Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
PART III
Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
PART IV
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
Form 10-K Summary
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). These statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions, and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations set forth under the headings “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Forward-looking statements also include statements in which words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “consider” or similar expressions are used.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our future results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.
All brand names or trademarks appearing in this Report are the property of their respective holders. Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this Report to “EVmo,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to EVmo, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Corporate History
EVmo was initially formed on June 21, 2016 as a Delaware limited liability company under the name “YayYo, LLC.” The Company was subsequently converted into a Delaware corporation pursuant to Section 265 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). The Company now operates as a “C” corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware.
We became a reporting company when, on March 17, 2017, an offering circular on Form 1-A relating to a best-efforts offering of our common stock, par value $0.000001 per share (the “Common Stock”) pursuant to “Regulation A+” of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), was qualified by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Then, on November 15, 2019, we completed an initial public offering of 2,625,000 shares of Common Stock, at $4.00 per share, for gross proceeds, before underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses, of $10.5 million and our Common Stock was listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “YAYO.”
On February 10, 2020, after being advised by Nasdaq that it believed we no longer met the conditions for continued listing, the Company announced its intent to voluntarily delist its Common Stock. Since delisting from Nasdaq, our Common Stock has been quoted and traded on the Pink Open Market, which is operated by OTC Markets Group, under the same ticker symbol. The delisting was effective on March 1, 2020.
In September 2020, we changed our name from YayYo, Inc. to Rideshare Rental, Inc., in order for our corporate brand to better reflect our principal businesses, ridesharing and vehicle rentals. In February 2021, we again changed our name to EVmo, Inc., to underscore our commitment to making a full transition to electric vehicles by the end of 2024.
Our address is 3201 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. Our telephone number is (310) 926-2643 and our website may be accessed at www.evmo.com.
Overview of the Company
EVmo, Inc. is a holding company operating principally through two wholly-owned subsidiaries: (i) Rideshare Car Rentals LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Rideshare”), and (ii) Distinct Cars, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Distinct Cars”). Rideshare offers an online bookings platform (the “Rideshare Platform”) while Distinct Cars maintains a fleet of passenger vehicles and transit vans for use in the last-mile logistical space for rent to our customers who are drivers in the ridesharing and delivery gig industries, while also providing them with insurance coverage and issuing them insurance cards in their own names. This enables such drivers to meet the vehicle suitability and other requirements of rideshare and delivery gig companies such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Grubhub. Through Rideshare and Distinct Cars, we seek to become a leading provider of rental vehicles to drivers in the ridesharing and delivery gig spaces, and an industry leader in supplying transit vans for last-mile logistics. “Gig” generally refers to a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.
Drivers can rent their vehicles using the Rideshare Platform, which enables them to check inventory and performance and review vehicle data. Drivers have the ability to book vehicles online by the day, week or month, at their option, make payments, check insurance, or extend their rental with a minimum of inconvenience, while at the same time incurring no maintenance expenses. Depending on the make and model of the requested vehicle, rental prices begin at $39 per day or $795 per month before insurance. The Rideshare Platform is available on desktop, iOS and Android devices. We initially launched the Rideshare Platform in Los Angeles, CA and have since expanded it in the following markets: Oakland, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL; Newark, NJ.
In March 2021, we formed another wholly owned subsidiary, EV Vehicles LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, which we intend to utilize as the corporate platform to implement our strategy to transition our entire fleet of rental vehicles from standard vehicles with internal combustion engines to electric by 2026.
We generate the vast majority of our revenues through the rental of our fleet vehicles. We also receive an immaterial amount of revenue in the form of fees assessed through the Rideshare Platform, such as late fees in the event that a vehicle rental expires without being extended by the driver and the vehicle has not yet been returned, or when the Rideshare Platform is used in a vehicle not owned by us.
Our Market
We service drivers in the ridesharing and delivery gig industries by providing them with qualifying vehicles and insurance, enabling them to work for Transportation Network Companies (“TNCs”) such as Uber and Lyft. We strongly believe this is a vibrant and growing market, as the advent of ridesharing and food delivery gigs over the last decade has permanently changed the transportation industry. The U.S. Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics in its April 2021 report stated that consumer expenditures on transportation were approximately $1.1 trillion in 2019. Further, according to such statistics, transportation (including vehicle purchases and expenditures for gasoline and motor oil) was the second largest household expenditure after housing and the aggregate consumer spending on transportation was almost twice as large as that of healthcare and three times as large as entertainment. The use of rideshare and food delivery gig applications on smart phones has been transformative, allowing Uber, for example, to announce in mid-2016 that it had completed its two billionth ride only six months after it marked its first one billion rides.
One of the challenges the ridesharing and delivery gig industries faces is ensuring that driver growth keeps pace with the massive demand. Lyft recently reported an increase in active riders by over 940,000 in the first quarter of 2021 than in the fourth quarter of 2020, and that by the end of February 2021 rider growth had exceeded driver growth. Uber had 3.5 million active drivers on its platform during the first three months of the year but is also reporting a shortage. In April 2021, it announced a $250 million stimulus to entice both former and new drivers to work for them.
