monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account, provide a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser, and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. Legal remedies available to an investor in “penny stocks” may include the following:
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in violation of the requirements listed above, or other federal or states securities laws, the investor may be able to cancel the purchase and receive a refund of the investment.
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in a fraudulent manner, the investor may be able to sue the persons and firms that committed the fraud for damages.
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in violation of the requirements listed above, or other federal or states securities laws, the investor may be able to cancel the purchase and receive a refund of the investment.
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in a fraudulent manner, the investor may be able to sue the persons and firms that committed the fraud for damages.
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in violation of the requirements listed above, or other federal or states securities laws, the investor may be able to cancel the purchase and receive a refund of the investment.
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in a fraudulent manner, the investor may be able to sue the persons and firms that committed the fraud for damages.
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in violation of the requirements listed above, or other federal or states securities laws, the investor may be able to cancel the purchase and receive a refund of the investment.
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If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in a fraudulent manner, the investor may be able to sue the persons and firms that committed the fraud for damages.
These requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity, if any, in the secondary market for a security that becomes subject to the penny stock rules. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by such requirements may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our securities, which could severely limit the market price and liquidity of our securities. These requirements may restrict the ability of broker-dealers to sell our common stock or our warrants and may affect your ability to resell our common stock.
Many brokerage firms will discourage or refrain from recommending investments in penny stocks. Most institutional investors will not invest in penny stocks. In addition, many individual investors will not invest in penny stocks due, among other reasons, to the increased financial risk generally associated with these investments.
For these reasons, penny stocks may have a limited market and, consequently, limited liquidity. We can give no assurance at what time, if ever, our common stock or our warrants will not be classified as a “penny stock” in the future.
We may issue additional shares of common stock, including under our equity incentive plan and our commitments to issue shares of common stock or securities that are convertible into shares of common stock may cause significant dilution to stockholders and present other risks.
We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock.
On May 14, 2024, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with certain investors, pursuant to which we issued an aggregate principal amount of $52.6 million of 5% Original Issue Discount Senior Secured Notes convertible into shares of common stock (the “Notes”) and five-year warrants exercisable for shares of common stock (the “Warrants”). Furthermore, for the period ending on July 9, 2025, the investors have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase an additional $52.6 million of Notes and related Warrants on the same terms and conditions as provided in the Securities Purchase Agreement. The outstanding principal and accrued but unpaid interest on the Notes may be converted by the holder into shares of Common Stock at the lower of (i) $549.00, (ii) 95% of the closing sale price of the common stock on the date that the Initial Registration Statement is declared effective, or (iii) 95% of the lowest daily volume weighted average price in the five trading days prior to such conversion date, provided, that the conversion price will not be less than $1.16 per share, not subject to adjustment. The Warrants are exercisable for 200% of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Notes at an exercise price equal to $549.10 and may also be exercised on a cashless basis pursuant to their terms. Finally, on December 12, 2024, the Company and certain investors entered into an Additional Investment Rights Agreement whereby for a one-year period ending on December 12, 2025, such investors have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase from the Company additional Notes in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $4.6 million, and related Warrants, on the same terms and conditions as provided in the Securities Purchase Agreement, including the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of May 14, 2024. For further information, see Note 7 - Debts and Note 8 - Warrants and other derivative liabilities and fair value measurements to the Company’s consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report.
In addition to the Company’s equity incentive plan, the Company has also adopted the 2022 CEO Award Incentive Plan, approved by the Board and by stockholders in 2022, and the 2023 CEO Award Incentive Plan, approved by the Board and by stockholders in 2023. Under these plans, the Chief Executive Officer is entitled to share-based awards generally calculated as 1-3% of then outstanding number of shares of common stock, issuable upon achievement of specific financial and operational targets (milestones) that are supposed to significantly increase value of the Company. Total shares of common stock to be issued under the Plans will depend on probability of the milestone achievement and on the number of shares of common stock outstanding on the day a milestone is achieved. See further details under “Executive Compensation” of Part III, Item 11 and Note 11 in the notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report.
The issuance of additional shares of common stock or issuance of shares of common stock upon the conversion of Notes and exercise of the Warrants or upon sales pursuant to the ELOC Purchase Agreement,
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May significantly dilute the percentage ownership and equity interest of holders of our common stock;
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dilute the book value per share of our common stock;
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could cause a change in control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and
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and increase the number of our publicly traded shares, which could adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock and depress the market price.
Stockholder equity interest may be substantially diluted in any additional equity issuances.
We expect that significant additional capital will be needed in the future to continue our planned operations. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution. We may sell common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. If we sell common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in more than one transaction, investors may be materially diluted by subsequent sales. These sales may also result in material dilution to our existing stockholders, and new investors could gain rights superior to our existing stockholders.
Our commitment to issue shares of common stock pursuant to the terms of our preferred stock, Notes and Warrants and stock-based compensation arrangements could encourage short sales by third parties which could contribute to the future decline of stock price.
Our commitment to issue shares of common stock pursuant to the terms of our preferred stock, Notes and Warrants and stock-based compensation arrangements has the potential to cause significant downward pressure on the price of our common stock. In such an environment, short sellers may exacerbate any decline of our stock price. If there are significant short sales of our common stock, the share price of our common stock may decline more than it would in an environment without such activity. This may cause other holders of our common stock to sell their shares. If there are many more shares of our common stock on the market for sale than the market will absorb, the price of our shares of common stock will likely decline.
Our investors may participate in short sales of our common stock. They may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers, which may in turn engage in short sales of the shares of common stock in the course of hedging in positions they assume. Our investors may also sell shares of common stock short and deliver shares of common stock covered by their investments to close out short positions and to return borrowed shares in connection with such short sales. Our investors may also loan or pledge shares of common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such shares. Such activity could cause a decline in the market price of the shares of our common stock.
Sale or issuance of our common stock pursuant to the ELOC Purchase Agreement
may cause dilution and the sale of the shares of common stock, or the perception that such sales may occur, could cause the price of our common stock to fall.
On May 14, 2024, the Company entered into the ELOC Purchase Agreement pursuant to which the investor agreed to purchase from the Company, at the Company’s direction from time to time, in its sole discretion, until the earlier of (i) the 36-month anniversary of the commencement date or (ii) the termination of the ELOC Purchase Agreement in accordance with the terms thereof, shares of common stock, having a total maximum aggregate purchase price of $150 million, upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations therein. In connection with the ELOC Purchase Agreement, the Company also entered into a registration rights agreement, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement and any additional registration statements, with the SEC covering the resale of the shares of the Company’s common stock issued to investor pursuant to the ELOC Purchase Agreement. In August and September 2024, the Company issued 247,934 shares of common stock as commitment shares and, on October 24, 2023, the Company issued 502,066 shares of common stock with proceeds of approximately $1.1 million pursuant to the terms of the ELOC Purchase Agreement. The Company can continue to access the ELOC if it files another registration statement with the SEC.
The purchase price for the shares that we may sell under the ELOC Purchase Agreement will fluctuate based on the price of our common stock. Depending on market liquidity at the time, sales of such shares may cause the trading price of our common stock to fall.
Subject to the terms of the ELOC Purchase Agreement, we generally have the right to control the timing and amount of any future sales of our shares to the Investor. The extent to which we rely on the ELOC as a source of funding will depend on a number of factors, including the prevailing market price of our common stock and the extent to which we are able to secure working capital from other sources and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately decide to sell all, some, or none of the shares of our common stock that may be available for us to sell pursuant to the ELOC Purchase Agreement. After the investor has acquired shares, it may resell all or some of those shares at any time or from time to time in its discretion. Therefore, sales by us could result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our common stock. Additionally, the sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, or the anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect sales.
Substantial blocks of our total outstanding shares may be sold into the market. If there are substantial sales or issuances of shares of our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.
The price of our common stock could decline if there are substantial sales or issuances of shares of our common stock, particularly sales by significant stockholders or if there is a large number of shares of our common stock available for sale.
As of January 21, 2025, we had outstanding 61,595,743 shares of common stock. Although common stock held by directors, executive officers and other affiliates are subject to volume limitations under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, and various vesting agreements, the market price of the shares of our common stock could decline as a result of the sale of a substantial number of our shares of common stock in the public market or the perception in the market that our significant stockholders or the holders of a large number of such shares of common stock intend to sell their shares.
Our outstanding preferred stock, Notes and Warrants generally contain weighted average anti-dilution provisions which, subject to limited exceptions, would increase the number of shares issuable upon conversion of such securities (by reducing the conversion or exercise price) in the event that we in the future issue common stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable to purchase common stock, at a price per share lower than the conversion price then in effect.
The issuance of shares of common stock upon the conversion of such preferred stock and Notes and the exercise of Warrants would dilute the percentage ownership interest of holders of our common stock, dilute the book value per share of our common stock and increase the number of our publicly traded shares, which could depress the market price of our common stock.
Furthermore, issuances of shares of our common stock pursuant to the equity and financing agreements that we may continue to utilize or enter into will continue to dilute the percentage ownership of our stockholders and may dilute the market price, the per share projected earnings (if any) or book value of our common stock.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or other issuances of shares of our common stock, or the perception that these sales or issuances could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and may make it more difficult for you to sell your shares at a time and price that you deem appropriate.
Our stock price has been volatile, and the market price of our common stock may drop below the price you pay.
Securities markets worldwide have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions, has subjected the market price of our shares to wide price fluctuations regardless of our operating performance. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, many of which we cannot control, including those described under “Risks Related to Our Business and Operations” and the following:
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changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our common stock, our failure to meet these estimates or failure of those analysts to initiate or maintain coverage of our common stock;
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downgrades by any securities analysts who follow our common stock or publications of these analysts of inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business;
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future sales of our common stock by our officers, directors and significant stockholders;
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market conditions or trends in our industry or the economy as a whole;
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changes in international trade policy, including the imposition of tariffs;
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changes in federal and state EV technology incentive programs;
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investors’ perceptions of our prospects;
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announcements by us of significant contracts, acquisitions, joint ventures or capital commitments; and
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changes in key personnel.
In addition, in the past, when the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have sometimes instituted securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. If any of our stockholders brought a lawsuit against us, we could incur substantial costs defending the lawsuit. Such a lawsuit could also divert the time and attention of our management from our business, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation.
All of our debt obligations and our senior equity securities will have priority over our common stock with respect to payment in the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up, and our outstanding senior securities restrict our ability to pay dividends on our common stock.
If we were to liquidate, dissolve or wind up, our common stock would rank below all debt claims against us and claims of all of our outstanding shares of preferred stock. As a result, holders of our common stock will not be entitled to receive any payment or other distribution of assets upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the combined company until after all our obligations to our debt holders have been satisfied and holders of senior equity securities have received any payment or distribution due to them.
Our Certificate of Incorporation designates specific courts as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit the ability of our stockholders to obtain a favorable forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our Certificate of Incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against current or former directors, officers or other employees for breach of fiduciary duty, other similar actions, any other action as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and any action or proceeding concerning the validity of our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any state court located in the State of Delaware or, if and only if all such state courts lack subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware), unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum. This provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Our Certificate of Incorporation also provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the U.S. shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. This provision may limit our stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us and our directors, officers or other employees and may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers and other employees. Furthermore, our stockholders may be subject to increased costs to bring these claims, and the exclusive forum provision could have the effect of discouraging claims or limiting investors’ ability to bring claims in a judicial forum that they find favorable.
In addition, the enforceability of similar exclusive forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with one or more actions or proceedings described above, a court could rule that this provision in our Certificate of Incorporation is inapplicable or unenforceable. In March 2020, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a decision in Salzburg et al. v. Sciabacucchi, which found that an exclusive forum provision providing for claims under the Securities Act to be brought in federal court is facially valid under Delaware law. We intend to enforce this provision, but we do not know whether courts in other jurisdictions will agree with this decision or enforce it. If a court were to find the exclusive forum provision contained in our Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or publish negative reports about our business, our share price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will depend on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not control these analysts. As we are a publicly reporting company in the United States, we may attract research coverage and the analysts who publish information about our common stock will have had relatively little experience with us or our industry, which could affect their ability to accurately forecast our results and could make it more likely that we fail to meet their estimates. In the event we obtain analyst coverage, if any of the analysts who cover us provide inaccurate or unfavorable research or issue an adverse opinion regarding our stock price, our stock price could decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports covering us regularly, we could lose visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline and result in the loss of all or a part of your investment in our Company.
Risks Related to our Business and Operations
We have a limited operating history, have not yet manufactured or sold a significant number of vehicles to customers, and have limited experience in high-volume manufacturing of commercial EVs, all of which makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult for potential investors.
We were originally formed on April 20, 2010 and went public in November 2021. We have a limited operating history in the automobile industry and have generated a small amount of revenue to date. Vehicle deliveries of certain models started only in December 2023. We have limited experience as an organization in high-volume manufacturing of electric commercial vehicles. In addition, as a result of our limited operating history, as well as the limited financing we have received, our management concluded that there was substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
As we transition from research and development activities to commercial production and sales, it is difficult, if not impossible, to forecast our future results, and we have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. The estimated costs and timelines that we have developed to reach full-scale commercial production are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties involved in the transition from a start-up company focused on research and development activities to the large-scale manufacture and sale of vehicles. These are complex processes that may be subject to delays, cost overruns and other unforeseen issues. For example, the tooling required within our facilities may be more expensive to produce than predicted, or have a shorter lifespan, resulting in additional replacement and maintenance costs, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
We cannot assure you that we or our partners will be able to develop cost-efficient manufacturing capability and processes, and reliable sources of component supplies that will enable us to meet the quality, price, engineering, design and production standards, as well as the production volumes, required to successfully manufacture its electric commercial vehicles. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and significant challenges we face as a new entrant into the EV industry, including, among other things, with respect to our ability to:
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produce safe, reliable and quality vehicles on an ongoing basis;
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build a well-recognized and respected brand;
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establish and expand our customer base;
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successfully market not just our vehicles but also the other services we intend to or may provide;
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properly price our services, including our planned financing and lease options, and successfully anticipate the take-rate and usage of such services by users;
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successfully service our vehicles after sales and maintain a good flow of spare parts and customer goodwill;
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improve and maintain our operational efficiency;
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execute and maintain a reliable, secure, high-performance and scalable technology infrastructure;
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predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses;
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attract, retain and motivate talented employees;
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anticipate trends that may emerge and affect our business;
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anticipate and adapt to changing market conditions, including technological developments and changes in competitive landscape; and
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navigate an evolving and complex regulatory environment.
If we fail to adequately address any or all of these risks and challenges, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
In addition, there can be no assurance that fleet managers will embrace our products in significant numbers. Market conditions, many of which are outside of our control and subject to change, including general economic conditions, the availability and terms of financing, energy prices, regulatory requirements, existence and robustness of government incentives, competition and the pace and extent of vehicle electrification generally, will impact demand for our electric commercial vehicles, and ultimately our success.
Potential acquisitions may disrupt our business and dilute stockholder value.
During the third calendar quarter of 2022, we acquired a controlling interest in Bollinger Motors, Inc. We also acquired a significant part of the assets of Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc. during the third calendar quarter of 2022. In September 2023, we acquired certain assets of Romeo Power, which included battery production lines. We will continue to identify and analyze merger or acquisition partners that are culturally similar and have experienced management and possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability through financial management, economies of scale or expanded services. Acquiring related electric vehicle businesses involve various risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including, among other things:
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potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of the target entity;
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exposure to potential asset quality issues of the target entity;
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difficulty and expense of integrating the operations and personnel of the target entity;
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potential disruption to our business;
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potential diversion of our management’s time and attention;
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the possible loss of key employees and customers of the target entity;
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difficulty in estimating the value of the target entity; and
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potential changes in banking or tax laws or regulations that may affect the target entity.
We regularly evaluate merger and acquisition opportunities and conduct due diligence activities related to possible transactions with other businesses. As a result, merger or acquisition discussions and, in some cases, negotiations may take place and future mergers or acquisitions involving cash, debt or equity securities may occur at any time. Acquisitions typically involve the payment of a premium over book and market values, and, therefore, some dilution of our tangible book value and net income per share of common stock may occur in connection with any future transaction. Furthermore, failure to realize the expected revenue increases, cost savings, increases in geographic or product presence, and/or other projected benefits from an acquisition could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We may be unable to develop and manufacture commercial EVs of sufficient quality to appeal to customers on the schedule they expect or may be unable to do so on a large scale.
Our business depends in large part on our ability to manufacture, market and sell or lease our EVs. Our ability to effectively compete in the EV market will depend in large part on our entry into the EV market through the offering of competitively priced vehicles to a wider variety of potential buyers.
Our ability to continue to develop and manufacture our vehicles will be subject to risks, including with respect to:
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our ability to secure necessary funding;
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our ability to accurately manufacture vehicles within specified design tolerances;
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compliance with environmental, safety, and similar regulations;
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securing necessary components, services, or licenses on acceptable terms and in a timely manner;
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delays in delivering final component designs to our suppliers;
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our ability to attract, recruit, hire, retain and train skilled employees;
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quality controls that prove to be ineffective or inefficient;
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delays or disruptions in our supply chain including raw material supplies;
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our ability to maintain arrangements on reasonable terms with our manufacturing partners and suppliers, engineering service providers, delivery partners, and after sales service providers; and
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other delays, backlog in manufacturing and research and development of new models, and cost overruns.
Our ability to develop and manufacture commercial EVs of sufficient quality to appeal to customers on schedule and on a large scale is unproven, and the business plan is still evolving. We may be required to introduce new vehicle models and enhanced versions of existing models. To date, we have limited experience, as a company, designing, testing, manufacturing, marketing and selling or leasing our electric vehicles and therefore cannot assure you that we will be able to meet customer expectations. Any failure to develop such manufacturing processes and capabilities within our projected costs and timelines would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. We, our third party partners and our suppliers are subject to substantial regulation and unfavorable changes to, or failure by us, our third party partners or our suppliers to comply with, these regulations could substantially harm our business and operating results.
Our EVs, and motor vehicles in general, as well as our third-party partners and our suppliers are or will be subject to substantial regulation under federal, state and local, and foreign laws. We continue to evaluate requirements for licenses, approvals, certificates and governmental authorizations necessary to manufacture, deploy or service our vehicles in the jurisdictions in which it plans to operate and intends to take such actions necessary to comply. We may experience difficulties in obtaining or complying with various licenses, approvals, certifications and other governmental authorizations necessary to manufacture, deploy or service our vehicles in any of these jurisdictions. If we, our third-party partners or our suppliers are unable to obtain or comply with any of the licenses, approvals, certifications or other governmental authorizations necessary to carry out our operations in the jurisdictions in which they currently operate, or those jurisdictions in which they plan to operate in the future, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. We expect to incur significant costs in complying with these regulations. Regulations related to the electric and alternative energy vehicle industry are evolving and we face risks associated with changes to these regulations, including but not limited to increased support for other alternative fuel systems, which could have an impact on the acceptance of our vehicles.
To the extent the laws change, our vehicles may not comply with applicable federal, state and local, or foreign laws, which would have an adverse effect on our business. Compliance with changing regulations could be burdensome, time consuming and expensive. To the extent compliance with new regulations is cost prohibitive, our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results would be adversely affected.
We are dependent on certain principal suppliers and vendors in China for a significant portion of our vehicle components, and the inability of these vendors to deliver necessary components of our products according to our schedule and at prices, quality levels and volumes acceptable to us, or our inability to efficiently manage these components, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating results.
We source a significant portion of our vehicle components from China and then assemble these parts into our products in the United States. We rely on certain principal vendors who help us source and supply parts used in our vehicles from various suppliers in China. We currently maintain long-term contracts with some of our key suppliers and vendors but not all of our suppliers and vendors. While we believe our contract management processes are strong, we nevertheless could experience difficulties.
If our principal vendors decide to terminate their partnership with us, experience sourcing failures, or otherwise become unable to provide us with the necessary components in sufficient quantities, in a timely manner, and on acceptable terms, we may have to delay the production and sale of our products or find an alternative vendor. Any significant unanticipated demand would require us to procure additional components in a short amount of time. While we believe that we will be able to secure additional or alternate sources of supply for some of our components in a relatively short time frame, there is no assurance that we will be able to do so or develop our own replacements for certain highly customized components of our products.
If we encounter unexpected difficulties with our principal vendors, and if we are unable to fill these needs from other vendors in a timely manner, we could experience production delays and potential loss of access to important technology and parts for producing, servicing and supporting our vehicles. The loss of any vendors or the disruption in the supply of components from these vendors could lead to design changes and delays in product deliveries to our customers, which could hurt our relationships with our customers and result in negative publicity, damage to our brand and a material and adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
Our vehicles will make use of lithium-ion battery cells, which have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flame, and, if such results occur, bodily injury or death could result and could subject us to lawsuit, product recalls, or redesign efforts.
The battery packs within our vehicles make use of lithium-ion cells. On rare occasions, lithium-ion cells can rapidly release the energy they contain by venting smoke and flames in a manner that can ignite nearby materials as well as other lithium-ion cells. While the battery pack is designed to contain any single cell’s release of energy without spreading to neighboring cells, a field or testing failure of battery packs in our vehicles could occur, which could result in bodily injury or death and could subject us to lawsuit, product recalls, or redesign efforts, all of which would be time consuming and expensive and could harm our brand image. Also, negative public perceptions regarding the suitability of lithium-ion cells for automotive applications, the social and environmental impacts of cobalt mining, or any future incident involving lithium-ion cells, such as a vehicle or other fire, could seriously harm our business and reputation.
The efficiency of a battery’s use when driving electric vehicles will decline slowly over time, which may negatively influence potential customers’ decisions whether to purchase an electric vehicle
The cells used in EV battery modules degrade slowly over time, influenced primarily by the age of the cells and the total energy throughput over the life of the EV. This cell degradation results in a corresponding reduction in the vehicle’s range. Although common to all EVs, cell degradation, and the related decrease in range, may negatively influence potential customer’s EV purchase decisions.
We are substantially reliant on our relationships with a limited number of OEMs, suppliers and service providers for the parts and components in our vehicles, as well as for the manufacture of our vehicles. If any of these OEMs, suppliers or service partners choose to not do business with us, then we would have significant difficulty in procuring and producing our vehicles and our business prospects would be significantly harmed.
Collaboration with third parties is subject to risks with respect to operations that are outside our control. We could experience delays to the extent our current or future partners do not continue doing business with us or fail to meet agreed upon timelines, experience capacity constraints or otherwise are unable to deliver components or manufacture vehicles as expected. There is a risk of potential disputes with partners, and we could be affected by adverse publicity related to our partners whether or not such publicity is related to their collaboration with us. If for any reason, an OEM, supplier, or service provider becomes unable to continue their current commitments or does not perform under current agreements, we may seek alternative arrangements and there is a risk that we would not be successful in obtaining the necessary components for our vehicles. In addition, although we intend to be involved in material decisions in the supply chain process, given that we also rely on our partners to meet our quality standards, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain high quality standards.
We may in the future enter into strategic alliances, including joint ventures or minority equity investments, with various third parties to further our business purpose. These alliances could subject us to a number of risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, non-performance by the third party, and increased expenses in establishing new strategic alliances, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business.
Because we are currently dependent upon a limited number of dealers/customers, the loss of a significant dealer could adversely affect our operating results.
We rely on a limited number of contractual commercial dealers that currently account for a substantial portion of our income. For the year ended September 30, 2023 one customer represented 100% of total revenue. For the year ended September 30, 2024 one main customer represented 64% of total revenue. Our operating projections are contingent on our performance under our commercial contracts. We expect a substantial portion of our cash receipts in the near future to be from a limited number of commercial dealers and, as a result, will be subject to any risks specific to those entities and the and markets in which they operate.
We rely on complex machinery for our operations and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance and costs.
We rely heavily on complex machinery for our operations and our production involves a significant degree of uncertainty and risk in terms of operational performance and costs. Our manufacturing plants consist of large-scale machinery combining many components. The manufacturing plant components are likely to suffer unexpected malfunctions from time to time and will depend on repairs and spare parts to resume operations, which may not be available when needed. Unexpected malfunctions of the manufacturing plant components may significantly affect the intended operational efficiency. Operational performance and costs can be difficult to predict and are often influenced by factors outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, scarcity of natural resources, environmental hazards and remediation, costs associated with decommissioning of machines, labor disputes and strikes, damages or defects in electronic systems, industrial accidents, fire, and seismic activity and natural disasters. Should operational risks materialize, they may result in the personal injury to or death of workers, the loss of production equipment, damage to manufacturing facilities, monetary losses, delays and unanticipated fluctuations in production, environmental damage, administrative fines, increased insurance costs and potential legal liabilities, all which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition or prospects.
We rely on the development and functionality of complex software and technology systems, in coordination with vendors and suppliers, in order to produce our EVs. There can be no assurance such systems will be successfully developed or will be reliable.
Our vehicles use a substantial amount of third-party and in-house software codes and complex hardware to operate. The development of such advanced technologies is inherently complex and requires coordination with our vendors and suppliers in order to produce our EVs. Defects and errors may be revealed over time and our control over the performance of third-party services and systems may be limited. Thus, our usage of a defective software or technology system may harm our competitive position.
We are also relying on third-party suppliers to develop several emerging technologies for use in our products. These technologies are not today, and may not ever be, commercially viable. There can be no assurances that our suppliers will be able to meet the technological requirements, production timing, and volume requirements to support our business plan. In addition, the technology may not comply with the cost, performance useful life and warranty characteristics we anticipate in our business plan. As a result, our business plan could be significantly impacted, and we may incur significant liabilities under warranty claims which could adversely affect our business, prospects, and results of operations.
We may be negatively impacted by any early obsolescence of our manufacturing equipment.
We depreciate the cost of our manufacturing equipment over their expected useful lives. However, product cycles or manufacturing technology may change periodically, and we may decide to update our products or manufacturing processes more quickly than expected. Moreover, improvements in engineering and manufacturing expertise and efficiency may result in our ability to manufacture our products using less of our currently installed equipment. Alternatively, as we ramp and mature the production of our products to higher levels, we may discontinue the use of already installed equipment in favor of different or additional equipment. The useful life of any equipment that would be retired early as a result would be shortened, causing the depreciation on such equipment to be accelerated, and our results of operations may be harmed.
We may be negatively impacted by any early obsolescence of our vehicles.
As EV technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles. However, our products may become obsolete or our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in or to create the necessary technology. Thus, our potential inability to adapt and develop the necessary technology may harm our business and competitive position.
We are dependent on our suppliers, a significant number of which are single or limited source suppliers, and the inability of these suppliers to deliver necessary components of our vehicles in a timely manner and at prices and volumes acceptable to us could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects and operating results.
Many of the components used in our vehicles are purchased by us from a single source. While we believe that we may be able to establish alternate supply relationships and can obtain or engineer replacement components for our single source components, we may be unable to do so in the short term (or at all) at prices or quality levels that are acceptable to us. In addition, we could experience delays if our suppliers do not meet agreed upon timelines or experience capacity constraints.
Any disruption in the supply of components, whether or not from a single source supplier, could temporarily disrupt production of our vehicles until an alternative supplier is able to supply the required material. Changes in business conditions, unforeseen circumstances, governmental changes, and other factors beyond our control or which we do not presently anticipate, could also affect our suppliers’ ability to deliver components to us on a timely basis. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
If any of our suppliers become economically distressed or go bankrupt, we may be required to provide substantial financial support or take other measures to ensure supplies of components or materials, which could increase our costs, affect our liquidity or cause production disruptions.
If our product or service suppliers experience substantial financial difficulties, cease operations, or otherwise face business disruptions, we may be required to provide financial support to ensure supply continuity or would have to take other measures to ensure components and materials remain available. Any disruption could affect our ability to deliver vehicles and could increase our costs and negatively affect our liquidity and financial performance.
Our business model has yet to be fully tested and any failure to successfully commercialize our strategic plans would have an adverse effect on our operating results and business, harm our reputation and could result in substantial liabilities that exceed our resources.
Investors should be aware of the difficulties normally encountered by a new enterprise, many of which are beyond our control, including substantial risks and expenses while establishing or entering new markets, setting up operations and undertaking marketing activities. The likelihood of our success must be considered in light of these risks, expenses, complications, delays, and the competitive environment in which we operate. There is, therefore, nothing at this time upon which to base an assumption that our business model will prove successful, and we may not be able to generate significant revenue, raise additional capital or operate profitably. We will continue to encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by early commercial stage companies, including scaling up our infrastructure and headcount, and may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties or delays in connection with our growth. In addition, as a result of the capital-intensive nature of our business, we can be expected to continue to sustain substantial operating expenses without generating sufficient revenues to cover expenditure. Any investment in our company is therefore highly speculative and could result in the loss of your entire investment.
We may not be able to accurately estimate the supply and demand for our vehicles, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in our business and hinder our ability to generate revenue. If we fail to accurately predict our manufacturing requirements, we could incur additional costs or experience delays.
It is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriate budget for our expenses, and we may have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. We will be required to provide forecasts of our demand to our suppliers several months prior to the scheduled delivery of products to our prospective customers. Currently, there is no historical basis for making judgments on the demand for our vehicles or our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver vehicles, or our profitability in the future. If we overestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have excess inventory, which indirectly would increase our costs. If we underestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt the manufacturing of our products and result in delays in shipments and revenues. In addition, lead times for materials and components that our suppliers order may vary significantly and depend on factors such as the specific supplier, contract terms and demand for each component at a given time. If we fail to order sufficient quantities of product components in a timely manner, the delivery of vehicles to our customers could be delayed, which would harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
We could experience cost increases or disruptions in the supply of raw materials or other components used in our vehicles. If we are unable to establish an arrangement for the sustainable supply of batteries for our vehicles, our business would be materially and adversely harmed.
We may be unable to adequately control the costs associated with our operations. We expect to incur significant costs related to procuring materials required to manufacture and assemble our vehicles. The prices for these materials fluctuate depending on factors beyond our control. Our business also depends on the continued supply of battery cells for our vehicles. We are exposed to multiple risks relating to availability and global pricing of lithium-ion battery cells.
Furthermore, currency fluctuations, tariffs or shortages in petroleum and other economic or political conditions may result in significant increases in freight charges and material costs. Substantial increases in the prices for our materials or components would increase our operating costs and could reduce our margins. In addition, a growth in popularity of electric vehicles without a significant expansion in battery cell production capacity could result in shortages, which would result in increased costs in materials to us or impact our prospects.
If our vehicles fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market, and sell or lease 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, recalls, and design changes. Our vehicles use a substantial amount of software code to operate, and software products are inherently complex and often contain defects and errors. We have a limited frame of reference by which to evaluate the long-term performance of our systems and vehicles. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any defects in the vehicles prior to their sale to consumers. If any of our vehicles fail to perform as expected, we may need to delay deliveries and/or initiate product recalls, and/or compensate damages to our dealers or customers, possibly exceeding the revenues received upon sales, - which could adversely affect our brand in our target markets and could adversely affect our business, prospects, and results of operations.
We have minimal experience servicing and repairing our vehicles. The inability to adequately service vehicles may adversely affect our business.
We have minimal experience servicing and repairing our vehicles. Servicing EVs is different than servicing vehicles with internal combustion engines and requires specialized skills, including high voltage training and servicing techniques. There can be no assurance that such service arrangements will adequately address the service requirements of our customers to their satisfaction, or that Mullen and our servicing partners will have sufficient resources, experience, or inventory to meet these service requirements in a timely manner as the volume of EVs we deliver increases.
In addition, a number of states currently impose limitations on the ability of manufacturers to directly service vehicles. The application of these state laws to our operations could hinder or impede our ability to provide services for our vehicles from a location in every state. As a result, if we are unable to roll out and establish a widespread service network that complies with applicable laws, customer satisfaction could be adversely affected, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our reputation and business.
Our services may not be generally accepted by our users. If we are unable to provide quality customer service, our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.
Our servicing will primarily be carried out through third parties certified by us. Although such servicing partners may have experience in servicing other vehicles, they will initially have limited experience in servicing our vehicles. There can be no assurance that our service arrangements will adequately address the service requirements of our customers to their satisfaction, or that us or any of our proposed service partners will have sufficient resources to meet these service requirements in a timely manner as the volume of vehicles we deliver increases.
The automotive market is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this industry.
Both the automobile industry generally, and the electric vehicle segment, in particular, are highly competitive, and we are competing for sales with both internal combustion engine (“ICE”) vehicles and other EVs. Many of our current and potential competitors have significantly greater financial, technical, manufacturing, marketing and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the design, development, manufacturing, distribution, promotion, sale and support of their products, including their electric vehicles. We expect competition for electric vehicles to intensify due to increased demand for alternative fuel vehicles, continuing globalization, and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry. Factors affecting competition include product quality and features, innovation and development time, pricing, reliability, safety, fuel economy, customer service, and financing terms. Increased competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, and prospects.
The automotive industry and our technology are rapidly evolving and may be subject to unforeseen changes. Developments in alternative technologies, including but not limited to hydrogen, may adversely affect the demand for our electric vehicles.
We may be unable to keep up with changes in EV technology or alternatives to electricity as a fuel source and, as a result, our competitiveness may suffer. Developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, ethanol, fuel cells, or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the ICE, may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. Any failure by us to successfully react to changes in existing technologies could materially harm our competitive position and growth prospects.
Our future growth depends on the demand for and upon the dealers' end customer, fleet managers’ willingness to adopt our electric vehicles.
Our future growth is dependent on the demand for, and upon fleet managers’ willingness to adopt, electric vehicles. Moreover, even if electric vehicles become more mainstream, our growth is dependent on fleet managers choosing us over other EV manufacturers. Demand for electric vehicles may be affected by factors directly impacting the cost of purchasing and operating automobiles such as sales and financing incentives, prices of raw materials and parts and components, cost of fuel and governmental regulations, including tariffs, import regulation and other taxes. Volatility in demand may lead to lower vehicle unit sales, which may result in downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results.
In addition, the demand for our vehicles and services will highly depend upon the adoption by consumers of new energy vehicles in general and electric vehicles in particular. The market for alternative fuels, hybrid and EVs is relatively new and is characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, numerous competitors, evolving government regulation, and industry standards and uncertain customer demands and behaviors.
Other factors that may influence the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles, and specifically electric vehicles, include:
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perceptions about EV quality, safety, design, performance and cost, especially if adverse events or accidents occur that are linked to the quality or safety of electric vehicles, whether or not such vehicles are produced by us or other manufacturers;
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perceptions about the limited range over which EVs may be driven on a single battery charge;
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concerns over access to charging and charging stations, as well as the time required to charge EVs;
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perceptions about the limited range over which EVs may be driven on a single battery charge;
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fuel prices, including volatility in the cost of fossil fuels;
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competition, including from other types of alternative fuel, including hydrogen or compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, plug-in hybrid EVs and high fuel-economy internal combustion engine vehicles;
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the availability of new energy vehicles, including plug-in hybrid EVs;
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concerns over access to charging and charging stations, as well as the time required to charge EVs;
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electric grid capacity and reliability;
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government regulations, ESG restrictions, and economic incentives;
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the environmental consciousness of consumers, and their adoption of EVs;
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perceptions of overall EV vehicle safety, such as those relating to battery combustibility; and
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perceptions about and the actual cost of alternative fuel.
Any of the factors described above may cause current or potential customers not to purchase EVs in general, and our EVs in particular. If the market for EVs does not develop as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be affected.
Changes in tax laws may materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
New income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, and failure to appropriately comply with such tax laws, statutes, rules and regulations could result in sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil money penalties and/or reputational damage, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. Future guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) with respect to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) may affect us, and certain aspects of the Tax Act could be repealed or modified in future legislation. The CARES Act has already modified certain provisions of the Tax Act. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act, the CARES Act or any newly enacted federal tax legislation. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our operations and the deductibility of expenses under the Tax Act or future reform legislation could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges, and could increase our future U.S. tax expense.
The unavailability, reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
The U.S. federal government and some state and local governments provide incentives to end users and owners of EVs in the form of rebates, tax credits, low-cost funding and other financial incentives, which could, in the future, be reduced or eliminated, including as a result of legislative or regulatory action. The EV market relies on these governmental rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives to significantly lower the effective price of EVs and to otherwise financially support these industries. However, these incentives may expire on a particular date, end when the allocated funding is exhausted, or may be reduced or terminated as a matter of regulatory or legislative policy. The results of the 2024 Presidential and Congressional elections and resulting legislative or regulatory actions, if pursued, could impact the availability or value of these incentives or reduce access to such low-cost funding.
Any reduction in rebates, tax credits or other financial incentives available to EVs or EV charging stations, could negatively affect the EV market and adversely impact our business operations and expansion potential. In addition, there is no assurance we will have the necessary tax attributes to utilize any such credits that are available and may not be able to monetize such credits on favorable terms.
Any reduction, elimination, or discriminatory application of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, or the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives due to the perceived success of the electric vehicle or for other reasons, may result in the diminished competitiveness of the alternative fuel and electric 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.
While certain tax credits and other incentives for alternative energy production, alternative fuel and electric vehicles have been available in the past, there is no guarantee these programs will be available in the future. If current tax incentives are not available in the future, our financial position could be harmed.
In addition, we may apply for federal and state grants, loans and tax incentives under government programs designed to stimulate the economy and support the production of alternative fuel and electric vehicles and related technologies, and our ability to obtain funds or incentives from government sources is subject to the availability of funds under applicable government programs and approval of our applications to participate in such programs. The application process for these funds and other incentives will likely be highly competitive. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in obtaining any of these additional grants, loans and other incentives. If we are not successful in obtaining any of these additional incentives and we are unable to find alternative sources of funding to meet our planned capital needs, our business and prospects could be materially adversely affected.
If we fail to manage our future growth effectively, we may not be able to develop, manufacture, market and sell or lease our vehicles successfully.
We intend to expand our operations significantly, which will require hiring, retaining and training new personnel, controlling expenses, establishing facilities, and implementing administrative infrastructure, systems and processes. In addition, because our electric vehicles are based on a different technology platform than traditional ICE vehicles, individuals with sufficient training in electric vehicles may not be available to be hired, and we will need to expend significant time and expense training employees we hire. We also require sufficient talent in additional areas such as software development. Furthermore, as we are a relatively young company, our ability to train and integrate new employees into our operations may not meet the growing demands of our business, which may affect our ability to grow. Any failure to effectively manage our growth could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
For example, to manage the expected growth of our operations and increasing complexity, we will need to improve our operational and financial systems, procedures, and controls and continue to increase systems automation to reduce reliance on manual operations. Any inability to do so will affect our billing and reporting. Our current and planned systems, procedures and controls may not be adequate to support our complex arrangements and the rules governing revenue and expense recognition for our future operations and expected growth. Delays or problems associated with any improvement or expansion of our operational and financial systems and controls could adversely affect our relationships with our customers, cause harm to our reputation and brand and could also result in errors in our financial and other reporting.