Accordingly, the TNCs have actively taken steps to satisfy their driver demand by setting up programs designed to get eligible drivers into qualified cars. Uber has entered into multiple partnerships with car rental companies, and Lyft Express Driver is partnered with Hertz. We believe EVmo can be a major independent player in this space, since we also supply TNC drivers with qualifying vehicles, which we expect will eventually be electric vehicles, and provide them access to the Rideshare Platform, which is a driver-friendly mechanism to manage their vehicle rental and allowing them to generate income.
Our Growth Strategy
Our current growth strategy, which we formulated in early 2021, centers around our goal to transition our entire vehicle fleet to electric vehicles. We initiated this strategy for several reasons. First, we believe that industry trends are clear that electric vehicles will become the mainstay of the automobile market over the next 10 years. According to Forbes, EV sales in the United States in the second quarter of 2022 accounted for 5.6% of the total auto market, up from 2.7% in the second quarter of 2021. Further, per a report by Automotive News that relied on data collected by Experian, EV registrations in the U.S. were 60% higher in the first quarter of 2022 even as new car registrations overall dropped by 18%. California, our principal market, has the most EV sales over the last 10 years of any state in the U.S, per tracking done by Veloz, with a total of 1,304,581 sold out of 3,057,859 nationwide. We expect these trends will only accelerate as EV charging stations become more prevalent and major automobile manufacturers continue to gradually shift away from internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs. In January 2023, Goldman Sachs Research issued a report that predicts that EVs will constitute 16% of all global automobile sales by 2025, 33% by 2030, and greater than 50% soon after 2035, respectively.
Second, we believe that both drivers and riders will be increasingly drawn to electric vehicles for their environmental benefits, especially as they become comparable to combustion cars in terms of pricing, mileage and the number of available options to choose from. The demand for clean energy products is undeniable, and electric vehicles should be no exception as consumers continue to seek out eco-friendly alternatives.
Finally, we have concluded that governmental policies and mandates will ultimately force the hand of both the automobile industry and consumers. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides a tax credit of $7,500 for qualifying EV purchases and the Biden Administration has set a goal of 50% EV sales in the U.S. by 2030. The governor of California has announced that by 2035 the state will require all new vehicles sold to be EVs or plug-in hybrid electrics. In Oregon, residents can receive a rebate of up to $2,500 on the purchase or lease of a qualifying electric vehicle.
While we will incur a considerable short-term operating expense in turning over our fleet, we firmly believe that the reputational and brand benefits we will realize from being known as a TNC vehicle provider with an entirely electric fleet will quickly allow us to differentiate ourselves and significantly grow our business. The trends we describe above will directly impact the ridesharing and delivery gig industries, as we believe that both TNC drivers and riders will increasingly express a preference for electric vehicles. As an early industry leader in this area, we believe that we will be well-positioned to market ourselves successfully and become profitable, using our current business model of vehicle rentals to TNC drivers. Currently, approximately 35% of our fleet is electric or plug-in hybrid. By the end of 2023, we expect over 50% of our fleet to be electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles with continue effort to be 100% electric or plug-in hybrid by the end of 2025.
Impact of COVID-19 on our Business
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” and on March 11, 2020, it characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” In response, numerous states and cities ordered their residents to cease traveling to non-essential jobs and to curtail all unnecessary travel, and similar restrictions were recommended by the federal government. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, which saw the initial rapid spread of COVID-19, rideshare companies were severely and negatively impacted, as demand plummeted. Consequently, the Company experienced a decline in revenue during the first half of 2020, which had a negative impact on our cash flows, but we then saw a positive upward movement in revenue during the second half of 2020, which continued through fiscal 2021. Currently, through fiscal 2022, the demand for Rideshare remains high with little impact remaining from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the current prevalence of FDA-approved eligible vaccines across most age groups, the marked decrease in the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths in 2022, and the resulting easement of pandemic restrictions in our active markets, we are optimistic that COVID-19 will not have a material impact on our operations in the current fiscal year. However, certain factors- including, for example, a new, more aggressive and deadly variant that is resistant to the vaccines could alter our prediction.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended (the “JOBS Act”). As an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
requiring only two years of audited financial statements in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with a correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in our periodic filings made under the Securities Act;
reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements;
no non-binding shareholder advisory votes on our executive compensation, including any golden parachute arrangements; and
exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”).
We may take advantage of these exemptions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We will continue to remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of the following: (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of our initial public offering; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenue is equal to or more than $1.07 billion; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. To the extent that we continue to qualify as a smaller reporting company after we cease to qualify as an emerging growth company, certain of the exemptions available to us as an emerging growth company may continue to be available to us as a smaller reporting company, including exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements pursuant to SOX and reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements. We will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” until we have $250 million or more in public float (based on the price of our Common Stock) measured as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or, in the event we have no public float or a public float that is less than $700 million, annual revenues of $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year.
We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of these exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting requirements in this Report. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock. In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, delaying the adoption of these accounting standards until they would apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards. As a result of the accounting standards election, we will not be subject to the same implementation timing for new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies which may make comparison of our financials to those of other public companies more difficult.