Insufficient warranty reserves to cover future warranty claims could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
We will need to maintain warranty reserves to cover warranty-related claims. If our warranty reserves are inadequate to cover future warranty claims on our vehicles, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected. We may become subject to significant and unexpected warranty expenses. There can be no assurances that then-existing warranty reserves will be sufficient to cover all claims.
We may not succeed in establishing, maintaining and strengthening the Mullen brand, which would materially and adversely affect customer acceptance of our vehicles and components and our business, revenues and prospects.
Once our vehicles are in high volume production, our business and prospects will heavily depend on our ability to develop, maintain and strengthen the Mullen brand. If we are not able to establish, maintain and strengthen our brand, we may lose the opportunity to build a critical mass of customers. Our ability to develop, maintain and strengthen the Mullen brand will depend heavily on the success of our marketing efforts. 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 the United States, Japan, the European Union and China, 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.
Doing business internationally creates operational and financial risks for our business.
Our business plan includes expansion into other international markets. Conducting and launching operations on an international scale requires close coordination of activities across multiple jurisdictions and time zones and consumes significant management resources. If we fail to coordinate and manage these activities effectively, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected. International sales entail a variety of risks, including currency exchange fluctuations, challenges in staffing and managing foreign operations, tariffs and other trade barriers, unexpected changes in legislative or regulatory requirements of foreign countries into which we sell our products and services, difficulties in obtaining export licenses or in overcoming other trade barriers, laws and business practices favoring local companies, political and economic instability, difficulties protecting or procuring intellectual property rights, and restrictions resulting in delivery delays and significant taxes or other burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws.
We are highly dependent on the services of David Michery, our Chief Executive Officer.
We are highly dependent on the services of David Michery, our founder and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Michery is the source of many, if not most, of the ideas and execution driving us. If Mr. Michery were to discontinue his service to us due to death, disability or any other reason, we would be significantly disadvantaged.
We are exposed to risks relating to relationships with related parties.
Prior to its spinoff as a separate entity and the closing of the Merger on November 5, 2021, the Company operated as a division of Mullen Technologies, Inc. (“MTI”), an entity in which the Company’s CEO has a controlling financial interest and of which he is also CEO and Chairman. The Company and MTI entered into a Transaction Services Agreement pursuant to which the Company incurred approximately $1.2 million and $0.9 million of disbursements on behalf of MTI during the years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023, respectively. On January 16, 2024, the Company terminated the Transition Services Agreement between the Company and MTI and received a cash payment in full settlement of all outstanding amounts (including outstanding notes receivable, advances, and related interest and penalties) of approximately $2.7 million.
Furthermore, some of the Company’s executive officers and directors also hold positions at DRIVEiT, a start-up independent enterprise planning to be in the business of operating electric vehicle superstores. At this time, it is planned for the Company to provide its portfolio of new commercial EVs to DRIVEiT as part of their offerings. David Michery, the Company’s Chairman Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman, is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of DRIVEiT. Jonathan New, Chief Financial Officer, is also Chief Financial Officer of DRIVEiT. Kent Puckett, a director and chair of audit committee of Mullen, is also a director of DRIVEiT, and Ignacio Novoa and Mark Betor serve as directors for both companies. Makayla Brown is the Director of Operations for Mullen and serves as a director of DRIVEiT. Related party transactions that present difficult conflicts of interest, could result in disadvantages to Mullen, and may impair investor confidence, which could materially and adversely affect us. Related party transactions could also cause us to become materially dependent on related parties in the ongoing conduct of our business, and related parties may be motivated by personal interests to pursue courses of action that are not necessarily in the best interests of our company and our stockholders.
In all related party transactions, there is a risk that even if the Company personnel negotiating on behalf of the Company with the related party are striving to ensure that the terms of the transaction are arms-length, the related party’s influence may be such that the transaction terms could be viewed as favorable to that related party. Plus, the related party transaction could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest since the transaction may benefit the related party. Such conflicts could cause an individual in our management to seek to advance his or her economic interests or the economic interests of certain related parties above ours. Further, the appearance of conflicts of interest created by related party transactions could impair the confidence of our investors.
Our business may be adversely affected by labor and union activities.
We may 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.
Our business could be adversely impacted by global or regional catastrophic events.
Our business could be materially adversely affected by terrorist acts, widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases, government responses emplaced to limit the impact of infectious diseases, or the outbreak or escalation of wars including, but not limited to, the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and the Israel-Hamas war. Such events in the geographic regions in which we do business, including escalations of political tensions and military conflicts in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and any governmental sanctions enacted in reaction thereto, could result in a global energy crisis, economic inflation, supply-chain disruptions, or the confiscation or destruction of our facilities; all and any of these outcomes could have material, adverse impacts on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
Our business could be adversely impacted by the cancellation of our contracts involving the sale of commercial vehicles.
We are a party to some dealer contracts that allow the purchasers of our vehicles to take actions that could negatively impact our business. One such contract grants the dealer the ability to return unsold inventory that is over a year old and another such contract grants the dealer the right to force Mullen to repurchase any inventory held by the dealer, in the event that the dealer agreement is terminated by either Mullen or the dealer. Both of these provisions may impact our ability to recognize payments received under the contract as revenue. If the contract is terminated by the dealer under any of our other dealer contracts involving the sale of vehicles, we may, at our discretion elect to repurchase our vehicles held as inventory by the dealer but are under no obligation to do so.
Failure of cybersecurity and privacy concerns could subject us to lawsuits and penalties, damage our reputation and brand, and harm our business and results of operations.
We face significant challenges with respect to cybersecurity and privacy, including the storage, transmission and sharing of personal information and confidential information. We transmit and store confidential and private information of our customers, such as personal information, including names, accounts, user IDs and passwords, and payment or transaction related information.
We have adopted cybersecurity policies and deployed measures to implement these policies, including, among others, encryption technologies, and plans to continue to deploy additional measures as we grow. However, advances in technology, an increased level of sophistication of attacks and threats, diversity of our products and services, an increased level of expertise of hackers, failures of our policies and procedures, human error, or other factors can still result in a cybersecurity incident, which could lead to interruptions to our business operations or the unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction, of our data or systems. Cybersecurity threat actors also may attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in software and cause disruption to our business or that of our third party business partners who support our business. Like many other companies, we detect attempts by threat actors to gain access to our systems and networks on a frequent basis, and the frequency of such attempts could increase in the future. We have experienced, and from time to time in the future may experience, a failure or interruption that results in the unavailability of certain information systems. Protecting against cybersecurity threats and experiencing any cybersecurity incidents may result in substantial harm to our business strategy, results of operations and financial condition, including major disruptions to business operations, loss of intellectual property, release of confidential information, malicious alteration or corruption of data or systems, costs related to remediation or the payment of ransom, and litigation including individual claims or consumer class actions, commercial litigation, administrative, and civil or criminal investigations or actions, regulatory intervention and sanctions or fines, investigation and remediation costs and possible prolonged negative publicity. In addition, complying with various laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices, including our data practices, in a manner adverse to our business.
In addition, we may need to comply with increasingly complex and rigorous regulatory laws, regulations, and standards to protect business and personal data in the United States, and as we expand our business, Europe and elsewhere, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“ GDPR”) and the State of California’s California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“
CCPA”), as well as other U.S. state comprehensive privacy laws. These privacy laws impose additional obligations on companies regarding the handling of personal data and provide certain individual privacy rights to persons whose data is stored. Compliance with existing, proposed and recently enacted laws and regulations can be costly; any failure to comply with these regulatory standards could subject us to legal and reputational risks.
Compliance with any additional laws and regulations could be expensive and may place restrictions on the conduct of our business and the manner in which we interact with our customers. Any failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, failure to maintain our technology resources, manage new technologies such as generative AI tools, and misuse of or failure to secure personal information could also result in violation of laws and regulations, individual claims or consumer class actions, commercial litigation, investigations or proceedings against us by governmental entities or others, and damage to our reputation and credibility, and could have a negative impact on revenues and profits.
Significant capital and other resources may be required to protect against and address cybersecurity threats and to comply with our privacy policies or privacy-related legal obligations. The resources required may increase over time. Any failure or perceived failure by us to prevent cybersecurity incidents or to comply with privacy policies or privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personal information or other customer data, could cause our customers to lose trust in us and could expose us to legal claims. Any perception by the public that online transactions or the privacy of user information are becoming increasingly unsafe or vulnerable to attacks could inhibit the growth of online retail and other online services generally, which may reduce the number of orders we receive.
We may need to defend ourselves against patent or trademark infringement claims, and we may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which may be time-consuming and would cause us to incur substantial costs and harm our business and competitive position.
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, lease 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 holders of patents or trademarks regarding their proprietary rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights may bring suits alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise assert their rights and urge us to take licenses. Our applications and uses of trademarks relating to our design, software or artificial intelligence technologies could be found to infringe upon existing trademark ownership and rights. In addition, if we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do one or more of the following:
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cease selling or leasing, incorporating certain components into, or using vehicles or offering goods or services that incorporate or use the challenged intellectual property;
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pay substantial damages;
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seek a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property right, which license may not be available on reasonable terms, or at all;
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redesign our vehicles or other goods or services; or
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establish and maintain alternative branding for our products and services.
In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to the infringed technology or other intellectual property right, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could be materially and 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.
Further, we may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position. We rely or will rely on a combination of patents, trade secrets (including know-how), employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements, copyrights, trademarks, intellectual property licenses, and other contractual rights to establish and protect our rights in our technology. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property or seek court declarations that they do not infringe upon our intellectual property rights. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and the steps we have taken or will take may not prevent misappropriation. From time to time, we may have to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources.
Patent, trademark, and trade secret laws vary significantly throughout the world. A number of foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. Therefore, our intellectual property rights may not be as strong or as easily enforced outside of the United States. Failure to adequately protect our intellectual property rights could result in our competitors offering similar products, potentially resulting in the loss of some of our competitive advantage and a decrease in our revenue which, would adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
Our future patent applications may not issue as patents, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from commercially exploiting products similar to ours.
We cannot be certain that we are the first inventor of the subject matter to which we may file a particular patent application, or if we are the first party to file such a patent application. If another party has filed a patent application for the same subject matter as we have, we may not be entitled to the protection sought by the patent application. Further, the scope of protection of issued patent claims is often difficult to determine. As a result, we cannot be certain that the patent applications that we file will issue, or that our issued patents will afford protection against competitors with similar technology. In addition, our competitors may design around our issued patents, which may adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition or operating results.
We cannot assure you that we will be granted patents pursuant to any applications that we may file. Even if we file patent applications and we are issued patents in accordance with them, it is still uncertain whether these patents will be contested, circumvented or invalidated in the future. In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with meaningful protection or competitive advantages. The claims under any patents that are issued from our patent applications may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. The intellectual property rights of others could also bar us from licensing and exploiting any patents that are issued from our applications. Numerous patents and pending patent applications owned by others exist in the fields in which we have developed and are developing our technology. These patents and patent applications might have priority over our patent applications and could subject our patent applications to invalidation. Finally, in addition to those who may claim priority, any of our patents may also be challenged by others on the basis that they are otherwise invalid or unenforceable.
We may be subject to damages resulting from claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of our employees’ former employers.
Many of our employees were previously employed by other automotive companies or by suppliers to automotive companies. We may be subject to claims that we or these employees have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. A loss of key personnel or their work product could hamper or prevent our ability to commercialize our products, which could severely harm our business. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and demand on management resources.
Our vehicles are subject to motor vehicle standards and substantial regulation, and the failure to satisfy such mandated safety standards or regulations, or unfavorable changes to such regulations, would have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.
All vehicles sold must comply with international, federal, and state motor vehicle safety standards. In the United States, vehicles that meet or exceed all federally mandated safety standards are certified under the federal regulations. Rigorous testing and the use of approved materials and equipment are among the requirements for achieving federal certification. Failure by us to have our future model electric vehicle satisfy motor vehicle standards would have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.
Additionally, our electric vehicles, and the sale of motor vehicles in general, are subject to substantial regulation under international, federal, state, and local laws. We expect to incur significant costs in complying with these regulations. Regulations related to the electric vehicle industry and alternative energy are currently evolving and we face risks associated with changes to these regulations.
To the extent the laws change, our vehicles may not comply with applicable international, federal, state or local laws, which would have an adverse effect on our business. Compliance with changing regulations could be burdensome, time consuming, and expensive. To the extent compliance with new regulations is cost prohibitive, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results would be adversely affected. Further, certain federal, state and local laws and industry standards currently regulate electrical and electronics equipment. Our vehicles may become subject to additional international, federal, state, and local regulation in the future. Compliance with these regulations could be burdensome, time consuming, and expensive.
Our vehicles are subject to environmental and safety compliance with various federal and state regulations, including regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration and various state boards, and compliance certification is required for each new model year. The cost of these compliance activities and the delays and risks associated with obtaining approval can be substantial. The risks, delays and expenses incurred in connection with such compliance could be substantial.
Internationally, there may be laws in jurisdictions we have not yet entered or laws we are unaware of in jurisdictions we have entered that may restrict our sales or other business practices. Even for those jurisdictions we have analyzed, the laws in this area can be complex, difficult to interpret and may change over time. Continued regulatory limitations and other obstacles interfering with our ability to sell or lease vehicles directly to consumers could have a negative and material impact on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
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, even those without merit, 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 for 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 material adverse effect on our brand, business, prospects and operating results. Any insurance coverage 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.
We face risks and uncertainties related to litigation, regulatory actions and government investigations and inquiries.
We are, and may in the future become, subject to various litigations, other claims, suits, regulatory actions and government investigations and inquiries. See the description of certain current legal proceedings described under “Note 19, Contingencies and Claims” of the notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report.
In addition, from time to time, we may be involved in other legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including those relating to employment matters, relationships with collaboration partners, intellectual property disputes, and other business matters. Any such claims or investigations may be time-consuming, costly, divert management resources, or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business or result of operations.
The results of the current legal proceedings and any future legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty and adverse judgments or settlements in some or all of these legal proceedings may result in materially adverse monetary damages or injunctive relief against us. Any such payments or settlement arrangements in current or future litigation, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition. Even if the plaintiffs’ claims are not successful, current or future litigation could result in substantial costs and significantly and adversely impact our reputation and divert management’s attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition, and negatively affect the price of our common stock. In addition, such legal proceedings may make it more difficult to finance our operations.
We are or will be subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation.
We are or will be subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions and similar laws and regulations in various jurisdictions in which we conduct or in the future may conduct activities, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. The FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 prohibit us and our officers, directors, employees and business partners acting on our behalf, including agents, from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing or providing anything of value to a “foreign official” for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. The FCPA also requires companies to make and keep books, records and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls. The U.K. Bribery Act also prohibit non-governmental “commercial” bribery and soliciting or accepting bribes. A violation of these laws or regulations could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. Our policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these regulations may not be sufficient and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, and business partners could engage in improper conduct for which we may be held responsible.
Non-compliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering or financial and economic sanctions laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. In addition, changes in economic sanctions laws in the future could adversely impact our business and investments in our shares.
Failure to improve our operational and financial systems to support our expected growth, increasingly complex business arrangements and rules
governing revenue and expense recognition and any inability to do so will adversely affect our billing and reporting.
To manage the expected growth and increasing complexity of our operations, we will need to improve our operational and financial systems, procedures, and controls and continue to increase systems automation to reduce reliance on manual operations. Any inability to do so will affect our billing and reporting. Our current and planned systems, procedures and controls may not be adequate to support our complex arrangements and the rules governing revenue and expense recognition for our future operations and expected growth. Delays or problems associated with any improvement or expansion of our operational and financial systems and controls could adversely affect our relationships with our customers, cause harm to our reputation and brand and could also result in errors in our financial and other reporting.
Failure to build our finance infrastructure and improve our accounting systems and controls could impair our ability to comply with the financial reporting and internal controls requirements for publicly traded companies.
As a public company, we will operate in an increasingly demanding regulatory environment, which requires us to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), the regulations of the Nasdaq CM, the rules and regulations of the SEC, expanded disclosure requirements, accelerated reporting requirements and more complex accounting rules. Company responsibilities required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act include establishing corporate oversight and adequate internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. Effective internal controls are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to help prevent financial fraud. The Company must perform system and process evaluation and testing of our internal controls over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in our Form 10-K filing. Prior to the Closing, we have never been required to test our internal controls within a specified period and, as a result, we may experience difficulty in meeting these reporting requirements in a timely manner.
We anticipate that the process of building our accounting and financial functions and infrastructure will require significant additional professional fees, internal costs and management efforts. We expect that we will need to implement a new internal system to combine and streamline the management of our financial, accounting, human resources and other functions. However, such a system would likely require us to complete many processes and procedures for the effective use of the system or to run our business using the system, which may result in substantial costs. Any disruptions or difficulties in implementing or using such a system could adversely affect our controls and harm our business. Moreover, such disruption or difficulties could result in unanticipated costs and diversion of management’s attention. In addition, we may discover additional weaknesses in our system of internal financial and accounting controls and procedures that could result in a material misstatement of our financial statements. Our internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected.
If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, or if we are unable to maintain proper and effective internal controls, we may not be able to produce timely and accurate financial statements. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and results of operations could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the Nasdaq CM, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations that could impose substantial costs upon us and cause delays in operating our manufacturing facilities.
Our operations are subject to international, federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations relating to the use, handling, storage, disposal of and exposure to hazardous materials and batteries. Environmental, health and safety laws and regulations are complex and evolving. For example, regulations regarding battery storage, recycling, disposal and processing are relatively new and the current lack of industry standards may increase our cost of compliance. Moreover, we may be affected by future amendments to such laws or other new environmental, health and safety laws and regulations which may require a change in our operations, potentially resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. These laws can give rise to liability for administrative oversight costs, cleanup costs, property damage, bodily injury, fines and penalties. Capital and operating expenses needed to comply with environmental laws and regulations can be significant, and violations could result in substantial fines and penalties, third-party damages, suspension of production or a cessation of our operations.
Contamination at properties we currently or will own and operate, we formerly owned or operated, that are adjacent or near our properties, or to which hazardous substances were sent by us, may result in liability for us under environmental laws and regulations, including, but not limited to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, which can impose liability for the full amount of remediation-related costs without regard to fault, for the investigation and cleanup of contaminated soil and ground water, for building contamination and impacts to human health and for damages to natural resources. The costs of complying with environmental laws and regulations and any claims concerning noncompliance, or liability with respect to contamination in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or operating results. We may face unexpected delays in obtaining the required permits and approvals in connection with our manufacturing facilities that could require significant time and financial resources and delay our ability to operate these facilities, which would adversely impact our business prospects and operating results.
Changes in U.S. and international trade policies, including the export and import controls and laws, particularly with regard to China, may adversely impact our business and operating results.
While our production is located in the United States, a high percentage of Mullen parts used in the production of our vehicles are sourced from China. While we believe this is the best strategic business model, it also is more subject to risks associated with international trade conflicts including between the United States and China, particularly with respect to export and import controls and laws. During his previous administration, President Donald J. Trump advocated for greater restrictions on international trade in general, which significantly increased tariffs on certain goods imported into the United States - particularly from China. President Trump also took steps toward restricting trade in certain goods. In response, China and other countries imposed similar retaliatory tariffs and other measures and such international trade conflicts continued under the Biden administration. President Trump has spoken regularly about his desire to implement additional tariffs on foreign products during his forthcoming administration.
On December 23, 2021, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which effectively prohibits imports of any goods made either wholly or in part in Xinjiang, was signed into law. The law went into effect on June 21, 2022. The law prohibits “the importation of goods made with forced labor” unless U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines, based on “clear and convincing evidence”, that the goods in question were not produced “wholly or in part by forced labor”, and submits a report to the U.S. Congress setting out its findings. While we do not currently expect that this law will directly affect our supplies, since we do not believe that our suppliers source materials from Xinjiang for the products they sell to us, other renewable energy companies’ attempts to shift suppliers in response to this law, withhold release orders, or other policy developments could result in shortages, delays, and/or price increases that could disrupt our own supply chain or cause our suppliers to renegotiate existing arrangements with us or fail to perform on such obligations. Broader policy uncertainty could also reduce Chinese panel production, affecting supplies and/or prices for panels, regardless of supplier. While we have developed supply sources in a variety of countries, we could still be adversely affected by increases in our costs, negative publicity related to the industry, or other adverse consequences to our business.
Rising political tensions could reduce trade volume, investment, technological exchange and other economic activities between major international economies, resulting in a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets. Additionally, increasing tariffs could impact raw material prices, the cost of component parts and transportation. Any of the foregoing could have an adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to utilize our net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
In general, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards, or NOLs, to offset future taxable income. The limitations apply if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in its equity ownership by certain stockholders over a three-year period. If we have experienced an ownership change at any time since our incorporation, we may already be subject to limitations on our ability to utilize our existing NOLs and other tax attributes to offset taxable income or tax liability. In addition, the Business Combination and future changes in our stock ownership, which may be outside of our control, may trigger an ownership change. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax attributes. As a result, even if we earn net taxable income in the future, our ability to use our pre-change NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes to offset such taxable income or tax liability may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future income tax liability to us.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
Our corporate headquarters is in Brea, CA, where we occupy approximately 24,730 rentable square feet under a sublease that expires in March 2026 with lease payments of $35,435 per month. We use this space primarily for our senior management, finance, legal, human resources, general administrative and information technology teams.
The Automotive Development Center in Irvine, CA, of 31,603 square foot facility houses the California Automotive Team, which includes Engineering Design and Development, Styling Purchasing and Program Management. Lease payments are approximately $84,737 per month which includes rent, insurance, and CAM.
We own the manufacturing facility located in Robinsonville, Tunica County, MS. The Manufacturing Center is 124,000 square foot engineering facility on 100 acres.
On November 30, 2022, the Company purchased an automobile manufacturing facility in Mishawaka, St. Joseph County, IN. The site gross area is 1,392,395 square feet. The 660,000 sq ft Mishawaka assembly plant consists of a body shop, paint shop, general assembly area, and water treatment plant.
The Company leases 59,034 square feet of office space in Troy, MI for the Commercial Leadership and Engineering team. The lease payments are $62,724 per month.
On November 1, 2023, the Company entered a 5-year lease agreement for premises of approximately 122,000 sq. ft. in Fullerton, California, designated for manufacturing and distribution of electric vehicle batteries. Base rent was $2,992,000 for the first year (and increases approximately 4% every year). Security deposit paid to the landlord is approximately $1 million. Rent was prepaid in full for the first year, but is now $260,000 per month beginning November 2024.
Bollinger Motors maintains its offices within a 36,300 square foot building located in Oak Park, MI and has operated at this facility since August 2020. On August 1, 2023, Bollinger Motors executed a 5-year lease agreement for a building at 26650 Harding Ave, Oak Park, MI, adjacent to their Oak Park headquarters for an additional 10,774 square feet for engineering development, supplemental warehousing, vehicle storage and repair, and office space. The lease payments for these facilities are approximately $42,742 per month. Additionally, Bollinger Motors still maintained a lease in Ferndale, MI from where the company previously operated prior to August 2020. The lease payments for this facility were approximately $6,000 per month in 2023. However, the Ferndale facility was subleased for the entirety of 2023 with sublease income of approximately $7,000 per month.
As security for payment of the amounts due and payable under the Senior Secured Convertible Notes, the Company collaterally assigned and granted to the holders a continuing security interest in all of the Company’s right, title, and interest in, to, and under the property of the Company. For further information about $50 Million Senior Secured Convertible Notes and Warrants (and Additional Investment Right), see “Note 7 - Debt” of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
Material pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their property is the subject, are described in the “Note 19 - Contingencies and Claims” of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Market Information
Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “MULN.”
Holders
As of January 21, 2025, our common stock was held by 818 registered shareholders of record. The number of record holders was determined from the records of our transfer agent and does not include beneficial owners of common stock whose shares are held in the names of various securities brokers, dealers and registered clearing agencies. Our transfer agent is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
Dividends
We have not historically declared any dividends on common stock. We have no present intention of paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future, as any earnings will be used to help generate growth. The decision on the payment of dividends in the future rests within the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon, among other things, our earnings, capital requirements and financial condition, as well as other relevant factors. There are no restrictions in our certificate of incorporation or bylaws that restrict us from declaring dividends.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The information included under Item 12 of Part III of this Report is hereby incorporated by reference into Item 5 of Part II of this Report.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
Not applicable.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The following discussion and analysis is intended to help the reader understand Mullen’s results of operations and financial condition. You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our audited financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Report includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “potential,” “projects,” “predicts,” “continue,” or “should,” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. The forward-looking statements contained in this Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control), and other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the section titled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A above. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation (and expressly disclaim any obligation) to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. These risks and others described under the section titled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A above may not be exhaustive. 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. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this Report. In addition, even if our results or operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this Report, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries Ottava Automotive, Inc., a California corporation, Mullen Indiana Real Estate, LLC., a Delaware corporation, Mullen Investment Properties LLC, a Mississippi corporation, Mullen Advanced Energy Operations LLC, a California corporation and a majority ownership in Bollinger Motors, incorporated in Delaware. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated, if any. The financial statements reflect the consolidated financial position and results of operations of Mullen, which have been prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States.
Components of Results of Operations
We are an early-stage company, and our historical results may not be indicative of our future results for reasons that may be difficult to anticipate. Accordingly, the drivers of our future financial results, as well as the components of such results, may not be comparable to our historical or projected results of operations.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Year Ended September 30, 2024 to the Year Ended September 30, 2023
The following table sets forth our historical operating results for the periods indicated:
Year Ended
September 30,
$ Change
% Change
(dollar amounts, except percentages)
Revenue from sale of vehicles
$ 1,094,322
$ 366,000
$ 728,322
%
Cost of revenues
16,894,100
273,882
16,620,218
6,068 %
Gross profit / (loss)
(15,799,778 )
92,118
(15,891,896 )
(17,252 )%
Operating expenses:
General and administrative
181,947,541
215,846,132
(33,898,591 )
%
Research and development
74,889,400
77,387,336
(2,497,936 )
%
Impairment of intangible assets
73,447,067
5,873,000
67,574,067
(1,151 )%
Impairment of goodwill
30,062,727
63,988,000
(33,925,273 )
%
Impairment of right-of-use assets
11,505,001
-
11,505,001
- %
Impairment of property, plant, and equipment, and other non-current assets
4,174,935
14,770,000
(10,595,065 )
%
Loss from operations
$ (391,826,449 )
$ (377,772,350 )
$ (14,054,099 )
(4 )%
Other income (expense):
Other financing costs - initial recognition of derivative liabilities
(54,653,033 )
(506,238,038 )
451,585,005
%
Other financing costs - ELOC commitment fee
(6,000,000 )
-
(6,000,000 )
- %
Other financing costs - initial recognition of warrants
(13,652,762 )
-
(13,652,762 )
- %
Gain/(loss) on warrants and derivative liability revaluation
4,503,099
(116,256,212 )
120,759,311
%
Gain/(loss) on extinguishment of debt
(655,721 )
(6,246,089 )
5,590,368
%
Loss on financing
-
(8,934,892 )
8,934,892
%
Gain/(loss) on disposal of fixed assets
(511,838 )
386,377
(898,215 )
(232 )%
Interest expense
(49,377,125 )
(4,993,140 )
(44,383,985 )
(889 )%
Other income, net
2,458,578
2,407,034
51,544
%
Total other income (expense)
(117,888,802 )
(639,874,960 )
521,986,158
%
Net loss before income tax benefit
$ (509,715,251 )
$ (1,017,647,310 )
$ 507,932,059
%
Income tax benefit/ (provision)
3,888,700
10,988,482
(7,099,782 )
(65 )%
Net loss
$ (505,826,551 )
$ (1,006,658,828 )
$ 500,832,277
%
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
(48,767,650 )
(34,404,246 )
(14,363,404 )
(42 )%
Net loss attributable to stockholders
$ (457,058,901 )
$ (972,254,582 )
$ 515,195,681
%
Waived/(accrued) accumulated preferred dividends and other capital transactions with Preferred stock owners
(13,902,843 )
7,360,397
(21,263,240 )
(289 )%
Net loss attributable to common stockholders after preferred dividends
$ (470,961,744 )
$ (964,894,185 )
$ 493,932,441
%
Net Loss per Share
$ (1,425.61 )
$ (157,405.25 )
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted
330,358
6,130
Revenues
We are an early-stage company and have recently begun generating notable revenues, with vehicle production and deliveries commencing in fiscal year 2023 (Mullen THREE and, later, Mullen ONE in the last calendar quarter of 2023). In September 2024, our Bollinger segment delivered the first B4 vehicles to customers.
We recognize revenue from the sale of electric vehicles upon the transfer of control to the dealer/customer. Normally, control transfers at the point of delivery when the dealer/customer has possession of the vehicle and bears the risks and rewards of ownership. However, a contract with one of our dealers includes return provision, allowing unsold vehicles to be returned after one year; and contracts with two of our dealers include return provisions, allowing unsold vehicles to be returned upon contract termination. For these arrangements, due to limited historical data on returns, we defer revenue recognition until the dealer sells the vehicles to end customers, or there is sufficient evidence to reasonably estimate the consideration to which we expect to be entitled. This approach aligns with our commitment to conservative revenue recognition practices and ensures compliance with accounting standards.
The tables below disclose information on deliveries of vehicles, revenue recognized, revenue deferred, and payments received from our customers over the recent periods.
Invoiced during the year ended September 30, 2024 (dollars in thousands)
Vehicle type
Units invoiced
Amount invoiced
Revenue recognized
Mullen 3 (UU)
$ 11,658
$
Mullen Urban Delivery (UD1)
8,568
Bollinger B4
Total
$ 20,929
$ 1,094
Invoiced during the year ended September 30, 2023 (dollars in thousands)
Vehicle type
Units Invoiced
Amount invoiced
Revenue recognized
Mullen Urban Delivery (UD0)
Mullen 3 (UU)
-
Total
$ 1,018
$
Cost of revenues
The cost of revenues for the year ended September 30, 2024, totaled $16.9 million, comprising:
a) Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
COGS amounted to $1.3 million, including $0.2 million from the Mullen Commercial segment and $1.1 million from the Bollinger segment. These costs encompass vehicle components and parts, labor costs, amortized tooling costs, and other production-related expenses, as well as estimated warranty provisions. The $1.1 million COGS for the Bollinger segment consist of approximately $0.6 million in standard costs and $0.5 million in cost variances.
b) Inventory Adjustments to Net Realizable Value
A non-cash write-down of $15.6 million was recognized for the Mullen Commercial segment, primarily due to excess raw materials and slower-moving inventory. The determination of net realizable value (NRV) involves significant judgment, and actual results may materially differ from estimates. For further details, refer to “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” below.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses decreased by approximately $2.5 million or 3% from approximately $77.4 million through the twelve months ended September 30, 2023, to approximately $74.9 million through the twelve months ended September 30, 2024. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. To date, our research and development expenses have consisted primarily of engineering and consulting services in connection with the development and design of our EVs.
General and Administrative
General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses include all non-production expenses incurred by us in any given period. This includes expenses such as professional fees, salaries, rent, repairs and maintenance, utilities and office expense, employee benefits, depreciation and amortization, advertising and marketing, settlements and penalties, taxes, licenses and other expenses. We expense advertising costs as incurred. General and administrative expenses decreased by approximately $33.9 million or 16% from approximately $215.8 million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2023, to approximately $181.9 million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to decrease in settlements and penalties, and in stock-based compensation to CEO under Performance stock awards agreements (including CEO share based performance award liability revaluation - see Note 11 - Share-based compensation of the financial statements for more information), although certain expenses increased, like advertising and promotion, professional fees, depreciation, etc.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased by approximately $44.4 million from $5.0 million through the twelve months ended September 30, 2023, to $49.4 million through the twelve months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to amortization of original issue discount of convertible notes issued and partially converted by the Company in the second half of fiscal year ending September 30, 2024.
Impairment
Due to unfavorable market conditions and decline of the market prices of the Company’s common stock, we have tested long-lived assets for recoverability. As a result of the impairment tests performed during the year ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized impairment losses in amount of $119.2 million that related to goodwill, property, plant, and equipment, intangible assets, and right-of-use assets - an increase of $34.6 million from the last year, when impairment of goodwill, property, plant, and equipment, and intangible assets reached $84.6 million. See more details in the section below.
Other financing costs
Financing costs other than "Interest expense" included losses on initial recognition of derivative liabilities, ELOC commitment fee, losses on initial recognition of warrants and gain/(loss) on derivative liability revaluation: $69.8 million during the year ended September 30, 2024, and $622.5 million during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, a decrease of 89% or $552.7 million. These losses have decreased in comparison to the previous year mainly due to decrease in financing. The main part of these losses is caused when the Company issues warrants recognized at fair value as liabilities in addition to preferred stock or other equity instruments in lieu of preferred stock and notes (see further details in the Note 8 and Note 7 of the consolidated financial statements).
Waived/(accrued) accumulated preferred dividends and other capital transactions with preferred stock owners
The accumulated preferred dividends and other capital transactions with preferred stock owners amounted to $13.9 million loss in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 and were represented primarily by fair value of common stock issued to avoid fractional shares on reverse stock splits - $5.2 million (see Note 1 - Description of business and basis of presentation) and $8.6 million of financial result from exchange of Series C P/S for Series E P/S (see Note 9, Series E Preferred Stock section). In the previous fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, the amount was positive ($7.4 million) due to the fact that holders of Series C Preferred stock waived accumulated dividends.
Net Loss
The net loss attributable to common stockholders (after transactions accounted for as preferred dividends) was $471.0 million, or $1,425.61 net loss per share, for the twelve months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to a net loss attributable to common stockholders (after transactions accounted for as preferred dividends) of $964.9 million, or $157,405.25 loss per share, for the twelve months ended September 30, 2023.
Operating segments
The Company is currently comprised of 2 major operating segments:
-
Bollinger Motors. The Company acquired the controlling interest of Bollinger Motors Inc. on September 7, 2022. This acquisition positioned Mullen into the medium duty truck classes 4-6, along with the Sport Utility and Pick Up Trucks EV segments.
-
Mullen Commercial. By November 30, 2022, Mullen acquired a manufacturing plant in Mishawaka Indiana and all the intellectual property needed to engineer and build Class 1 and Class 3 electric vehicles.
Reverse Stock Splits and NASDAQ listing rules compliance
Our Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. To maintain that listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other requirements including, without limitation, a requirement that our closing bid price be at least $1.00 per share. Effective September 17, 2024, the Company implemented a reverse stock split at a ratio of 1-for-100 shares in order to satisfy this requirement. The reverse stock split did not change the authorized number of shares or the par value of the Common Stock nor modify any voting rights of the Common Stock. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the September 2024 reverse stock split and each fractional share resulting from the reverse stock split were rounded up to the next whole share. On October 16, 2024, the Company received formal notice from Nasdaq confirming that it had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).
In addition to the reverse stock split implemented in September 2024, the Company previously effected a 1-for-25 reverse stock split on May 4, 2023, a 1-for-9 reverse stock split on August 11, 2023, and a 1-for-100 reverse stock split on December 21, 2023. The Company retroactively adjusted its historical financial statements to reflect the reverse stock splits.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
To date, we have yet to generate any significant revenue from our business operations. We have funded our capital expenditure and working capital requirements through the sale of equity securities, as further discussed below. Our ability to successfully expand our business will depend on many factors, including our working capital needs, the availability of equity or debt financing and, over time, our ability to generate cash flows from operations.
The Company's principal source of liquidity consists of existing cash and restricted cash of approximately $10.7 million as of September 30, 2024. During the twelve months ended September 30, 2024, the Company used approximately $185.6 million of cash for operating activities. The net working capital on September 30, 2024 was negative and amounted to approximately $120.0 million, or approximately $38.5 million after excluding derivative liabilities and liabilities to issue stock that are supposed to be settled by issuing common stock without using cash. For the year ended September 30, 2024, the Company has incurred a net loss of $505.8 million and, as of September 30, 2024, our accumulated deficit was $2.3 billion.
The Company believes that its available liquidity will not be sufficient to meet its current obligations for a period of at least twelve months from the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Accordingly, the Company has concluded there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Without additional funding, the Company may be unable to continue operations and could be required to seek bankruptcy protection within 30 days of the issuance of these financial statements.
Management is pursuing several strategies to address liquidity concerns, including:
●
Raising additional capital through equity or debt financing.
●
Executing cost reduction measures and operational restructuring.
●
Exploring strategic alternatives, including partnerships or asset sales.
Despite these efforts, there is no assurance that these initiatives will be successful. If the Company cannot secure additional funding in the immediate term, it may be required to curtail operations significantly or seek bankruptcy protection. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets or liabilities that may result from the outcome of these uncertainties.
Debt
To date, our current working capital and development needs have been primarily funded through the issuance of convertible indebtedness, convertible preferred stock and common stock.
The short-term debt classification primarily is based upon loans due within twelve-months from the balance sheet date, in addition to loans that have matured and remain unpaid.
The following is a summary of our debt as of September 30, 2024:
Carrying
Contractual
Contractual
Type of Debt
amount
Current
Long-Term
Interest Rate
Maturity
Matured notes (1)
$ 2,385,004
$ 2,385,004
$ -
%
Due (default)
Matured loan advances (1)
332,800
332,800
-
%
Due (default)
Senior convertible notes (2)
20,346,283
20,346,283
-
20% (default)
Due (cross-default)
Less: debt discount to convertible notes
(17,664,310 )
(17,664,310 )
-
Total Debt
$ 5,399,777
$ 5,399,777
$ -
(1) In October 2024, the Company reached an agreement with holders of all matured notes and loan advances (see table above) in amount of $2.7 million, as well as accumulated interest in amount of approximately $1.8 million, that the liabilities would be settled by issuance of shares of common stock of the Company worth of $3 million. The liability has been fully settled by December 2024 by issuing shares of common stock in several installments.
(2) As of September 30, 2024, the Company's senior convertible notes (totaling $20.3 million) and accumulated interest (approximately $0.3 million) were in cross-default due to the non-payment of $0.2 million that matured in September 2024. As a result, the entire principal balance became due immediately, allowing investors to demand full repayment. Additionally, the interest rate increased from 15% to 20%. However, investors have not requested immediate cash payment of the notes or accrued interest. In December 2024, the court has approved a settlement agreement between the Company and holders of the Senior convertible notes, and, by the date these financial statements are available to be issued, almost full amount of the Senior convertible notes and accumulated interest has been converted to shares of common stock under Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act of 1933.