Our Business Model and Our Future Opportunities
We have developed what we believe is an innovative and effective business model in which we not only provide ridesharing and delivery gig drivers with the necessary technology to operate, through the Rideshare Platform, but also the vehicles themselves, via Distinct Cars, should the driver either not have a qualified vehicle to use or prefers to not use a personal vehicle for this type of work. Our two principal operating subsidiaries have a rare corporate synergy that enables us to both diversify and create complementary revenue streams. Further, as we continue our transition to electric vehicles, we believe we are in the vanguard of a new era in commercial transportation and that our early presence in this industry will further distinguish us from a competitive standpoint.
Prior to 2020, we only supplied vehicles to drivers in the ridesharing space but we expanded our service in that year to the delivery gig space, which has provided us with another form of service diversity, one with fewer barriers to entry. The requirements for vehicles operated by delivery gig drivers are significantly less onerous than those operated by rideshare drivers, as delivery gig drivers are not transporting people.
We currently have four priorities: diversifying our revenues by expanding into different markets in North America and continuing our transition to electric vehicles; improving our operating efficiencies, particularly through training our sales force; meeting our customers’ expectations by continuing to provide TNC drivers with quality vehicles and reliable service via the Rideshare Platform; and disciplined capital and fleet management, in which our management team allocates our resources effectively.
Rideshare Car Rentals, LLC
In October 2017, the Company created Rideshare in order to launch the Rideshare Platform, a booking platform developed, coded and wholly-owned by us, and used primarily to rent our Distinct Car vehicles to TNC ridesharing and delivery gig drivers. The Rideshare Platform commercially markets the Distinct Cars fleet (and to a lesser extent the vehicles of other fleet owners and selected individual car owners) to ridesharing and delivery gig drivers. The Company initially launched the Rideshare Platform in Los Angeles, CA and has since expanded it to Oakland, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL; Newark, NJ.
The Rideshare Platform’s functionality provides drivers with access to certain data emitted from their respective Distinct Cars rental vehicle(s) through a personal Rideshare dashboard. Vehicle owners can also access and manage data emitted from their personal vehicle(s) under rental to a third-party from the Rideshare Platform inventory dashboard and can further manage the other aspects of the vehicle rental transaction through the Rideshare Platform, including rental extension options. All transactional aspects of the rental vehicle(s) (including, but not limited to, background checks, terms, deposits and insurance costs) are run securely through the Rideshare Platform. In addition, our Rideshare website not only effectively monetizes the Distinct Cars vehicle fleet, but also generates revenue by charging transactional fees to other vehicle owners and ridesharing and delivery gig drivers for all rental transactions consummated on the Rideshare Platform. The Rideshare Platform is available on desktop, iOS and Android devices.
Most importantly, all passenger vehicles and transit vans made available on the Rideshare Platform not owned by us are fully qualified by the Company and guaranteed to meet the necessary TNC qualification requirements.
Distinct Cars
In June 2017, the Company formed Distinct Cars for the purpose of developing a fleet management business to couple with the Rideshare Platform, which was then under development. District Cars maintains a fleet of new standard and, increasingly and ultimately exclusively, electric passenger vehicles and transit vans for the logistical space to be rented directly to drivers in the ridesharing and delivery gig economies through the Rideshare Platform. The Company’s fleet of vehicles, under lease contract and maintained by Distinct Cars, as well as other third-party vehicles, have been made commercially available for rental bookings on the Rideshare Platform. Distinct Cars markets and manages short and long-term vehicle rentals to ridesharing and delivery gig economy drivers. As of the date of this Report, approximately half of these drivers are located in greater Los Angeles while the other half are located in the other six cities where we have operations.
In August 2017, we entered into a leasing arrangement for an initial group of twelve (12) vehicles, with the intent of testing our concept within the ridesharing industry. Following the Company’s proof of concept period, we expanded in December 2017 by adding an additional 135 vehicles to our fleet. As of January 3, 2022, Distinct Cars includes a fleet of approximately 1,000 vehicles- including standard internal combustion engine and electric passenger vehicles as well as transit vans for the last-mile logistical space- under lease contract. Generally, professional ridesharing and delivery gig economy drivers contract for vehicle rental periods ranging from less than three days to six months. The rental vehicles made available to TNC drivers by the Company are configured and guaranteed to be compliant with the same vehicle requirements promulgated by the largest private ridesharing TNCs, Uber and Lyft.
The Company believes that customers will rent vehicles offered by Distinct Cars in order to reduce the complexity and cost associated with vehicle ownership, and to guarantee compliance with the TNC vehicle requirements. Depending on the make and model of the requested vehicle, our rental prices begin at $39 per day or $795 per month. Under our full-service rental agreement, the Company provides and fully maintains the vehicle; the services provided include preventive and regular maintenance, advanced diagnostics through our GPS solution software, emergency road service, fleet services, and safety programs, through our Company-operated facilities.
Commercial Fleet Purchase Programs
As of December 31, 2022 our fleet consists of Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Elantra, Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Ionic, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra and Nissan Altimas. Through direct ordering from OEM Manufacturers and dealers, we are able to procure vehicles at or below MSRP pricing through bulk purchases and developed relationship channels.
Vehicles are financed through several developed capital lease financing partners: ACME Financing, Utica Leasing, Liberty Commercial and NFS Leasing.
Additionally, we have added an operating lease partner, Spring Free EV, to assist with additional electric vehicle procurement and financing.