The following is the overview of changes in our indebtedness during the year ended September 30, 2024:
Matured loans and advances
NuBridge real estate note
Senior Secured Convertible Notes
Total
Principal as of October 1, 2023
$ 2,731,681
$ 5,000,000
$ -
$ 7,731,681
Original interest discount and debt issuance costs as of October 1, 2023
-
(270,189 )
-
(270,189 )
Carrying amount as of October 1, 2023
2,731,681
4,729,811
-
7,461,492
Notes issued, principal
-
-
68,326,316
68,326,316
Original interest discount and debt issuance costs at inception
-
-
(65,168,421 )
(65,168,421 )
Amortization of original interest discount and debt issuance costs
-
232,794
47,504,111
47,736,905
Paid in cash
-
(4,945,832 )
-
(4,945,832 )
Principal converted
-
-
(48,056,575 )
(48,056,575 )
Other adjustments
(13,877 )
(16,773 )
76,542
45,892
Principal as of September 30, 2024
2,717,804
-
20,346,283
23,064,087
Original interest discount and debt issuance costs as of September 30, 2024
-
-
(17,664,310 )
(17,664,310 )
Carrying amount as of September 30, 2024
$ 2,717,804
$ -
$ 2,681,973
$ 5,399,777
The following is a summary of our debt as of September 30, 2023:
Carrying
Contractual
Contractual
Type of Debt
amount
Current
Long-Term
Interest Rate
Maturity
Matured notes
$ 2,398,881
$ 2,398,881
$ -
0.00 - 10.00 %
2019 - 2021
Real estate note
5,000,000
5,000,000
-
8.99 %
Matured loan advances
332,800
332,800
-
0.00 - 10.00 %
2016 - 2018
Less: debt discount
(270,189 )
(270,189 )
-
Total Debt
$ 7,461,492
$ 7,461,492
$ -
The following is the overview of changes in our indebtedness during the year ended September 30, 2023:
Matured notes, loans and advances
NuBridge real estate note
Series D Convertible Notes
Other notes payable
Total
Principal as of October 1, 2022
$ 3,608,885
$ 5,000,000
$ -
$ 1,344,399
$ 9,953,284
Original interest discount as of October 1, 2022
-
(857,257 )
-
(74,978 )
(932,235 )
Carrying amount as of October 1, 2022
3,608,885
4,142,743
-
1,269,421
9,021,049
Notes issued, principal
-
-
150,000,000
20,000,000
170,000,000
Original interest discount and debt issuance costs at inception
-
(150,000,000 )
-
(150,000,000 )
Paid in cash
(446,741 )
-
-
(20,247,612 )
(20,694,353 )
Amortization of original interest discount and debt issuance costs
-
587,068
150,000,000
163,558
150,750,626
Derecognition of an old note upon exchange
-
-
-
(1,032,217 )
(1,032,217 )
Recognition of a new note upon exchange
-
-
-
12,945,914
12,945,914
Principal converted
-
-
(150,000,000 )
(12,945,914 )
(162,945,914 )
Other adjustments
(430,463 )
-
-
(153,150 )
(583,613 )
Principal as of September 30, 2023
2,731,681
5,000,000
-
-
7,731,681
Original interest discount as of September 30, 2023
-
(270,189 )
-
-
(270,189 )
Carrying amount as of September 30, 2023
$ 2,731,681
$ 4,729,811
$ -
$ -
$ 7,461,492
Cash Flows
The following table provides a summary of our cash flow data for the years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:
Years Ended September 30,
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$ (185,555,481 )
$ (179,172,191 )
Investing activities
(16,148,055 )
(107,923,309 )
Financing activities
56,755,744
358,416,885
Cash Flows used in Operating Activities
Our cash flow used in operating activities to date has been primarily comprised of costs related to starting production, research and development, payroll and other general and administrative activities. As we continue to ramp up commercial manufacturing and sales, we expect our cash used in operating activities to decrease over time as we continue to reduce operating expenses and start to generate cash flow from our commercial vehicle sales. Net cash used in operating activities was $185.6 million in the twelve months ended September 30, 2024, a 4% increase from $179.2 million net cash used during the twelve months ended September 30, 2023.
Cash Flows used in Investing Activities
Our cash flows used in investing activities, to date, have been comprised mainly of purchases of equipment. We expect these costs to decrease in the near future as we have ramped up production activity during 2024. Net cash used in investing activities was $16.1 million in the year ended September 30, 2024, an 85% decrease from $107.9 million used in investing activities the year ended September 30, 2023.
Cash Flows provided by Financing Activities
Through September 30, 2024, we have financed our operations primarily through the issuance of convertible notes and warrants. Net cash provided by financing activities was $56.8 million for the year ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $358.4 million net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2023.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following tables summarizes our contractual obligations and other commitments for cash expenditures as of September 30, 2024, and the years in which these obligations are due:
Operating Lease Commitments
Scheduled
Years Ended September 30,
Payments
$ 6,421,692
5,022,623
5,000,409
4,828,305
1,358,041
Thereafter
5,994,883
Total Future Minimum Lease Payments
$ 28,625,953
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We are not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined under SEC rules.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our financial statements have been prepared by U.S. GAAP. In the preparation of these financial statements, our management is required to use judgment in making estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Management considers an accounting judgment, estimate, or assumption to be critical when (1) the estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment and (2) the use of different judgments, estimates, and assumptions could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.
In preparation of these financial statements, management applied critical estimates and assumptions while performing impairment tests for goodwill and other long-lived assets and while determining net realizable value of inventory.
Impairment tests for goodwill and other long-lived assets
We identified Bollinger and Mullen Commercial (refer to Note 21 - Segment information) as our reporting units for the purposes of assessing impairments.
We review our noncurrent asset groups for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such asset groups may not be recoverable. Such conditions could include significant adverse changes in the business climate, current period operating or cash flow losses, significant declines in forecasted operations, or a current expectation that an asset group will be disposed of before the end of its useful life. The recoverability of noncurrent asset groups to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset group to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. Suppose the asset group is considered to be impaired. In that case, the impairment recognized is the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds the fair value of the asset group. Due to a prolonged decrease in our market capitalization, including a significant decline in stock price and budgeted performance targets not achieved as compared to acquisition date budgets, we assessed noncurrent assets for impairment.
As a result of impairment tests performed by management during the twelve months ended September 30, 2024 in respect of Mullen Commercial segment, impairment was recognized for part of right-of-use assets in the amount of $10.2 million, as well as for engineering design intangible assets with a carrying amount of $15.1 million, and construction-in-progress for $4.2 million. Also, the Company has recorded impairment of goodwill in amount of $1.2 million pertaining to acquisition of retail business (see Note 4 - Business acquisitions). The primary reasons for the impairment of these assets were sales slower than expected, decrease in the Company's market capitalization, and uncertainty of the availability of future funding.
As a result of impairment tests performed by management during the twelve months ended September 30, 2024 in respect of the Bollinger segment, additional impairment was recognized in the financial statements: including $28.8 million for goodwill, $58.3 million for indefinite-lived in-process research and development assets, as well as $1.3 million for right-of-use assets. The impairment has been recognized primarily due to the present uncertainty of the availability of future funding required to support this segment and the decrease in the Company's market capitalization.
Estimating the fair value of the reporting units and certain assets requires us to make assumptions and estimates regarding our future plans, as well as industry, economic, and regulatory conditions. These assumptions and estimates include estimated future annual net cash flows, income tax considerations, discount rates, long-term growth rates, contributory asset charges, and other market factors. Assumptions used in impairment assessments are made at a point in time. Therefore, they are subject to change based on the facts and circumstances present at each annual and interim impairment assessment date. Fair value determinations require significant judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates, and market factors.
Net realizable value of inventory
In accordance with applicable accounting standards, we value inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Our assessment of net realizable value is a critical accounting estimate due to the inherent market volatility, evolving technology, and competitive landscape of the EV industry.
The net realizable value of inventory is determined based on the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. In determining net realizable value, we consider several factors, including:
●
Market Demand and Pricing Trends - The EV industry is highly competitive, with frequent price adjustments based on consumer demand, regulatory incentives, and competitor pricing strategies.
●
Technological Obsolescence - As battery and vehicle technology evolves, older inventory may require discounting or write-downs to remain competitive.
●
Production Costs and Cost Absorption - Given supply chain fluctuations and raw material pricing (e.g., lithium, nickel, and other battery components), production costs may exceed expected selling prices.
●
Other Factors - Changes in government incentives, infrastructure development, and interest rates may affect consumer adoption and, consequently, inventory valuation.
For the year ended September 30, 2024, we recognized net realizable value adjustments of $15.6 million, primarily related to excess raw material and slower moving inventory of the Mullen Commercial segment. These adjustments were recorded as a component of cost of goods sold.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Accounting standard updates issued but not yet effective were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
Not Applicable.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
The consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm are filed as part of this Report and incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (“DCP”) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports filed by us under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, is: (a) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms; and (b) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
We conducted an evaluation pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our DCP as of September 30, 2024, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our DCP were not effective at the reasonable assurance level as of September 30, 2024 because of material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting described below.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect our transactions and our dispositions of the assets, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria set forth in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of September 30, 2024 due to material weaknesses described below.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. In conducting our review of our internal control over financial reporting, we identified the following material weaknesses described below.
●
Based on management’s review of key accounting and information technology policies and procedures, we have determined that although such policies and procedures exist, they are not all formalized in a centralized written procedure format that is up to date.
●
As a result of the absence of formalized reviews of key controls across several business processes and/or insufficiently formalized documentation evidencing such review, management’s ability to evaluate the design and monitor the effective operation of these preventative and detective internal controls is limited. Accordingly, management’s ability to timely detect, prevent, and remediate deficiencies and potential risks has been assessed as ineffective.
●
The Company identified certain design deficiencies in its management and analytical review controls associated with the inventory accounting and revenue recognition close process. These deficiencies, individually or in the aggregate, combined with inadequate compensating controls, created a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement to the consolidated financial statements might not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
●
The Company lacks in-house accounting expertise to identify rights and obligations reflected in non-standard agreements, requiring specialized accounting for complex transactions that the Company currently outsources.
● The Company had numerous post close adjustments within the areas of inventory and debt which affected the timeliness to file the 10-K.
During the year ended September 30, 2024, these control deficiencies did not result in identified material misstatements in our consolidated financial statements; however, the control deficiencies described above created a more than remote possibility that a material misstatement in the consolidated financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Therefore, our management concluded that the deficiencies represent material weaknesses.
Based on the performance of additional procedures by management designed to ensure reliability of financial reporting, the Company’s management has concluded that, notwithstanding the material weaknesses described above, the consolidated financial statements, included in this Form 10-K, fairly present, in all material respects, the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows as of the dates, and for the periods presented, in conformity with U.S. GAAP.
Remediation Efforts to Address the Material Weaknesses and Other Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The aforementioned material weaknesses were first identified in 2022. While the Company has significantly improved its internal control over financial reporting, the material weaknesses remain un-remediated as of September 30, 2024, as the Company has moved from development stage to production and sale of vehicles. The Company’s remediation efforts will continue throughout 2025.
During the year ended September 30, 2024, the management completed the following actions in accordance with the remediation plan:
●
Formalization of Policies and Procedures: Accounting and IT policies were updated and formalized to ensure they are current and comprehensive.
●
Enhanced Review Controls: Review controls for inventory and revenue accounting close processes were redesigned, with compensating controls implemented to ensure accurate reporting and timely disclosures. We have rolled out new revenue policy to marketing and sales organization and continue to closely monitor revenue transactions and documentation.
●
Strengthened Technical Expertise: Additional leadership roles with expertise in GAAP financial reporting and public company controls have been hired, and external consultants engaged to address gaps in accounting for complex transactions.
In addition to the remedial actions taken to date, the Company is considering the full extent of the procedures to implement in order to remediate the material weaknesses described above. Currently, the remediation plan includes:
■
Implementation of the Plex ERP and General ledger systems will automate inventory tracking, adjustments, net realizable value and improve controls over financial transactions;
■
Evaluating skill set gaps and hiring additional accounting, financial reporting, and compliance personnel (including both internal and external resources), as needed, with an appropriate level of accounting knowledge, training and experience to appropriately analyze, record and disclose accounting matters timely and accurately, and to achieve complete financial accounting, reporting and disclosures;
■
Continuing integration of Mullen and Bollinger accounting groups along with professional training and education on accounting subjects for existing accounting staff including preparation and review of account reconciliations;
■ Improving and maintaining effective controls for communicating and sharing information between the operations, accounting, information technology, sales, finance and legal departments to ensure that the accounting department is consistently provided with complete and adequate support, documentation and information, and that matters are resolved in a timely and effective manner.
■
Enhancing management review controls related to our financial statement close and financial reporting involving estimates, judgments, and assumptions;
■
Designing and implementing controls related to the identification of and accounting for certain non-routine, unusual or complex transactions, including the accounting for variable interest entities and valuation of convertible debt and the related derivative liability.
The actions that we are taking are subject to ongoing management review and audit committee oversight. We believe these measures will aid to remediate the control deficiencies that gave rise to the material weaknesses, but the material weaknesses will not be considered fully remediated until controls have been designed and implemented for a sufficient period of time, and properly tested for our management to conclude that the control environment is operating effectively.
The Company is committed to remediating the material weaknesses and the actions the Company is taking are subject to ongoing senior management review, as well as oversight from the Company’s Board of Directors. When fully implemented and operational, the Company believes the measures described above will remediate the underlying causes of the control deficiencies that gave rise to the material weaknesses and strengthen the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company will not be able to fully remediate these material weaknesses until these steps have been completed and operate effectively for a sufficient period of time. The Company may also identify additional measures that may be required to remediate the material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, necessitating further action.
Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures
In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and processes as well as internal control over financial reporting, we recognize that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and implemented, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Because of its inherent limitations, any internal control system, no matter how well designed and operated, is based upon certain judgments and assumptions, and cannot provide absolute assurance that its objectives will be met. Similarly, an evaluation of controls cannot provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Attestation Report
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. As a non-accelerated filer, we are not subject to the attestation requirement.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
On July 18, 2024, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Mullen Technologies, Inc. (“MTI”), pursuant to which the Company assumed a lease for premises located in Oceanside, California and all equipment and inventory in the premises, as well as staffing and other infrastructure for vehicle sales and repairs for consideration of $1.4 million. The Company’s CEO has a controlling financial interest and is Chairman of MTI. For further information, see Note 4 - Business Acquisitions in the notes to the Company’s consolidated financial statement include in this Report.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
The directors and executive officers of the Company and their respective ages, and positions with the Company and certain business experience as of the date of this prospectus are set forth below. There are no family relationships among any of the directors or executive officers.
There are no material legal proceedings to which any director or executive officer of the Company, or any associate of any director or executive officer of the Company, is a party adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or has a material interest adverse to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
Name
Age
Position
Director Class
David Michery
Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chairman of the Board
Class I
Jonathan New
Chief Financial Officer
Calin Popa
President-Mullen Automotive
Chester Bragado
Chief Accounting Officer
John Taylor
President & SVP of Global Manufacturing
Mary Winter
Secretary and Director
Class I
Ignacio Novoa
Director
Class I
Kent Puckett
Director
Class II
Mark Betor
Director
Class II
William Miltner
Director
Class III
John Anderson
Director
Class III
Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, the Company’s Board of Directors is classified into three classes with staggered three-year terms designated as follows:
●
Class I - David Michery, Mary Winter, and Ignacio Novoa whose terms will expire in 2025 at our annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors are elected and qualified;
●
Class II - Kent Puckett and Mark Betor, whose terms will expire at our annual meeting of stockholders in 2026.
●
Class III - William Miltner and John Anderson whose terms will expire at our annual meeting of stockholders in 2027.
At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to directors whose terms expire will be elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third annual meeting following their election and until the successors are duly elected and qualified. This classification of the Board may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in Mullen’s control of management. These directors may be removed for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (2/3) of Mullen’s voting stock.
David Michery has served as the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since the closing of the Merger in November 2021 and held those same positions at Mullen Technologies since its inception in 2018. His automotive experience began with the acquisition of Mullen Motor Company in 2012. Mr. Michery brings over 25 years within executive management, marketing, distressed assets, and business restructuring. He acquired the assets of Coda Automotive, formerly an independent EV manufacturer, through bankruptcy as an entryway into the EV business. We believe that Mr. Michery is qualified to serve as a director because of his operational and historical expertise gained from serving as our Chief Executive Officer, and his experience within various businesses, including automotive.
Jonathan New was appointed by the Board as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective September 19, 2022. He served as a director of the Company from November 2021 until September 19, 2022. From January 2020 until September 2022, Mr. New served as the Chief Financial Officer of Motorsport Games, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM), a racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider. Previously, from July 2018 to January 2020, Mr. New was Chief Financial Officer of Blink Charging Co (NASDAQ: BLNK), an owner, operator and provider of electric vehicle charging equipment and networked electric vehicle charging services, and, from 2008 to July 2018, he was Chief Financial Officer of Net Element, Inc., a global technology and value-added solutions group that supports electronic payments acceptance in a multi-channel environment. Mr. New is a Florida Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Calin Popa has served as President of the Automotive Electric Vehicles Division of the Company and of its predecessor, Mullen Technologies, since 2017. He has 34 years of experience within the automotive industry. Previously, Mr. Popa was Vice President of Manufacturing Engineering at Karma Automotive, LLC, f/k/a Fisker Automotive, from 2010 to 2017. Mr. Popa has held senior positions within product development, vehicle launch and manufacturing at well-known companies, including MAN, Ford, and Chrysler.
Chester A. Bragado has served as Chief Accounting Officer since March 2023. Mr. Bragado brings over 20 years of diverse expertise in accounting, finance, and organizational leadership to his role as Chief Accounting Officer at Mullen Automotive. Before assuming the role of Chief Accounting Officer, Mr. Bragado served as the Executive Vice President of Operations at Mullen Automotive from July 2022 to March 2023. Prior to that, since 2021, Mr. Bragado served as Vice President, Finance and Controller at Sambazon, an international organic food manufacturer, from 2020 to 2021, he was Financial Reporting Director at Loop Media, a digital video company, and from 2017 to 2020, he was Controller at Custom Foods LLC/Marie Callender. Mr. Bragado has consulted and audited Fortune 500 companies throughout his expansive 20 plus year career, which includes roles as an external auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers and increasing responsibilities in Corporate Accounting, SEC reporting, and internal audit at various other public and private companies. Mr. Bragado graduated from the University of California, Riverside, with a BA in Business Administration and holds a California CPA license and is currently an executive MBA candidate at UCLA Anderson School of Management
John Taylor is the President & SVP of Global Manufacturing at Mullen. From 2010 to April 2013, he was employed at Tesla being one of the first 50 employees and, leading the advanced manufacturing engineering group. Mr. Taylor played a critical role in opening the Fremont facility and manufacturing operations for the Tesla Model S and architecture for future projects. Mr. Taylor started his automotive career at General Motors (“GM”) in 1982. At GM, he was involved in eleven major automotive vehicle launches serving as launch manager, operations manager, and machine and equipment manager, among other roles. Mr Taylor has also held executive roles within several intermodal products companies, serving as the President and Chief Operations Officer of American Intermodal Container Manufacturing from April 2015 to November 2020 and the Chief Executive Officer of Intermodal Products of America from April 2021 to April 2022. Mr. Taylor graduated from the Philpot School of Automotive Design in Detroit in 1987.
Mary Winter has served as director of the Company since November 2021 and has been a director of Mullen Technologies since 2018. Ms. Winter has been an integral part of Mullen since inception. She currently serves as the Secretary of the Company and Board of Directors. Formerly, she was the Vice President of Operations for Mullen Technologies since 2014. We believe that Ms. Winter is qualified to serve as a director because of her business and operational knowledge of Mullen.
Ignacio Novoa has served as a director of the Company since July 2022. Mr. Novoa has been a realtor at Las Lomas Realty since January 2015. Prior to that, from August 2008 to March 2021, Mr. Nova served as police officer with the Federal Reserve Police and, from September 2008 to March 2013, as program security at Northrup Grumman. Mr. Novoa has also served as a director of DRIVEiT since January 2024. We believe that Mr. Novoa is qualified to serve as a director because of his experience in managing real estate.
Kent Puckett has served as a director of the Company since November 2021 and has served on the board of Mullen Technologies since 2018. Previously, Mr. Puckett served as the Chief Financial Officer of Mullen Technologies from 2012 to 2018. Mr. Puckett has also served as a director of DRIVEiT since January 2024. Mr. Puckett has many years of experience as a CFO with a proven track record of establishing cross-functional partnerships to deliver stellar results. He has led many companies in their audit and disclosure requirements, creating operations, marketing, and sales division budgets of multi-million dollars, and being accountable for the allocation of resources to exceed profit and sales goals. Mr. Puckett has a B.S. in Business Administration from Pensacola Christian College, and Advanced Studies in Management, Finance, Compliance, Insurance, Financial Consulting, Taxation and Financial Reporting, with an emphasis on Public Companies reporting and audit requirements. We believe that Mr. Puckett is qualified to serve as a director because of his finance and accounting background and experience.
Mark Betor has served as a director of the Company since November 2021 and a director of Mullen Technologies since 2018. Mr. Betor has also served as a director of DRIVEiT since January 2024. Mr. Betor is a retired businessman and law enforcement officer. Since retirement, he has been involved with real estate investments and private business. We believe that Mr. Betor is qualified to serve as a director because of his vast experience within investments and private businesses.
William Miltner has served as a director of the Company since the closing of the Merger. He has served as a litigation attorney for over 30 years. He is the co-founder of Miltner & Menck, APC, a full-service law firm, in San Diego, CA. Mr. Miltner successfully co-founded and co-managed the law firm of Perkins & Miltner, LLP, a respected San Diego litigation firm for 13 years. In 2006, when co-founder David Perkins left the practice of law, Miltner Law Group, APC, was founded. Mr. Miltner has represented many publicly traded and private companies including residential developers, construction contractors, title insurance companies and banking and lending institutions. His substantial experience includes representing and defending clients in complex real property, general business, construction, title insurance and lender litigation and transactional matters. Mr. Miltner is member of the American and San Diego County Bar Associations and American Business Trial Lawyers Association. He was admitted to The State Bar of California in 1988. We believe that Mr. Miltner is qualified to serve as a director because of his knowledge and experience within law practice areas and litigation matters.
John K. Andersen has served as director of the Company since September 2022. Mr. Andersen owned and operated various businesses since 1972, concentrating on real estate investment and management, primarily of multi-family residential units along with commercial sales and leases, in California, Utah and Wyoming, since 1980. From 1986 to 1996, Mr. Anderson was a partner in a large real estate company with over 300 sales agents and an escrow company, loan company and other real estate services. Since 2013, he has been a director and officer of Eminence Escrow, Inc. and, since 2015, he has owned and operated DNJ Investments, Inc., both of which provide escrow services. We believe that Mr. Anderson is qualified to serve as a director because of his extensive and in-depth experience in operating and growing businesses.
Corporate Governance
Director Independence
The Board determined that Mary Winter, Kent Puckett, Mark Betor and John K. Andersen, qualify as independent directors, as defined under the listing rules of the Nasdaq, and the Board consists of a majority of “independent directors” as defined under the rules of the SEC and Nasdaq listing requirements. In addition, we are subject to the rules of the SEC and Nasdaq relating to the membership, qualifications, and operations of the audit, as discussed below.
Insider Trading Policy
We have adopted trading policies and procedures governing the purchase, sale, and/or other dispositions of the registrant’s securities by directors, officers and employees or the registrant itself that are reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and any listing standards applicable to the Company. A copy of such policies and procedures is filed hereto as Exhibit 19.1.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that applies to all our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial and accounting officer. A copy of our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct has been posted to the "Investor Relations-Governance" section of our Internet website at http://www.mullensua.com. We will provide a copy of our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct to any person without charge, upon written request to our Secretary at 1405 Pioneer Street, Brea, California 92821, phone (714) 613-1900, e-mail address InvestorRelations@mullenusa.com.
Committees of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors currently has an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors consists of Kent Puckett, Chair, Mark Betor, and John K. Andersen. The Board determined that Kent Puckett is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined under the applicable rules of the SEC. The primary functions of the Audit Committee include, among other things:
●
reviewing and approving the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm to perform audit services and any permissible non-audit services for the Company;
●
evaluating the performance of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and deciding whether to retain their services;
●
monitoring the rotation of partners on the engagement team of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm;
●
reviewing the Company’s annual and quarterly financial statements and reports and discussing the statements and reports with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and management, including a review of disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations;”
●
considering and approving or disapproving all related party transactions for the Company;
●
reviewing, with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and management, significant issues that may arise regarding accounting principles and financial statement presentation, as well as matters concerning the scope, adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s financial controls;
●
conducting an annual assessment of the performance of the Audit Committee and its members, and the adequacy of its charter; and
●
establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding financial controls, accounting, or auditing matters.
Each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the independence requirements under Nasdaq Capital Market listing standards and Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act and is a person who the Board of Directors has determined has the requisite financial expertise required under the applicable requirements of Nasdaq Capital Market. In arriving at this determination, the Board of Directors examined each Audit Committee member’s scope of experience and the nature of their employment in the corporate finance sector.
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors consists of Kent Puckett, Chair, John K. Andersen, and Mark Betor. The functions of the Compensation Committee include, among other things:
●
determining the compensation and other terms of employment of the Company’s chief executive officer and our other executive officers and reviewing and approving corporate performance goals and objectives relevant to such compensation;
●
reviewing and recommending to the full Board of Directors the compensation of the Board of Directors;
●
evaluating and administering the equity incentive plans, compensation plans and similar programs advisable for the Company, as well as reviewing and recommending to the Board of Directors the adoption, modification or termination of the Company’s plans and programs;
●
establishing policies with respect to equity compensation arrangements;
●
if required, reviewing with management the Company’s disclosures under the caption “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and recommending to the full Board of Directors its inclusion in the Company’s periodic reports to be filed with the SEC; and
●
reviewing and evaluating, at least annually, the performance of the Compensation Committee and the adequacy of its charter.
The Board of Directors has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent under Nasdaq Capital Market listing standards and a “non-employee director” as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors currently consists of Mark Betor, Chair, Mary Winter and Kent Puckett. The functions of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include, among other things, the following:
●
reviewing periodically and evaluating director performance on the Board of Directors and its applicable committees, and recommending to the Board of Directors and management areas for improvement;
●
interviewing, evaluating, nominating and recommending individuals for membership on the Board of Directors;
●
reviewing and recommending to our board of directors any amendments to the Company corporate governance policies; and
●
reviewing and assessing, at least annually, the performance of the Nominating and Corporate Governance committee and the adequacy of its charter.
The Board of Directors has determined that each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is independent under Nasdaq Capital Market listing standards.

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth certain information about the compensation earned during the years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, as applicable, to our Chief Executive Officer and each of our two most highly compensated executive officers other than our Chief Executive Officer who were serving as executive officers at September 30, 2024, and whose annual compensation exceeded $100,000 during such year or would have exceeded $100,000 during such year if the executive officer were employed by the Company for the entire fiscal year (collectively the “named executive officers”).
Stock
Options
Salary
Bonus
Awards
Awards
Name and Principal Position
Year
($)
($)
($) (1)
($)
Total ($)
David Michery
$ 750,000
$ -
$ 2,500,000
$ -
$ 3,250,000
Chief Executive Officer
750,000
-
48,879,463
-
49,629,463
Jonathan New
499,795
-
-
1,598,610 (2)
2,098,405
Chief Financial Officer
425,000
10,000
198,300
-
633,300
Chester Bragado
392,192
-
1,533,000
-
1,925,192
Chief Accounting Officer
-
-
-
-
-
(1)
Represents share-based compensation based on the grant date fair value of common stock computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, i.e. for common stock earned per labor contract - market price of the shares on the date immediately preceding the employment contract date, for common stock earned by CEO per Award Incentive Plans - market price of the shares on the date immediately preceding the date when the shares have been issued (see the list of performance awards in the CEO Performance Award chapter, and the list of achieved milestones in the CEO Performance Award Table below). The stock-based compensation to Mr. Michery for the year ended September 30, 2024 in the enclosed statements of operations is different due to revaluation of a liability accrued per FASB ASC Topic 718 that have not been earned and paid by September 30, 2024, but will probably be earned and paid later. See the Company’s financial statements for discussion of stock-based compensation.
(2)
Represents grant date fair value, computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, of a 5-year option to purchase 3,000 shares of common stock, awarded in May 2024, vested immediately, with an exercise price of $486 (giving effect to reverse stock splits, including 1:100 reverse stock split effectuated in September 2024).
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table
The primary elements of compensation for the Company’s named executive officers are base salary, bonus and equity-based compensation awards. The named executive officers also participate in employee benefit plans and programs that we offer to our other full-time employees on the same basis.
Base Salary
The base salary payable to our named executive officers is intended to provide a fixed component of compensation that reflects the executive’s skill set, experience, role, and responsibilities.
Bonus
Although we do not have a written bonus plan, the Board may, in its discretion, award bonuses to our executive officers on a case-by-case basis. These awards are structured to reward named executive officers for the successful performance of Mullen as a whole and of each participating named executive officer as an individual. The bonus amounts awarded were on an entirely discretionary basis. In addition, as described under the heading “Employment and Severance Agreements,” the chief executive officer is eligible under the terms of their respective employment agreements to receive set bonus amounts based on Mullen’s achievement of certain financial milestones.
Share-based Compensation
2022 Equity Incentive Plan
On July 26, 2022, at the 2022 Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”). Additional details about the 2022 Plan are set forth in the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, as filed with the SEC on July 10, 2023.
The 2022 Plan provides for grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards and restricted stock units, all of which are sometimes referred to individually, to employees, consultants, non-employee directors of the Company and its subsidiaries. Stock options may be either incentive stock options, as defined in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code, or non-qualified stock options. The 2022 Plan initially reserved for issuance 4 shares of common stock (giving effect to the Company’s reverse stock splits), and on August 3, 2023, the stockholders approved an increase of the number of reserved shares by 52,000,000, and on September 13, 2024, the stockholders approved an increase of the number of reserved shares by 11,000,000 (not subject to adjustment for any decrease or increase in the number shares of common stock resulting from a stock spilt, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, the payment of a stock dividend on the common stock or any other decrease in the number of such shares of common stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company).
During the years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, Mr. Michery earned 1 share and 1,135 shares of Common Stock, respectively; Mr. New earned 1 share and received a 5-year option to purchase 3,000 shares of common stock in lieu of shares and 1 share of common stock, respectively; and Mr. Bragado earned 2,738 shares and 1 share of Common Stock, respectively (giving effect to the Company’s reverse stock splits, including a 1:100 reverse stock split effectuated in September 2024).
Policies and Practices Related to the Grant of Certain Equity Awards Close in Time to the Release of Material Nonpublic Information
We do not have a formal policy with respect to the grant of equity incentive awards to our executive officers or any formal equity ownership guidelines applicable to them.
Clawback Policy
In November 2023, the Board of Directors adopted a clawback policy that may be applied in the event of a material financial restatement. The clawback policy covers current and former executive officers and includes all incentive compensation. Specifically, in the event of an accounting restatement, the Company must recover, reasonably promptly, any excess incentive compensation received during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement. Compensation that may be recoverable under the policy includes cash or equity-based compensation for which the grant, payment or vesting is or was based wholly or in part on the attainment of a financial reporting measure. The amount to be recovered will be the excess of the incentive compensation paid based on the erroneous data over the incentive compensation that would have been paid had it been based on the restated results.
Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#)
Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#)
Equity incentive plan awards: number of securities underlying unexercised unearned options
Option exercise price
Option expiration
Name
exercisable
unexercisable
(#)
($)
date
David Michery
-
-
-
-
-
Jonathan New
3,000
-
-
$
5/16/2029
Chester Bragado
-
-
-
-
-
CEO Performance Awards
On May 5, 2022, the Company entered into to a Performance Stock Award Agreement (the “2022 PSA Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to grant performance equity awards to the Chief Executive Officer (“2022 CEO Performance Award”) and on July 26, 2022, the Company’s stockholders approved, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c), of the issuance of shares of common stock to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, David Michery, pursuant to the 2022 PSA Agreement. On June 8, 2023, the Compensation Committee further (1) determined that the grant of performance equity awards to the Chief Executive Officer (“2023 CEO Performance Award”) pursuant to the 2023 Performance Stock Award Agreement (the “2023 PSA Agreement” and together with the 2022 PSA Agreement, the “PSA Agreements”) was advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and (2) approved entering into the 2023 PSA Agreement and the grant of the 2023 CEO Performance Award. On August 3, 2023, at the 2023 Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved, for purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c), of the issuance of shares of common stock to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, David Michery, pursuant to the 2023 PSA Agreement.
On December 27, 2024, the Company entered into amendments to the PSA Agreements, subject to stockholder approval, extending the deadline of the Capital Benchmark Milestone in the 2022 PSA Agreement (the “2022 PSA Amendment”) and the Vehicle Completion, Revenue Benchmark, Battery Development and JV Acquisition Milestones in the 2023 PSA Agreement (the “2023 PSA Amendment” and together with the 2022 PSA Amendment, the “PSA Amendments”).
Pursuant to each PSA Agreement, Mr. Michery is eligible to receive shares of common stock of the Company based on the achievement of milestones as described below, and within each milestone the achievement of certain performance tranches, with each tranche representing a portion of shares of common stock that may be issued to Mr. Michery upon achievement of such tranche. Upon the achievement of each tranche of one of the milestones and subject to Mr. Michery continuing as the Chief Executive Officer as of the date of satisfaction of such tranche and through the date the Compensation Committee determines, approves and certifies that the requisite conditions for the applicable tranche have been satisfied, the Company will issue shares of its common stock as specified in the tranche. Each milestone must be achieved within the performance period specified for such milestone. The latest milestone that may be achieved is December 31, 2024 under the 2022 PSA Agreement, and December 31, 2025 under the 2023 PSA Agreement. Under the PSA Amendments, subject to stockholder approval, the latest milestone that may be achieved is the end of July 2026 under the 2022 PSA Agreement, and the end of December 2027 under the 2023 PSA Agreement.
2022 PSA Agreement - Description of Milestones
●
Vehicle Delivery Milestones: For each of the following five vehicle delivery milestone that is satisfied within the performance period specified, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 2% of the Company’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock: (i) Delivery of the Company’s Class One Van to customers for a pilot program under the captured fleet exemption by the end of December 2022 (achieved, see below); (ii) Procuring full USA certification and homologation (or vehicle approval process) for the sale and delivery of its Class One Van by end of August 2023 (expired); (iii) Full USA certification and homologation of the Dragonfly RS sports car by August 2024 (expired); (iv) Producing a drivable prototype of its Mullen 5 vehicle for consumers to test by end of October 2023 (achieved, see below); and (v) Producing a drivable prototype of its Mullen 5 RS High Performance vehicle for consumers to test by end of January 2023 (expired).
On October 3, 2022, the Company delivered its Class One Van to Hotwire Communications, a South Florida-based telecommunications company and Internet Service Provider for a pilot program under the captured fleet exemption.
On August 20, 2023, a drivable porotype of the Mullen 5 vehicle was part of the Mullen road tour and available for consumers to test drive. The other milestones mentioned above have expired
●
Capital Benchmark Milestones: For each $100 million raised (a “Capital Tranche”), and subject to an aggregate maximum of raised of $1.0 billion in equity or debt financing between the date of the award agreement and the end of July 2024 (the PSA Amendments extend this deadline to July 2026), the Company will issue a number of shares of common stock equal to 1%, of the Company’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock; as of the date a Capital Tranche is achieved. Additionally, if the Company is included in the Russell Index, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 2% of Mullen’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares as of the date the Company is approved to be included on the Russell Index. On June 7, 2022, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement which, along with subsequent amendments, allowed the Company to raise more than $400 million to date through the issuance of preferred stock, prefunded warrants and common stock in lieu of preferred stock and other warrants.
On June 27, 2022, the Company joined the Russell 2000 and 3000 Indexes.
By September 30, 2023, the Company raised more than $400 million through the issuance of preferred stock, prefunded warrants and common stock in lieu of preferred stock and other warrants. By July 31, 2024, the Company raised additional funds so that accumulated raised capital exceeded $100 million (mainly through the issuance of convertible notes and warrants), and relevant milestone shares are due as of September 30, 2024.
●
Feature Milestone: If Mullen enters into an agreement with a manufacturer or provider of equipment, accessory, feature or other product (collectively, “Feature”) by the end of 2023 that sets the Company or its vehicle apart from its competitors or that provides the Company a first mover or first disclosure advantage over its competitors for the Feature, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 5% of the Company’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of the date the Feature milestone is achieved.
On September 1, 2022, the Company announced that it a signed partnership with Watergen Inc. to develop and equip Mullen’s portfolio of electric vehicles with technology that will produce fresh drinking water from the air for in-vehicle consumer and commercial application. On October 12, 2022, the Company entered into the Distributorship Agreement whereby Watergen will be integrating its unique atmospheric water generating and dehumidifying technology into the Company’s vehicles and granting exclusivity to the Company for the integration design developed specifically for its vehicles.
●
Distribution Milestone: For each vehicle distribution milestone set forth below that is satisfied by entering into a joint venture or other distribution agreement by December 31, 2024, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 2% of Mullen’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock for each distribution milestone achieved: (i) agreement with an established local, US dealer or franchise network; and (ii) agreement with an established Latin American or other non-US based dealer or franchise network.
On November 8, 2022, the Company entered into an agreement into an agreement to appoint Newgate Motor Group as the marketing, sales, distribution and servicing agent for the Mullen I-GO in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
On December 12, 2022, the Company entered into a Dealer Agreement with Randy Marion Isuzu, a large USA dealer, to purchase and distribute the Company’s vehicles.
2023 PSA Agreement - Description of Milestones
●
Vehicle Completion Milestones: For each vehicle completion Milestone set forth below that is satisfied within the performance period specified, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 3% of Mullen’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock: (i) Procuring full USA certification and homologation of its Class Three Van by end of December 2023; (ii) Full USA certification and homologation of the Bollinger B1 sports car by end of June 2025; and (iii) Full USA certification and homologation of the Bollinger B2 sports car by end of June 2025. The milestone described in subsection (i) has expired. The PSA Amendments extend the deadlines in subsections (ii) and (iii) to June 2026.
●
Revenue Benchmark Milestones: For each $25 Million of revenue recognized by the Company (each a “Revenue Tranche”), and subject to an aggregate maximum of recognized revenue of $250 Million between the date of grant and the end of December 2025, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 1% of Mullen’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of the date a Revenue Tranche is achieved. The PSA Amendments extend the deadline to the end of December 2027.