Neither partnership is in the form of a supply or requirements contract. We submit, on an as-needed basis, purchase orders for vehicles and these orders are fulfilled on the general terms established at the inception of the partnership program, including below-MSRP pricing.
Vehicle and Driver Requirements
We generally impose the same requirements on both drivers and vehicles as those of Uber and Lyft. Any driver who wishes to rent a car from us or use the Rideshare Platform in their own vehicle is screened and evaluated to ensure that he or she:
is at least 21 years of age;
has had an in-state driver’s license for at least one year;
passes a background check, including a clean driving record; and
has or will qualify for in-state auto insurance in their own name.
As noted, each of our Distinct Cars vehicles meets both Uber and Lyft vehicular requirements. If a driver does not rent a vehicle from our fleet we obtain a motor vehicle report for his or her vehicle at the outset of their use of the Rideshare Platform, and renew it every six months. The requirements any vehicle using the Rideshare Platform, whether from Distinct Cars or not, must meet are as follows:
The vehicle must have four doors and be able to transport a minimum of four passengers;
The vehicle model must be 15 years old or newer;
The vehicle’s title cannot be salvaged, reconstructed or rebuilt; and
The vehicle must be in good physical condition with no cosmetic damage, including no missing pieces, commercial branding, or “paint jobs.”
Also, a vehicle used by a ridesharing driver must be able to pass an inspection test, which typically includes headlights, tail-lights, indicator lights, stop lights, foot brakes, emergency/parking brake, steering mechanism, windshield, heat and air conditioning, front, rear and side windows, front seat adjustment mechanism, door controls (open, close, lock), horn, speedometer, body condition/ damage, muffler and exhaust system, condition or tires, interior and exterior rear-view mirrors and safety belts for driver and passengers.
Insurance
As of the date of this Report, the Company, together with our managing general underwriter, American Business Insurance Services, Inc. (the “MGU”), maintains an insurance policy on behalf of the Company. Under the policy the MGU handles all back-end insurance generation and processing through an application programming interface (API) connection with the Company’s databases. We believe that this MGU insurance policy has made it possible for us to maintain our Rideshare Platform, which allows the Company to have other third-party fleet owners supply vehicles to drivers through our platform and have them covered under the terms of our insurance policy. Our insurance policy provides physical damage and liability coverage to all rideshare drivers under the Rideshare Platform. Under the terms of our policy, both Rideshare Platform drivers acquiring vehicles through Distinct Cars as well as owners of their own vehicles are provided with an insurance ID card that lists each party’s name and the vehicle VIN number. Our Rideshare Platform customers pay daily (for the duration of the rental period) to become designated as a supplemental insured party under the Company’s insurance policy. Under the terms of our policy, insurance coverage is valid from the date of commencement of the rental period up until the date that the vehicle is returned.
Further, the Company’s car liability and physical damage insurance policies cover both third-party vehicle owners as well as ridesharing and delivery gig drivers under rental contract. These policies provide insurance on all listed vehicles, provided that the coverage is suspended during periods when the ridesharing driver under rental contract with the Company is actively operating on either the Uber or Lyft platform.
In September 2022, the Company added Premier Mobility Insurance Company to place additional physical damage insurance for our owned and leased fleet.
Intellectual Property
As of the date of this Report, we have two registered trademarks “YayYo®” and the service mark for a stylized design representing an automobile that is present in our web sites and our marketing materials. We have no applications for other trademarks at present. We have no patents or copyrights.
Human Capital
As of the date of this Report, we had approximately 27 full-time employees, all of which are based at our offices. None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement, and we believe that our relations with our employees generally are good.
Regulation
We are subject to a number of U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations that involve matters central to our business. These laws and regulations may involve privacy, data protection, intellectual property, competition, consumer protection, export taxation or other subjects. Many of the laws and regulations to which we are subject are still evolving and being tested in courts and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business. In addition, the application and interpretation of these laws and regulations often are uncertain, particularly in the new and rapidly evolving industry in which we operate. Because laws and regulations have continued to develop and evolve rapidly, it is possible that we may not be, or may not have been, compliant with each such applicable law or regulation. In addition to the foregoing, we are also subject to the following:
Governmental regulations affect almost every aspect of our business, including the classification of ridesharing and delivery gig economy drivers as either independent contractors or employees, the fair treatment of our employees, wage and hour issues, and our financing activities with customers. We could also be susceptible to claims or related actions if we fail to operate our business in accordance with applicable laws;
Federal and state governments in our markets have increasingly placed restrictions and limitations on the vehicles sold in the market in an effort to combat perceived negative environmental effects. For example, in the U.S., vehicle manufacturers are subject to federally mandated corporate average fuel economy standards which will increase substantially through 2025. Furthermore, numerous states, including California, have adopted or are considering requiring the sale of specified numbers of zero-emission vehicles. Significant increases in fuel economy requirements and new federal or state restrictions on emissions on vehicles and automobile fuels in the U.S. could adversely affect prices of and demand for the new vehicles that we rent;
We are subject to a wide range of environmental laws and regulations, including those governing: discharges into the air and water; the operation and removal of storage tanks; and the use, storage and disposal of hazardous substances. In the normal course of our operations we use, generate and dispose of materials covered by these laws and regulations. We face potentially significant costs relating to claims, penalties and remediation efforts in the event of non-compliance with existing and future laws and regulations; and
The Financial Accounting Standards Board is currently evaluating several significant changes to generally accepted accounting standards in the U.S., including the rules governing the accounting for leases. Any such changes could significantly affect our reported financial position, earnings and cash flows.
While we are actively working to mitigate the impact of vehicle-related regulations through our strategy of transitioning our vehicle fleet to electric, until such time as at least the majority of our fleet has switched, we will remain subject to such regulations.
Changes in the U.S. legal and regulatory environment that affect our operations, including laws and regulations relating to taxes, automobile related liability, insurance rates, insurance products, consumer privacy, data security, employment matters, licensing and franchising, automotive retail sales, cost and fee recovery and the banking and financing industry could disrupt our business, increase our expenses or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows.
Competition
The market for providing vehicles to TNC drivers is competitive. We believe our principal competitors to be regional car rental companies with capabilities to provide the rental of vehicles for use by drivers who work for ridesharing and delivery gig platforms, and Lyft Express, which makes rental vehicles available to Lyft drivers. National car rental companies such as Hertz and Avis also have programs directed at ridesharing and delivery drivers. These companies are all larger and better-resourced than we are at present and have superior market presence and reputation.
However, we believe we enjoy a competitive advantage vis-à-vis the above companies through our ability to directly rent cars to our customers from our Distinct Cars fleet and the high functionality of the Rideshare Platform. We also believe that our transition to electric vehicles over the coming years will enhance our brand and further distinguish us from our competitors.
Additional Information
Our website address is www.evmo.com. This site includes a link to the Rideshare Platform site, located at www.ridesharerental.com. It also includes all of the press releases we have issued since our formation and an investor relations page. Our investor relations page includes a link to all of our registration statements and periodic reports posted on the SEC’s EDGAR site, including but not limited to our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. These reports are available free of charge and may be accessed via our investor relations website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Under current SEC rules, as a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide risk factor disclosure in this Report or in any of our periodic reports until such time as we no longer qualify as a smaller reporting company. However, we included a comprehensive set of risk factors in a registration statement on Form S-1 that was declared effective by the SEC on December 23, 2021, and can be accessed here: https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001691077/000149315221031270/forms-1a.htm . Most of these risk factors remain applicable to our business and operations.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We lease and maintain our principal offices at 2301 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, which is where the majority of our operational staff conducts its activities on a day-to-day basis. We do not currently own any real estate.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We have included a description of the pending legal proceedings or potential claims against us whose outcome may, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, operating results, or cash flows, in Note 12 to the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 included elsewhere in this Report.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
The Common Stock is currently quoted on the OTC Markets, also known as the “Pink Sheets.” The ticker symbol remains “YAYO,” which is based on our original name. From the date of our initial public offering in November 2019 until February 10, 2020, the Common Stock was traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, but we voluntarily delisted from that exchange as of that date.
Holders
As of March 30, 2023, there were approximately 1,070 holders of record of our Common Stock.
Dividends
To date, we have not paid any dividends to the holders of Common Stock and do not anticipate doing so for the foreseeable future.
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
Pursuant to outstanding SEC guidance, we have disclosed this information in Part III of this Report, under “Item 12- SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT- Equity Compensation Plan Information.”
Stock Performance Graph
As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide a stock performance graph in this Report.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
There were no unregistered sales of equity securities by the Company in fiscal 2022. The Company issued 100,000 shares of Common Stock to Mr. Shawn Mesaros as consideration for services and support in connection with the Common Stock offering completed on January 6, 2022.
Stock Repurchases
We have not made any repurchases of the Common Stock since our initial public offering in November 2019.
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
No disclosure is required under this item at this time.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION
Our Corporate History and Background
EVmo was initially formed on June 21, 2016 as a Delaware limited liability company under the name “YayYo, LLC.” The Company was subsequently converted into a Delaware corporation pursuant to Section 265 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). The Company now operates as a “C” corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware.
We became a reporting company when, on March 17, 2017, an offering circular on Form 1-A relating to a best-efforts offering of our Common Stock pursuant to “Regulation A+” of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), was qualified by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Then, on November 15, 2019, we completed an initial public offering of 2,625,000 shares of Common Stock, at $4.00 per share, for gross proceeds, before underwriting discounts and expenses, of $10.5 million and our Common Stock was listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “YAYO.”
On February 10, 2020, after being advised by Nasdaq that it believed we no longer met the conditions for continued listing, the Company announced its intent to voluntarily delist its Common Stock. Since delisting from Nasdaq, our Common Stock has been quoted and traded on the Pink Open Market, which is operated by OTC Markets Group, under the same ticker symbol. The delisting was effective on March 1, 2020.
In September 2020, we changed our name from YayYo, Inc. to Rideshare Rental, Inc., in order for our corporate brand to better reflect our principal businesses, ridesharing and vehicle rentals. In February 2021, we again changed our name to EVmo, Inc., to underscore our commitment to making a full transition to electric vehicles by the end of 2024. In January 2022, we completed a follow-on offering of 27,400,000 shares of our Common Stock, at $0.50 per share, for gross proceeds, before underwriting discounts and expenses, of $13,700,000.