●
Battery Development Milestones: For each Battery Development Milestone set forth below that is satisfied within the performance period specified, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 2% of Mullen’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock: (i) the Company either directly or in collaboration with a joint venture partner develops or produces new and more advanced battery cells by the end of December 2024; (ii) the Company either directly or in collaboration with a joint venture partner scales its battery cells in the USA to the vehicle pack level for the Mullen Class 1 vehicle by the end of December 2024; (iii) the Company either directly or in collaboration with a joint venture partner scales its battery cells in the USA to the vehicle pack level for the Mullen Class 3 vehicle by the end of December 2024. The PSA Amendments extend the deadline in subsection (iii) to the end of December 2025.
On February 26, 2024, the Company began Class One EV cargo van road testing with the integrated solid-state polymer battery pack.
On November 21, 2024, the Company announced to the public that utilizing equipment, inventory, and intellectual property for high-volume battery pack and module production acquired as part of its Romeo assets acquisition (see below), it had integrated these assets into the Company’s Monrovia, California facility, enhancing production capabilities and reducing supplier dependency. Battery lines include High-volume standard battery chemistry line, High-precision, low-volume standard chemistry R&D line, High-precision, low-volume solid-state polymer R&D line and in progress, High-volume standard chemistry battery line.
Shares to be issued pursuant to the Company meeting these two milestones are recognized as a liability in the consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2024.
●
JV-Acquisition Milestones: If Mullen enters into a partnership, joint venture, purchase and sale agreement or similar transaction by the end of 2025 where the Company acquires a majority interest in an enterprise that manufacturers or provides vehicles, vehicle equipment, battery cells, accessories or other products beneficial to the Company, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 3% of Mullen’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of date the JV-Acquisition Milestone is achieved. The PSA Amendments extend the deadline to the end of 2026.
●
Accelerated Development Milestone: If Mullen acquires a facility with existing equipment that allows the Company to expedite scaling of battery pack production in the USA, the Company will issue to Mr. Michery a number of shares of common stock equal to 2% of Mullen’s then-current total issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of date the Accelerated Development Milestone is achieved.
On September 6, 2023, the Company acquired the battery production assets of Romeo Power including intellectual property, machinery and equipment that allows the Company to expedite scaling of battery pack production in the USA.
To date, the following shares of common stock have been issued pursuant to the PSA Agreements based on the achievement of the milestones and tranches listed in the table below (giving effect to the Company’s reverse stock splits):
CEO Performance Award Table
Date approved by BOD
Milestone
% of O/S Shares
Shares O/S (*)
Shares Issued / due (*)
Stock Price (*)
Stock Compensation ($) (**)
9/21/2022
PSA2022. Russell Index Tranche
%
$ 789,160
$ 3,945,799
Total shares issued during the fiscal year ended 9/30/2022
$ 3,945,799
10/12/2022
PSA2022. Features Milestone
%
561,054
11,221,088
11/9/2022
PSA2022. Non-USA Distribution
%
604,383
6,648,217
11/30/2022
PSA2022. Capital Benchmark (>$200 mln)
%
442,545
5,753,090
12/16/2022
PSA2022. USA Distribution
%
635,124
10,161,979
2/16/2023
PSA2022. Vehicle Delivery - Pilot
%
709,128
5,673,024
6/13/2023
PSA2022. Capital Benchmark (>$300 mln)
%
2,926
20,185
605,542
7/5/2023
PSA2022. Capital Benchmark (>$400 mln)
%
7,149
5,262
378,877
Total shares issued during the fiscal year ended 9/30/2023
$ 40,441,817
10/10/2023
PSA2022. Vehicle Delivery - Mullen 5
%
18,441
2,671
985,468
10/10/2023
PSA2023. Accelerated development milestone
%
24,848
2,672
1,327,840
Total shares issued during the fiscal year ended 9/30/2024
$ 2,313,308
12/23/2024
PSA2022. Capital Benchmark (>$500 mln)
%
228,648
2,286
1.20
2,744
12/23/2024
PSA2023. Battery development #2 (Class 1)
%
70,576
1,411
1.20
1,693
12/23/2024
PSA2023. Battery development #1 (Advanced)
%
9,958,323
199,166
1.20
238,999
Total shares issued or to be issued after 9/30/2024
202,863
$ 243,436
Total shares issued or to be issued
203,904
$ 46,944,360
(*) The number of outstanding shares, shares issued and the stock price have been retroactively adjusted giving effect to reverse stock splits, see Note 1 - Description of business and basis of presentation. The number of shares issued for each milestone as presented in the table may not equal the product of the percentage of outstanding shares for such milestone, due to the rounding up of fractional shares as a result of each reverse stock split.
(**) Compensation amounts do not reflect cash amounts actually received by the CEO. Amounts reported only represent fair value of common stock awarded computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 (i.e., market price of the shares on the date immediately preceding the date when the shares were issued). Based on the closing price of $0.4142 on January 22, 2025, the dollar amount of the 203,904 total shares issued or to be issued is $84,457.
Employment and Severance Agreements
We have entered into employment agreements with each of our named executive officers described below.
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
Effective June 1, 2021, David Michery and the Company entered into an employment agreement pursuant to which Mr. Michery receives an annual salary of $750,000 plus incentive compensation and 1,000,000 shares of common stock each year. Mr. Michery is also entitled to reimbursement compensation for all reasonable expenses up to $500,000 per year.
In the event (a) the Company terminates Mr. Michery’s employment without cause, (b) Mr. Michery leaves as a result of constructive discharge by the Company, (c) of Mr Michery’s death, or (d) there is a change of control of the Company or the Company’s stockholders receive a proxy request or tender offer for a transaction which could result in a change of control and Mr. Michery at his option terminates his employment, then the Company is obligated to pay Mr. Michery (i) his then-current annual compensation multiplied by a number of years equal to 10 minus the number of complete years since the date of the agreement, to be paid within 90 days of termination, and (ii) an amount equal to 10% of the Company’s market capitalization at such time, to be paid 180 days after termination. To the extent that Mr. Michery’s benefits from any pension or any other retirement plan or program (whether tax qualified or not) are not fully vested at the time of such termination, the Company will obtain and pay the premium upon an annuity policy to provide the benefits as though Mr. Michery had been fully vested on the date of termination. Upon termination for cause, the employment agreement will terminate, except for certain provisions such as post-employment noncompetition and nonsolicitation, and the Company will not be obligated to make any further payments, except for any remaining payments of annual compensation, benefits which are required by applicable law to be continued, and reimbursement of expenses.
Pursuant to the agreement, “cause” means conviction of or a plea of no contest to a felony, or incapacity due to alcoholism or substance abuse. “Constructive discharge” means (a) diminution in title(s), responsibilities, or the then-current annual compensation, (b) failure by the Company to comply with the compensation provisions of the agreement, (c) location of place of employment outside the United States, and (d) engagement in any material and intentional breach by the Company of its principal obligations under the agreement which is not remedied within 15 business days after receipt of written notice. A “change of control” means a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any transaction, or any series of transactions consummated in a 12-month period, pursuant to which any person acquires (by merger, acquisition, or otherwise) all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the then outstanding equity securities of the Company and the Company is not the surviving entity, the Company being deemed surviving if and only if the majority of the Board of Directors of the ultimate parent of the surviving entity were directors of the Company prior to its organization.
During a disability, the Company will continue to pay to Mr. Michery his full amount of his then-current annual compensation for the one-year period next succeeding the date upon which such disability has been certified, as well as a prorated amount of any incentive compensation which would have been paid at the end of the year. Thereafter, if the disability continues, the agreement will terminate and all of Mr. Michery’s obligations will cease and Mr. Michery will be entitled to receive the benefits, if any, as may be provided by any insurance to which he may have become entitled as well as the acceleration of the exercise date of any incentive stock options granted prior to disability. A “disability” means a written determination by an independent physician mutually agreeable to the Company and Mr. Michery that he is physically or mentally unable to perform his duties of CEO under the agreement and that such disability can reasonably be expected to continue for a period of six consecutive months or for shorter periods aggregating 180 days in any 12-month period.
The agreement contains non-competition and non-solicitation covenants. For one year after voluntary separation from the Company, Mr. Michery cannot engage in competitive business activity within the Company territory; prevents him from participating in any transaction that occurred within 24-month period preceding from incident in questions; and prevents him from contacting employees for any business and employment opportunities.
Chief Financial Officer
On September 19, 2022, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Jonathan New. After the changes effectuated on 10/2/2023, he receives an annual salary of $500,000 and 1 share of common stock per year (giving effect to the Company’s reverse stock splits). If Mr. New is terminated for any reason other than due to negligence, failure to deliver services or perform at the level hired or for any other just cause, he is entitled to a payment of $200,000, paid in the Company’s usual payroll cycle.
Chief Accounting officer
In March 2023, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Chester Bragado. Starting from November 27, 2023, he receives an annual salary of $400,000 and 1 share of common stock per year (giving effect to the Company’s reverse stock splits). If Mr. Bragado is terminated for any reason other than due to negligence, failure to deliver services or perform at the level hired or for any other just cause, he is entitled to a payment of six months salary, paid in the Company’s usual payroll cycle.
Consulting Agreements
William Miltner
William Miltner is a litigation attorney who provides legal services to Mullen Automotive and its subsidiaries. Mr. Miltner is also an elected Director for the Company, beginning his term in August 2021. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, Mr. Miltner received $1,180,733 for services rendered. Mr. Miltner has been providing legal services to us since 2020.
Mary Winter
On October 26, 2021, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Mary Winter, Corporate Secretary and Director, to compensate for corporate secretary services and director responsibilities for the period from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2024, in the amount of $60,000 annually or $5,000 per month. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, Ms. Winter has received $60,000 in consulting payments.
Change of Control Agreements - CEO and Non-Employee Directors
On August 11, 2023, the Company entered into Change in Control Agreements with each non-employee director (John Andersen, Mark Betor, William Miltner, Ignacio Novoa, and Kent Puckett) and David Michery, its Chief Executive Officer. Pursuant to the Change in Control Agreements with each non-employee director, upon a change in control of the Company, any unvested equity compensation will immediately vest in full and such non-employee director will receive $5 million. Pursuant to the Change in Control Agreement with Mr. Michery, upon a change in control of the Company, any unvested equity compensation will immediately vest in full and Mr. Michery will receive an aggregate percentage of the transaction proceeds as follows: 10% of the transaction proceeds that are up to and including $1 billion; plus an additional 5% of transaction proceeds that are more than $1 billion and up to $1.5 billion; and an additional 5% of transaction proceeds that are more than $1.5 billion. A change in control, as defined in the agreements occurs upon (i) any person becoming the beneficial owner of 50% or more of the total voting power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities, (ii) a change in the composition of the Board, as a result of which fewer than a majority of the directors are Incumbent Directors (as defined in the Change in Control Agreements), or (iii) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company (except when the total voting power of the Company continues to represent at least 50% of the surviving entity), any liquidation, or the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of its assets.
Non-Employee Director Compensation
Our non-employee directors receive compensation for service on our board of directors and committees of our board of directors as follows:
●
Each non-employee director will receive $50,000 annually as a cash retainer for their Board service, with additional annual cash retainers of (i) $5,000 for each member of the Company’s Compensation Committee or Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; (ii) $7,500 for the Chairman of the Compensation Committee or Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; (iii) $10,000 for each member of the Audit Committee; (iv) $45,000 for the chair of the Audit Committee; and (v) $25,000 to the Lead Independent Director. All cash retainers are paid quarterly in arrears.
●
Additionally, each non-employee director shall receive an annual stock award under the Company’s equity plan equal to $100,000 divided by the closing trading price of the Company’s common stock on the date of each such grant.
●
The non-employee directors are entitled to reimbursement of ordinary, necessary, and reasonable out-of-pocket travel expenses incurred in connection with attending in-person meetings of the Board or committees thereof. In the event non-employee directors are required to attend greater than four in-person meetings or 15 telephonic meetings during any fiscal year, such non-employee directors will be entitled to additional compensation in the amount of $500 for each additional telephonic meeting beyond the 15 telephonic meeting thresholds, and $1,000 for each additional in-person meeting beyond the four in-person meeting threshold.
The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned by each person who served as a non-employee member of our board of directors during 2024.
Name of Director
Fees earned and payable in cash ($)
Awards earned and payable in stock ($)
Total ($)
John K. Anderson
$ 67,000
$ 122,730
$ 189,730
Mark Betor
99,500
125,080
224,580
William Miltner
52,000
101,140
153,140
Mary Winter
57,000
108,073
165,073
Ignacio Novoa
52,000
126,220
178,220
Kent Puckett
109,500
129,904
239,404
Total
$ 437,000
$ 713,147
$ 1,150,147

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
The table below contains information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock by (i) each person who is known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock, (ii) each of our directors and director-nominees, (iii) each of our named executive officers and (iv) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. The table below reflects the 1:25 reverse stock split that was effected on May 4, 2023, the 1:9 reverse stock split that was effected on August 11, 2023, the 1:100 reverse stock split that was effected on December 21, 2023, and the 1:100 reverse stock split that was effected on September 17, 2024, where each fractional share resulting from such reverse stock splits held by a stockholder was rounded up to the next whole share. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with SEC rules and regulations.
Each stockholder’s percentage of ownership in the following table is based upon, as applicable, the following shares outstanding as of January 21, 2025:
Class
Number of Shares
As converted to common stock
Votes/Share
Number of Votes
Common Stock
61,595,743
N/A
One/share
61,595,743
Series A Preferred Stock
One/share on an as-converted to common basis
Series B Preferred Stock
One/share on an as-converted to common basis
Series C Preferred Stock
One/share on an as-converted to common basis
Series D Preferred Stock
363,097
One/share, only protective voting
363,097
Series E Preferred Stock
One/share on an as-converted to common basis
Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is entitled to 1 vote per share. Each share of Series C Preferred Stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock into which such share of Series C Preferred Stock can then be converted. Each share of Series D Preferred Stock is entitled to one vote for each share. Holders of the Series D Preferred Stock have no voting rights except a majority of the outstanding Series D Preferred Stock, voting separately, is required for approval of the authorization or issuance of an equity security having a preference over the Series D Preferred Stock, amendment of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or bylaws that adversely affect the rights of the Series D Preferred Stock, merger or consolidation of the Company, or dissolution, liquidation or bankruptcy, as set forth in Section 8 of the Certificate of Designation for Series D Preferred Stock.
Under the terms of the Preferred Stock and warrants, a holder may not convert or exercise, as applicable, the Preferred Stock or warrants into common stock to the extent such exercise would cause such holder, together with its affiliates, to beneficially own a number of shares of common stock which would exceed 9.99%, as applicable, of our then outstanding common stock following such conversion or exercise, excluding for purposes of such determination common stock issuable upon conversion of other convertible securities which have not been converted or exercised. The number of shares in the table does not reflect this limitation.
To our knowledge, except as otherwise noted below and subject to applicable community property laws, each person or entity named in the following table has the sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares that he, she or it beneficially owns. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed below is c/o Mullen Automotive Inc. 1405 Pioneer Street, Brea, CA 92821.
Common Stock(1)
Total Voting Power(2)
Name of Beneficial Owners
Shares
%
%
Named Executive Officers and Directors
David Michery
1,203,961
2.0
2.0
Jonathan New (3)
3,000
*
*
Calin Popa
*
*
Chester Bragado
-
-
-
John Taylor
-
-
-
Mary Winter
163,001
*
*
Jonathan K. Andersen
-
-
Mark Betor
231,000
*
*
William Miltner
175,134
*
*
Ignacio Novoa
-
-
-
Kent Puckett
175,167
*
*
Directors and Executive Officers as a Group (11 Persons)
1,951,765
3.2
3.2
5% Beneficial Owners:
Esousa Holdings, LLC (4)
21,875,812
9.9
9.9
JADR Capital 2 Pty Ltd (5)
14,857,106
9.9
9.9
Acuitas Capital LLC (6)
5,745,052
9.3
9.3
* Less than 1%.
(1) In computing the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and the percentage of beneficial ownership of that person, shares of common stock underlying notes, options, warrants or shares of Preferred Stock held by that person that are convertible or exercisable, as the case may be, within 60 days of the Record Date are included. Those shares, however, are not deemed outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.
(2) Percentage total voting power represents voting power with respect to all outstanding shares of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and Series C Preferred Stock; and excludes the Series D Preferred Stock, which is only entitled to limited voting rights. Percentage total voting power also excludes shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants and conversion of notes.
(3) Consists of options to purchase 3,000 shares of Common Stock.
(4) Consists of (i) 6,093,961 shares of Common Stock, (ii) 11,537,895 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Notes, (iii) 4,243,955 shares of Common Stock issuable upon cash exercise of Warrants, and (iii) 1 share of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of 458 shares of Series C Preferred Stock held by Esousa Holdings, LLC, which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by Michael Wachs, who serves as the sole managing member for Esousa Holdings, LLC. The address for Esousa Holdings, LLC and Michael Wachs is 211 E 43rd St, 4th Fl, New York, NY 10017.
(5) Consists of (i) 5,178,987 shares of Common Stock, (i) 5,524,215 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Notes, and (ii) 4,153,904 shares of Common Stock issuable upon cash exercise of Warrants, which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by Justin Davis-Rice, who serves as the Director of JADR Capital 2 Pty Ltd. The address for JADR Capital 2 Pty Ltd is Suite 61.06, 25 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia.
(6) Shares of common stock may be deemed to be beneficially owned by Terren Peizer, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Acuitas Capital LLC. The address for Acuitas Capital, LLC is 200 Dorado Beach Drive #3831, Dorado, Puerto Rico 00646.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table summarizes our equity compensation plan information as of September 30, 2024, including shares remaining under 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2022 Plan”), designated for compensation to employees, directors and consultants., as well as shares reserved for compensation under PSA Agreements with the CEO. For information about the PSA Agreements, see section titled “CEO Performance Awards” under “Item 11. Executive Compensation” in this Annual Report.
Plan Category
(a)
Number of
securities
to be issued
upon
exercise of
outstanding
options,
warrants
and rights
(b)
Weighted-
average
exercise
price per
share of
outstanding
options,
warrants
and rights
(c)
Number of
securities
remaining
available
for future
issuance
under equity
compensation
plans
(excluding
securities
reflected in
column (a))
Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders
3,000
$
20,910,183 (1)
Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders
-
$ -
-
Total
3,000
20,910,183
As of September 30, 2024, there was 20,449,704 shares of common stock remaining available for future issuance under the 2022 Plan. Shares reserved under the 2022 Plan are not subject to adjustment for any decrease or increase in the number shares of common stock resulting from a stock spilt, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, the payment of a stock dividend on the common stock or any other decrease in the number of such shares of common stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company. Shares remaining available for future issuance under the PSA Agreements is based on remaining shares registered on Registration Statements on Form S-8; additional shares may be registered and issued pursuant to the terms of such agreements.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions
Transactions with Directors
William Miltner is a litigation attorney who provides legal services to Mullen Automotive and its subsidiaries. Mr. Miltner is also an elected Director for the Company, beginning his term in August 2021. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, Mr. Miltner received $1,180,733 for services rendered. Mr. Miltner has been providing legal services to us since 2020.
On October 26, 2021, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Mary Winter, Corporate Secretary and Director, to compensate for corporate secretary services and director responsibilities for the period from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2024, in the amount of $60,000 annually or $5,000 per month. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, Ms. Winter has received $60,000 in consulting payments.