We are a holding company operating principally through two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Rideshare and Distinct Cars. The Rideshare Platform provides TNC drivers with an online booking platform, while Distinct Cars maintains a fleet of passenger vehicles and transit vans for use in the last-mile logistical space for rent to our TNC driver customers, enabling such drivers to meet the vehicle suitability and other requirements of rideshare and delivery gig companies such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Grubhub. Through Rideshare and Distinct Cars, we seek to become a leading provider of rental vehicles to drivers in the ridesharing and delivery gig spaces, and an industry leader in supplying transit vans for last-mile logistics.
Impact of COVID-19 on our business
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” and on March 11, 2020, it characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” In response, numerous states and cities ordered their residents to cease traveling to non-essential jobs and to curtail all unnecessary travel, and similar restrictions were recommended by the federal government. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, which saw the initial rapid spread of COVID-19, rideshare companies were severely and negatively impacted, as demand plummeted. Consequently, the Company experienced a decline in revenue during the first half of 2020, which had a negative impact on our cash flows, but we then saw a positive upward movement in revenue during the second half of 2020, which continued through fiscal 2021. Currently, through fiscal 2022, the demand for Rideshare remains high with little impact remaining from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the current prevalence of FDA-approved eligible vaccines across most age groups, the marked decrease in the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths in 2022, and the resulting easement of pandemic restrictions in our active markets, we are optimistic that COVID-19 will not have a material impact on our operations in the current fiscal year. However, certain factors- including, for example, a new, more aggressive and deadly variant that is resistant to the vaccines could alter our prediction.
Principles of consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Distinct Cars and RideShare. (As of the date of this Report, our other wholly-owned subsidiary, EV Vehicles, has no material assets and generates no revenue,) All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.
Consolidated Results of Operations — Year ended December 31, 2022, Compared to Year ended December 31, 2021.
Total Revenues
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $12,558,427, an increase of $2,322,797 or 22.69% compared to revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $10,235,630 The increase is attributed to improved operating results stemming from, in part, drivers who regularly extend their vehicle rentals through Rideshare and an increase in the size of Distinct Cars’ vehicle fleet.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $10,068,469, an increase of $1,517,015 or 17.74% compared to cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $8,551,454. Depreciation expense on the vehicles is included in cost of revenues. The increase is due to higher depreciation expenses due to an increase in fleet size and higher repairs and maintenance, including body shop expenses to redeploy vehicles. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 our cost of revenue including vehicle depreciation was 19.8% and 22.0% of our revenue, respectively. The increase in the cost of revenue is mainly attributed to an increase in body shop-related expenses, depreciation expense, auto maintenance expenses and registration expenses due to the increase in fleet size in 2022.
If we exclude vehicle depreciation, gross profit the year ended December 31, 2022 was $5,465,531, an increase of $799,183 or 17.1% compared to gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $4,666,348. Excluding vehicle depreciation, gross margin the year ended December 31, 2022 was 43.5%, as compared to gross margin for the year ending December 31, 2021 of 45.5%.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Selling and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $348,277 representing an increase of $65,096 or 23.0% over the year ended December 31, 2021 of $283,181. The increase is attributed to targeted marketing efforts to rent the additions to our fleet in each of our five operations locations.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $6,451,021, representing a decrease of $1,946,128 or 23.2% below the year ended December 31, 2021 of $8,397,149. This decrease is attributable to spending efficiency, reduction of legal fees/settlements, and reduced professional fees.
Total Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $7,042,287, representing a decrease of $1,837,796 or 20.7% compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 of $8,880,083. The decrease is due to the aggregate reasons described in the expense-related disclosure above.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest and financing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $2,589,898 compared to $6,296,524 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in interest and financing cost for the year ended December 31, 2022 was due to the completion of our capital raise in January 2022.
Gain on Forgiveness of Debt
Gain on forgiveness of debt for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $0 as compared to $8,000 for the same period in 2021, as, during the year ended December 31, 2021, a small balance remaining on an Economic Impact Disaster Loan granted by the Small Business Administration Loan was forgiven.
Net Loss
The net loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $(7,142,227), representing an improvement of $7,842,651 or 52.3% compared to the net loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $(14,984,878). The increase and improvement is due to the aggregate reasons described in the expense-related disclosure above.
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Plan of Operations
In November 2019, we completed our initial public offering of Common Stock, and sold a total of 2,625,000 common shares at a price of $4.00 per share. Total gross proceeds from the offering were $10,500,000, before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses.
In January 2021, we received $500,000 from one of our stockholders in exchange for a convertible note. The note was convertible into shares of Common Stock at $0.50 per share and was converted into 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock in February 2021.
In April 2021, as part of a securities purchase agreement, we issued and sold to an investor a 12.5% original issue discount convertible promissory note and a Common Stock purchase warrant. The note had an original principal amount of $2,250,000, with an original issue discount of $250,000. It bore interest at a fixed rate of ten percent (10%), was convertible into shares of Common Stock at a price of $3.00 per share (subject to adjustment), and was to mature on January 12, 2022. The warrant granted the investor the right to purchase 187,500 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.00, subject to adjustment; it is exercisable at any time within five (5) years of the date of issuance and additional warrants, each for 93,750 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price of $3.00 per share, were to be issued by the Company to the investor each month that the note remains outstanding.
In July 2021, we entered into a term loan, guarantee and security agreement we entered into with EICF Agent LLC, as agent for the lenders, and Energy Impact Credit Fund I, LP, as lender, providing for a secured term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $15.0 million, consisting of a $7.5 million closing date term loan facility and up to $7.5 million of borrowings under a delayed draw term loan facility. The initial loan was fully drawn on the closing date. The term loan agreement will mature on July 9, 2026.
In connection with the term loan, we entered into an exchange agreement with the investor who we entered into the securities purchase agreement in April 2021. As part of the exchange agreement, the investor agreed to exchange the note we issued to it in April 2021 for 230,375 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, and a warrant. The warrant granted the investor the right to purchase 93,750 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.00, subject to adjustment. This warrant is exercisable in full at any time within five (5) years of the date of issuance. Additional warrants on substantially identical terms were issued by the Company to the investor monthly until such time as the Preferred Stock was redeemed or converted in full, after which a final warrant was issued. All of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock were converted by their holder into shares of Common Stock, or redeemed by us, in the first quarter of 2022.
In January 2022, we completed a follow-on offering of 27,400,000 shares of Common Stock at a price of $0.50 per share, for total gross proceeds of $13,700,000.
Current Assets, Liabilities and Working Capital
At December 31, 2022, the Company’s current assets totaled $2,625,891, current liabilities totaled $7,583,679, and working capital was a deficit of $4,957,788. At December 31, 2021, the Company’s current assets totaled $4,077,934, current liabilities totaled $7,051,073, and working capital was a deficit of $2,973,139.
Regarding current liabilities, the amounts categorized as accounts payable and accrued expenses totaled $2,051,926 and $4,940,580 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, a decrease of $2,888,654 or 58.5%.
Since inception, our principal sources of operating funds have been: (i) proceeds from equity financings, including two public offerings of our Common Stock and the private sales of our Common Stock to certain investors in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act; (ii) the term loan for $7.5 million described above; and (iii) revenues generated from our operations. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $1,702,942 in cash and cash equivalents. As of the date of this Report, we do not believe that we have sufficient capital to finance our operating expenses for the remainder of this fiscal year and the Company is actively seeking new sources of capital.
Capital Expenditures
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company had capital expenditures of $16,807,593 in leased vehicles. Most of the Company’s vehicles are financed with leases. At December 31, 2022 the Company had $27,702,758 of rental vehicles, net of accumulated depreciation in the amount of $7,001,331, totaling $20,701,427 in net rental vehicles. At December 31, 2021 the Company had $13,514,619 of rental vehicles, net of accumulated depreciation in the amount of $4,627,300, totaling $8,887,319 in net rental vehicles. Additionally, the Company purchased $132,000 in kiosks for the launch of the Trek World project in Illinois. A contract is in place with Trek World to guarantee the costs of the kiosks through rental of the vehicles and a revenue share potential on the point-of-sale device merchant fees. Should Trek World terminate the rental agreements. Payment in full for the $132,000 is to be reimbursed at termination of the rentals from Trek World. The Company’s rental vehicles and kiosks are depreciated over their estimated useful life of five years. The lease terms for those rental vehicles that are leased are generally for one to three years and the Company has the right to purchase the leased vehicle at the end of the lease terms.
Statement of Cash Flows
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net cash expended by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 totaled $(7,453,435), which was a increase of $5,999,241 from the net cash generated from operating activities of $(1,454,194) for the same period in 2021. The decrease is primarily due to the acquisition of leased vehicles increasing the fleet size.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Net cash generated from financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 totaled $7,434,449, which was an increase of $2,465,882 from the net cash expended in financing activities of $4,968,567 for the same period in 2021. The change is principally due to the capital raise completed in January 2022.
Current Plan of Operations
Our plan of operations is currently focused on the growth and ongoing development of our operating businesses: (i) the Rideshare Platform, offered through Rideshare, (ii) our vehicle fleet, which is commercially available through Distinct Cars, and (iii) our fleet management initiatives. We expect to incur substantial expenditures in the foreseeable future for the continuing operations of our businesses. We embarked on our EV strategy in 2021, in which we set a goal to replace our entire fleet of vehicles with all electric vehicles by 2026. At this time, we cannot reliably estimate the timing or aggregate amount of all of the costs associated with these efforts and, as of the date of this Report, we cannot continue to execute our EV strategy until such time as we have secured new sources of capital.
We continually reevaluate our plan of operations to determine how we can most effectively utilize our resources. The completion of any aspect of our plan of operations is highly dependent upon the availability of cash to implement that aspect of the plan and other factors, several of which are beyond our control. There can be no assurance that our current capital resources will be adequate to continue to fund our ongoing operations, nor can there be any assurance that, should we require additional capital, we will successfully obtain it on favorable terms, or at all. The potential inadequacy of our existing capital or the inability to secure additional capital could have a material adverse effect on us, including the possibility that we would have to sell or forego a portion or all of our assets or cease operations. If we discontinue our operations, we may not have sufficient funds to pay any amounts to our stockholders.