Transition Services Agreement with MTI
Prior to its spinoff as a separate entity and the closing of the Merger on November 5, 2021, the Company operated as a division of Mullen Technology, Inc. (MTI), an entity in which the Company’s CEO and Chairman of the Board of directors David Michery has a controlling financial interest and of which he was CEO and Chairman during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.
Subsequent to the spinoff transaction and Merger on November 5, 2021, the Company, in accordance with Transition Services Agreement dated May 12, 2021 between the Company and MTI (the “TSA”), processed and disbursed payroll and related compensation benefits for 11 employees that provided services only to MTI and rent costs for facilities utilized by MTI pursuant to the TSA. The terms of the TSA require MTI to repay monthly the amounts advanced by the Company, with the lower of the prime rate plus 1% or the maximum rate under applicable law charged on the unpaid amounts. The terms of the TSA do not provide for any other payment processing service fee from MTI to the Company except the interest fee on overdue advance balances.
The Company incurred approximately $1.2 million and $0.9 million of disbursements on behalf of MTI during the years ended September 30, 2022 and 2023, respectively. No amounts have been collected for the funds advanced through September 30, 2023.
On March 31, 2023, the Company converted approximately $1.4 million of these advances to MTI to a note receivable from MTI. The note bears interest at 10% per year and matures on March 31, 2025 with a default rate of 15% per annum. By the end of the 2023 fiscal year, the note principal has been increased by additional $0.4 million. Remaining advances, note and interest receivable as at September 30 2023 and 2022 are presented within non-current assets of the consolidated balance sheets.
On January 16, 2024, the Company terminated the Transition Services Agreement between the Company and Mullen Technologies, Inc., and received payment in full settlement of all amounts outstanding (including outstanding notes receivable, advances and related interest) of approximately $2.7 million.
Similarly, during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, the Company paid $55 thousand for certain expenses of other companies under control of the Company’s CEO and $25 thousand was reimbursed by September 30, 2024.
MTI Business Acquisition
On July 18, 2024, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Mullen Technologies, Inc. (“MTI”), pursuant to which the Company assumed a lease for premises located in Oceanside, California and all equipment and inventory in the premises, as well as staffing and other infrastructure for vehicle sales and repairs for consideration of $1.4 million. The Company’s CEO has a controlling financial interest and is Chairman of MTI. For further information, see Note 4 - Business acquisitions in the notes to the Company's consolidated financial statement include in this Report.
DRIVEiT
Some of the Company’s executive officers and directors also hold positions at DRIVEiT, a start-up enterprise in the business of operating electric vehicle superstores. At this time, it is planned for the Company to provide its portfolio of new commercial EVs to DRIVEiT as part of their offerings. David Michery, the Company’s Chairman Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman, is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of DRIVEiT. Jonathan New, Chief Financial Officer, is also Chief Financial Officer of DRIVEiT. Kent Puckett, a director and chair of audit committee of Mullen, is also a director of DRIVEiT, and Ignacio Novoa and Mark Betor serve as directors for both companies. Makayla Brown is the Director of Operations for Mullen and serves as a director DRIVEiT. Related party transactions that present difficult conflicts of interest, could result in disadvantages to Mullen.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The following tables sets forth the aggregate accounting fees paid by (or due from) by the Company for the years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 to the independent audit firm RBSM LLP. Review of the financial statements for the first quarter of the year ended September 30, 2023 was performed by another firm (Daszkal Bolton LLP).
RBSM LLP
Year Ended
Year Ended
September 30,
September 30,
Type of Fees
Audit fees
$ 987,500
$ 376,336
Audit related fees
-
-
Tax fees
-
-
Total
$ 987,500
$ 376,336
Types of Fees Explanation
Audit Fees. The aggregate fees, including expenses, billed by (expected to be billed by) our principal accountant for the audit of our annual financial statements and review of financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings.
Audit-Related Fees. The aggregate fees, including expenses, billed by (expected to be billed by) our principal accountant for other assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements not reported under “Audit Fees” above.
Tax Fees. The aggregate fees, including expenses, billed by (expected to be billed by) our principal accountant for services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy
Our audit committee is responsible for approving in advance the engagement of our principal accountant for all audit services and non-audit services, based on independence, qualifications and, if applicable, performance, and approving the fees and other terms of any such engagement. The audit committee may in the future establish pre-approval policies and procedures pursuant to which our principal accountant may provide certain audit and non-audit services to us without first obtaining the audit committee’s approval, provided that such policies and procedures (i) are detailed as to particular services, (ii) do not involve delegation to management of the audit committee’s responsibilities described in this paragraph and (iii) provide that, at its next scheduled meeting, the audit committee is informed as to each such service for which the principal accountant is engaged pursuant to such policies and procedures. In addition, the audit committee may in the future delegate to one or more members of the audit committee the authority to grant pre-approvals for such services, provided that the decisions of such member(s) to grant any such pre-approval must be presented to the audit committee at its next scheduled meeting.
All audit and audit-related services performed by our principal accountant during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024, and 2023 were pre-approved by our Audit Committee or by our Board of Directors, then acting in the capacity of an audit committee.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)
The following documents are filed as a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
1.
Financial Statements.
The consolidated financial statements of Mullen Automotive Inc. and notes thereto and the reports of the independent registered public accounting firms thereon are set forth beginning on page and filed as part of this Report.
2.
Exhibits.
The exhibits filed or furnished as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are those listed in the following Exhibit Index.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Incorporated by Reference
Filed/
Furnished
Exhibit No.
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Herewith
2.1+
Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 7, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc., Bollinger Motors, Inc., and Robert Bollinger.
8-K
001-34887
2.1
09/08/2022
2.1(a)
First Amendment to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc., Bollinger Motors, Inc., and Robert Bollinger.
8-K
001-34887
2.1
10/14/2022
2.1(b)
First Amendment to the Cash Escrow Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc., Bollinger Motors, Inc., Robert Bollinger and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
8-K
001-34887
2.2
10/14/2022
2.1(c)
First Amendment to the Stock Reservation Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc., Bollinger Motors, Inc., Robert Bollinger and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
8-K
001-34887
2.3
10/14/2022
2.2
Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 7, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and Robert Bollinger.
8-K
001-34887
2.2
09/08/2022
2.3
Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 7, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and John Masters.
8-K
001-34887
2.3
09/08/2022
2.4+
Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 7, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and Seaport Global Asset Management SPV LLC - Series A.
8-K
001-34887
2.4
09/08/2022
2.5+
Asset Purchase Agreement dated September 16, 2022 between the Company and David W. Carickhoff, solely as Chapter 7 trustee of the Bankruptcy Estates of Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc. and Electric Last Mile, Inc.
8-K
001-34887
10.1
09/19/2022
3.1(a)
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Mullen Automotive Inc., dated November 5, 2021
8-K
001-34887
3.2
11/12/2021
Incorporated by Reference
Filed/
Furnished
Exhibit No.
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Herewith
3.1(b)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Mullen Automotive Inc., dated March 8, 2022
8-K
001-34887
3.1
03/10/2022
3.1(c)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed on July 26, 2022
8-K
001-34887
3.1
07/27/2022
3.1(d)
Certificate of Designations, Preferences and Rights of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock.
S-3ASR
333-267502
4.1(c)
09/19/2022
3.1(e)
Certificate of Mullen Automotive Inc. Increasing Number of Shares of Preferred Stock Designated as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock.
S-3ASR
333-267913
4.1(d)
10/17/2022
3.1(f)
Certificate of Designation of Series AA Preferred Stock, filed November 14, 2022
8-K
001-34887
3.1
11/14/2022
3.1(g)
Certificate of Cancellation filed on January 30, 2023
8-K
001-34887
3.1
01/30/2023
3.1(h)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed on January 30, 2023
8-K
001-34887
3.2
01/30/2023
3.1(i)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed on May 3, 2023
8-K
001-34887
3.1
05/05/2023
3.1(j)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed on August 10, 2023
8-K
001-34887
3.1
08/11/2023
3.1 (k)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed on December 20, 2023
8-K/A
001-34887
3.1
12/21/2023
3.1(l)
Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series A-1 Junior Participating Preferred Stock filed on May 1, 2024
8-K
001-34887
3.1
5/6/2024
3.1(m)
Certificate of Mullen Automotive Inc. of Preferred Stock Designated as Series E Preferred Stock filed on May 31, 2024.
8-K
001-34887
3.1
6/6/2024
3.1(n)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed on September 16, 2024
8-K
001-34887
3.1
9/20/2024
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws, as of November 30, 2023
10-K
001-34887
3.2
1/17/2024
4.1
Description of Company’s Securities
✔
4.2
Warrant dated March 14, 2023 issued to Qiantu Motor USA, Inc.
10-Q
001-34887
4.2
05/15/2023
10.1#
Mullen Automotive Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan
DEF 14A
001-34887
Appx B
06/24/2022
10.1(a)#
Amendment to 2022 Equity Incentive Plan dated August 3, 2023
8-K
001-34887
10.1
08/07/2023
10.1(b)#
Amendment to 2022 Equity Incentive Plan dated September 9, 2024
8-K
001-34887
10.1
9/13/2024
10.1(c)#
Form of Stock Option Agreement under 2022 Equity Incentive Plan
10-K
001-34887
10.2(a)
1/13/2023
10.1(d)#
Form of Restricted Stock Agreement under 2022 Equity Incentive Plan
10-K
001-34887
10.2(b)
1/13/2023
Incorporated by Reference
Filed/
Furnished
Exhibit No.
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Herewith
10.1(e)#
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under 2022 Equity Incentive Plan
10-K
001-34887
10.2(c)
1/13/2023
10.2#
CEO Performance Stock Award Agreement dated May 5, 2022 between Mullen Automotive Inc. and David Michery
8-K
001-34887
10.2
07/27/2022
10.3#
CEO Performance Stock Award Agreement dated June 8, 2023 between Mullen Automotive Inc. and David Michery
8-K
001-34887
10.2
08/07/2023
10.3(a)#
Amendments to 2022 Performance Stock Award Agreement and 2023 Performance Stock Award Agreement dated December 27, 2024 between Mullen Automotive Inc. and David Michery
✔
10.4
Amended and Restated Secured Convertible Note and Security Agreement dated June 17, 2022 Esousa Holdings LLC
8-K
001-34887
10.1
06/21/2022
10.4(a)
Letter Agreement (Sale of Note) dated June 17, 2022
8-K
001-34887
10.2
06/21/2022
10.4(b)
Exchange Agreement, dated as of October 14, 2022, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and Esousa Holdings LLC.
8-K
001-34887
10.1
10/21/2022
10.4(c)
Secured Convertible Note and Security Agreement dated October 14, 2022 with Esousa Holdings LLC.
8-K
001-34887
10.2
10/21/2022
10.5#
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated as of June 1, 2021, by and between David Michery and Mullen Technologies, Inc.
S-4/A
333-256166
10.10
07/22/2021
10.6
Transition Services Agreement, dated as of May 12, 2021, by and between Mullen Technologies, Inc. and Mullen Automotive Inc.
S-4/A
333-256166
10.14
07/22/2021
10.6(a)
Termination Agreement, dated January 15, 2024, by and between Mullen Technologies, Inc. and Mullen Automotive Inc.
10-K
001-34887
10.6(a)
1/17/2024
10.7
Tax Sharing Agreement, dated May 12, 2021, by and among Mullen Technologies, Inc. and Mullen Automotive Inc.
S-4/A
333-256166
10.15
07/22/2021
10.8
Consultant Agreement dated October 26, 2021 between the Company and Mary Winter
10-K
001-34887
10.25
12/29/2021
10.9
Loan Commitment with NuBridge Commercial Lending executed February 23, 2022
8-K
001-34887
10.2
02/28/2022
10.9(a)
Guaranty dated March 7, 2022 between NuBridge Commercial Lending, LLC and David Michery
10-Q
001-34887
10.4(a)
05/16/2022
10.10
Securities Purchase Agreement dated June 7, 2022 for Series D Preferred Stock and Warrants
8-K
001-34887
10.1
06/10/2022
10.10(a)
Amendment No. 1 dated June 23, 2022 to Securities Purchase Agreement dated June 7, 2022
8-K
001-34887
10.1
06/24/2022
10.10(b)
Amendment No. 2 dated September 19, 2022 to Securities Purchase Agreement dated June 7, 2022
S-3ASR
333-267502
99.3
09/19/2022
10.10(c)
Amendment No. 3 to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated November 15, 2022, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and the buyers named therein
8-K
001-34887
10.1
11/21/2022
10.10(d)
Form of Convertible Note dated November 15, 2022
8-K
001-34887
10.2
11/21/2022
Incorporated by Reference
Filed/
Furnished
Exhibit No.
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Herewith
10.10(e)
Amendment No. 4 to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated April 3, 2023, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and the buyers named therein
8-K
001-34887
10.1
04/07/2023
10.10(f)
Form of Promissory Note
8-K
001-34887
10.2
04/07/2023
10.10(g)
Letter Agreement, dated May 15, 2023, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and the buyers named therein
8-K
001-34887
10.1
05/19/2023
10.10(h)
Letter Agreement, dated June 5, 2023, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and Acuitas Capital LLC
8-K
001-34887
10.1
06/05/2023
10.10(i)
Letter Agreement, dated June 12, 2023, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and the buyers named therein
8-K
001-34887
10.1
06/12/2023
10.10(j)
Letter Agreement, dated June 22, 2023, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and the buyers named therein.
8-K
001-34887
10.1
06/26/2023
10.10(k)
Letter Agreement, dated June 26, 2023, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and Ault Lending, LLC
8-K
001-34887
10.2
06/26/2023
10.10(l)
Letter Agreement, dated June 20, 2023, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and Acuitas Capital LLC.
8-K
001-34887
10.3
06/26/2023
10.11
Lease dated June 29, 2022 between the Company and Lakeview Business Center, LLC
10-Q
001-34887
10.7
08/12/2022
10.12
Consulting Agreement dated January 12, 2022 between the Company and Ignacio Novoa
10-Q
001-34887
10.8
08/12/2022
10.13
Firm Order Agreement dated December 12, 2022, between Randy Marion Isuzu, LLC and the Company
8-K
001-34887
10.1
12/15/2022
10.14#
Offer Letter with Jonathan New dated September 7, 2022
10-K
001-34887
10.22
1/13/2023
10.15
Settlement Agreement dated January 13, 2023 with Acuitas, J. Fallon and Mank Capital
10-K
001-34887
10.23
1/13/2023
10.15(a)
Form of Promissory Note
10-K
001-34887
10.23(a)
1/13/2023
10.16
Waiver Agreement dated January 12, 2023 with Series C Preferred Stockholders
10-K
001-34887
10.24
1/13/2023
10.17
Settlement Agreement dated January 13, 2023 with respect to Series D Securities Purchase Agreement
10-K
001-34887
10.25
1/13/2023
10.17(a)
Form of Warrant
10-K
001-34887
10.25(a)
1/13/2023
10.17(b)
Amendment to the Settlement Agreement, dated March 2, 2023, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and Acuitas Capital LLC
8-K
001-34887
10.1
03/06/2023
10.18
Settlement Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2023, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc., Qiantu Motor (Suzhou) Ltd., and Qiantu Motor USA, Inc.
10-Q
001-34887
10.5
05/15/2023
10.18(a)+
Intellectual Property and Distribution Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2023, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc., Qiantu Motor (Suzhou) Ltd., and two affiliates of Qiantu Motor (Suzhou) Ltd.
10-Q
001-34887
10.5(a)
05/15/2023
Incorporated by Reference
Filed/
Furnished
Exhibit No.
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Herewith
10.19#
Employment Agreement between the Company and Chester Bragado dated March 21, 2023
10-Q
001-34887
10.6
05/15/2023
10.20
Promissory Note dated March 31, 2023 from Mullen Technologies, Inc. to Mullen Automotive Inc., and Addendum dated August 12, 2023
10-K
001-34887
10.20
1/17/2024
10.21
Change of Control Agreement dated August 14, 2023 between Mullen Automotive Inc. and David Michery
10-K
001-34887
10.21
1/17/2024
10.22
Form of Change of Control Agreement dated August 14, 2023 between Mullen Automotive Inc. and each non-employee director
10-K
001-34887
10.22
1/17/2024
10.23
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated December 18, 2023, by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and the purchaser named therein
8-K
001-34887
10.1
12/22/2023
10.24
Commitment Letter dated May 14, 2024
10-Q
001-34887
10.2
5/14/2024
10.25
Securities Purchase Agreement dated May 14, 2024 by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and the purchasers named therein
10-Q
001-34887
10.3
5/14/2024
10.25(a)
Form of Convertible Note
10-Q
001-34887
10.3(a)
5/14/2024
10.25(b)
Form of Warrant
10-Q
001-34887
10.3(b)
5/14/2024
10.25(c)
Registration Rights Agreement dated May 14, 2024 by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and the purchasers named therein
10-Q
001-34887
10.3(c)
5/14/2024
10.25(d)
Additional Investment Right Agreement dated December 12, 2024 by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and the purchasers named therein
✔
10.25(e)
Additional Investment Rights Agreement dated December 31, 2024 by and among Mullen Automotive Inc. and the purchaser named therein
✔
10.26
Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 21, 2024, by and between the Company and the Investor
8-K
001-34887
10.1
5/24/2024
10.26(a)
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 21, 2024, by and between the Company and the Investor
8-K
001-34887
10.2
5/24/2024
10.27
Settlement Agreement and Release, dated May 31, 2024, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and the investor thereto.
8-K
001-34887
10.1
6/6/2024
10.28
Settlement Agreement and Release, dated May 13, 2024, by and between Mullen Automotive Inc. and Silverback Capital Corporation
10-Q
001-34887
10.1
8/12/2024
10.29
Purchase Agreement dated August 23, 2024 between the Mullen Automotive Inc, VoltiE Group and Volt Mobility Holding Ltd.
8-K
001-34887
10.1
8/26/2024
10.29(a)
Amendment to Purchase Agreement dated November 4, 2024
✔
10.30
Amended and Restated Secured Promissory Note dated October 24, 2024 issued by Bollinger Motors, Inc.
8-K
001-34887
10.1
10/28/2024
10.31
Settlement Agreement and Stipulation dated November 19, 2024 between Mullen Automotive Inc and investors named therein (Form of Pre-Funded Warrant attached as Exhibit A)
✔
10.32
Asset Purchase Agreement dated July 18, 2024 between Mullen Automotive Inc and Mullen Technologies, Inc
✔
10.33#+
Employment Agreement dated August 5, 2024 between Mullen Automotive Inc. and John Taylor
✔
16.1
Letter from Daszkal Bolton LLP dated March 3, 2023
8-K
001-34887
16.1
03/03/2023
19.1
Insider Trading Policy
10-K
001-34887
19.1
1/17/2024
21.1
List of Subsidiaries
✔
Incorporated by Reference
Filed/
Furnished
Exhibit No.
Exhibit Description
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Herewith
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (RBSM LLP)
✔
24.1
Power of Attorney (included on signature page)
✔
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
✔
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
✔
32.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350
✔
97.1
Clawback Policy
10-K
001-34887
97.1
01/17/2024
101.INS
The following financial information from the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, formatted in Inline XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language), is filed electronically herewith: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets; (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss; (iii) Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit); (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows; and (v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, tagged as blocks of text and including detailed tags.
✔
Cover Page Interactive Data File (Embedded within the Inline XBRL document and included in Exhibit 101).
✔
#
Indicates management compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
+
Mullen Automotive Inc. has omitted certain exhibits pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K and shall furnish supplementally to the Securities and Exchange Commission copies of any of the omitted exhibits upon request by the SEC.