If our operating businesses fail to achieve anticipated financial results, our existing capital will likely be depleted more quickly than we anticipate and our ability to raise additional capital in the future to fund our operations would likely be seriously impaired. If in the future we are not able to demonstrate favorable financial results or projections from our operating businesses, we may not be able to raise the capital we need to continue operations.
Our working capital requirements depend upon numerous factors and there can be no assurance that our current cash resources will be sufficient to fund our short-term operations. We have determined that our long-term operations will require new sources of capital, which we are actively working to obtain at this time.
Contractual Obligations, Commitments and Contingencies
The Company periodically enters into a series of monthly vehicle leasing agreements with ACME Auto Leasing, Utica Leasing Company, NFS Financial Services, Liberty Financial and Spring Free EV each with an approximate lease term of 12 to 60 months. As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company had total principal lease obligations before residuals and interest expense in the amount of $13,675,268 and $3,989,210, respectively. The Company owes monthly payments under each lease agreement ranging from approximately $285 per month to $1,150 per month. At the end of the term of most lease agreements, we have the right to purchase ownership and title of the subject vehicle for a nominal payment. In addition, the lease agreements are subject to and secured by a grant of a purchase money security interest on each leased vehicle. We expect the useful life of each vehicle to be approximately five years but also expect to cycle vehicles at three years.
We lease and maintain our principal offices at 2301 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 where the majority of our operational staff conducts its activities on a day-to-day basis. We do not currently own any real estate.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company has no off-balance sheet arrangements.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
In the ordinary course of our business, we are impacted by increasing interest rates. Future financing of leased vehicles cost is accelerated due the rising interest rates along with some of our vehicle leases adjust as the prime rates change. Additionally, our current note payable with Energy Impact Partners monthly interest costs accelerate as prime rates are increases.
Foreign currency exchange rates, or that may otherwise arise from transactions in derivatives do not have an impact on our business.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. Preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses and related disclosures. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable. In many instances, we could have reasonably used different accounting estimates and in other instances changes in the accounting estimates are reasonably likely to occur from period to period. This applies in particular to useful lives of non-current assets and valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ significantly from our estimates. To the extent that there are material differences between these estimates and actual results, our future financial statement presentation, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows will be affected. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving our judgments and estimates.
There is one material deviation from GAAP related to ASC 842. The lease balances presented represent remaining principal balances of each lease as of December 31, 2022. The disclosure identifies the future interest payments to represent the full lease payment obligations. The current treatment is a material deviation from GAAP and ASC 842 but consistent with prior year treatment. An ASC 842 study is planned for 2023 and the Company expects to modify and adjust to comply with ASC 842 by fiscal year end 2023.
Equipment and Rental Vehicles
Equipment and Rental Vehicles are stated at cost. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to earnings as incurred; additions, renewals and betterments are capitalized. When equipment is retired or otherwise disposed of, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts, and any gain or loss is included in operations. Depreciation of equipment and rental vehicles is provided using the straight-line method for substantially all assets with estimated lives as follows:
Computer equipment
5 years
Vehicles
5 years
The Company has not changed its estimate for the useful lives of its equipment and rental vehicles, but would expect that a decrease in the estimated useful lives of equipment and rental vehicles of one year would result in an annual increase to depreciation expense of approximately $675,000, and an increase in the estimated useful lives of equipment and rental vehicles of one year would result in an annual decrease to depreciation expense of approximately $450,000.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes . ASC 740 requires a company to use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences, and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all of, the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. The Company has not changed its methodology for estimating the valuation allowance. A change in valuation allowance affect earnings in the period the adjustments are made and could be significant due to the large valuation allowance currently established.
Under ASC 740, a tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. The adoption had no effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue from renting its fleet of cars to ridesharing and delivery gig drivers. Revenue is recognized based on the rental agreements which are generally on a weekly basis. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with FASB ASC 606, Revenue From Contracts with Customers .
We consider a signed contract or other similar documentation reflecting the terms and conditions under which products will be provided to be persuasive evidence of an arrangement. Collectability is assessed based on a number of factors, including payment history and the creditworthiness of a customer. If it is determined that collection is not reasonably assured, revenue is not recognized until collection becomes reasonably assured, which is generally upon receipt of cash.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company records stock-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation . FASB ASC Topic 718 requires companies to measure compensation cost for stock-based employee compensation at fair value at the grant date and recognize the expense over the employee’s requisite service period. The Company recognizes in the statement of operations the grant-date fair value of stock options and other equity-based compensation issued to employees and non-employees.
Contingencies
Certain conditions may exist as of the date the financial statements are issued, which may result in a loss to the Company, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. The Company’s management, in consultation with its legal counsel as appropriate, assesses such contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. In assessing loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against the Company or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company, in consultation with legal counsel, evaluates the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims, as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be sought therein. If the assessment of a contingency indicates it is probable that a material loss has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be estimated, then the estimated liability would be accrued in the Company’s financial statements. If the assessment indicates a potentially material loss contingency is not probable, but is reasonably possible, or is probable, but cannot be estimated, then the nature of the contingent liability, together with an estimate of the range of possible loss, if determinable and material, would be disclosed. Loss contingencies considered remote are generally not disclosed unless they involve guarantees, in which case the guarantees would be disclosed.
