ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS  

We operate in a challenging and changing environment that involves numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could materially affect our operations. The risks, uncertainties and other factors set forth below may cause our actual results, performances or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. If any of these risks or events occur, our business, financial condition or results o f operations may be adversely affected.

We have incurred significant losses and may continue to do so.

We have incurred significant net losses as shown in the following tables:

As of March 31, 201 4 , we had an accumulated deficit of $9 3, 948,545 .

In the future, we plan to make additional investments in product development, facilities and equipment and other costs related to the commercialization of our products. As a result, we expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future .  

Our operating losses, anticipated capital expenditures and working capital requirements in the longer term may exceed our current cash balances.

Our net loss for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 was $2, 773,244 versus a net loss for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 of $10,688,312 and $4,928,520, respectively. At March 31, 2014, our cash and short-term investments totaled $10,310,141. We expect our losses to continue for the foreseeable future . Our existing cash resources, funding expected from our DOE Grant through early 2015 , together with cash generated from reductions in our inventories of PowerPhase Pro propulsion systems, are expected to be sufficient to complete our business plan for at least the next several years. Should those resources be insufficient, we may need to secure additional debt or equity funding, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all .  

Our business depends, in part, on the expansion of the market for all-electric and hybrid electric vehicles .  

Although our electric propulsion systems may be used in a wide variety of products, the market for electric and hybrid vehicles is fairly new. At the present time, batteries used to power electric motors have limited life and require several hours to charge, and charging stations for electric motors are not widely available. Electric and hybrid vehicles also tend to be priced higher than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles. As a result, consumers may experience concerns about driving range limitations, battery charging time and higher purchase costs of electric or hybrid vehicles. If consumer preferences shift to vehicles powered by other alternative methods, or if concerns about the availability of charging stations cannot be overcome, the market for all-electric vehicles, and therefore our electric propulsion systems, may be limited. In addition, our electric propulsion systems are incorporated in buses used for mass transit in several U.S. cities.  If passenger traffic in these mass transit systems declines or government funding to transportation districts declines from current levels, demand for our products may also decrease.

The popularity of alternative fuel based vehicles and “green energy” initiatives are highly dependent on macro-economic conditions, including oil prices and the overall health of the economy. When oil prices fall, interest in and resources allocated to the development of advanced technology vehicles and propulsion systems may diminish. Downturns in the world economy may also have a severe impact on the automotive industry, slowing the demand for vehicles generally and reducing consumers' willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly technology .  

If our products do not achieve market acceptance, our business may not grow .  

Although we believe our proprietary systems are suited for a wide-range of vehicle electrification applications, our business and financial plan relies heavily on the introduction of new products that have limited testing in the

marketplace. We have made substantial investments in manufacturing facilities and equipment, production and application engineering, among other things, to increase our production capacity in order to capitalize on the anticipated expansion in demand for electric propulsion systems and generators in the commercial truck, bus and automobile markets. We are not certain that our existing products will achieve broad market acceptance, or that we will be able to develop new products or product enhancements that will achieve broad market acceptance .  

Our sales cycle is inherently long .

We must go through lengthy processes to achieve supply contracts with our customers.  Our products must conform to the technical specifications of the customer and meet design requirements of the electric vehicle.  Typically prototype testing is required to ensure consistent system performance on an ongoing basis.  These steps can often take many months to multiple years until decisions are made on whether or not to take a vehicle to production.  We may spend considerable financial and human resources over an extended period of time and not end up with a completed supply contract.  Failure to secure volume production levels within a reasonable period of time could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and our liquidity.

CODA Automotive filed for bankruptcy protection on May 1, 2013 and it is unlikely we will be able to recover more than insignificant amounts due to us under our Supply Agreement, including substantial amounts due for accounts receivable, inventory purchases and guaranteed minimum payments.

We executed a ten-year Supply Agreement with CODA in July, 2009 which provided a framework for CODA, or its manufacturing partner, to purchase from us electric propulsion systems for use in automobiles to be manufactured by CODA.  On May 1, 2013, CODA filed for bankruptcy protection.  Amounts due from CODA at March 31, 2014 totaled $3,838,092, all of which had been written off as uncollectible.  In addition, CODA is obligated under the Supply Agreement for inventory purchases totaling approximately $8.2 million and for a guaranteed minimum payment of $2 million due to their failure to purchase at least 15,000 units.  It is likely that we will recover only an insignificant amount of the balance owed to us under the Supply Agreement, if any.

We carry a large inventory balance originally acquired for CODA and may not be able to sell this inventory .

At March 31, 2014, we had aged inventory of $7.9 million of PowerPhase Pro ® systems on our books originally acquired for now-bankrupt CODA.     We believe the PowerPhase Pro ® system is right sized for many medium-duty truck, marine, passenger vehicle and stationary power applications, and this inventory is now for sale to other customers.   While we believe that there continues to be a strong market for these products, a change in market conditions or technology advancements could make this inventory obsolete, causing a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We entered into purchase contracts with our supply base to support the CODA program, some of which are non-cancellable by their terms.  Our actual liability under these contracts may vary from our current estimates.

We have recorded a liability as of March 31, 2014 of $774,974 representing the amount we expect to pay to settle non-cancellable contracts with certain suppliers to the CODA program that will not be fulfilled due to the bankruptcy filing by CODA. This liability is lower than the original amount we recorded of $1,050,000 as of March 31, 2013 as a result of negotiations and settlements we reached with some vendors during fiscal year 2014.  The amount of this liability represents management’s current estimate and may be subject to further adjustment based on future negotiations or litigation.  Settlements in excess of our estimates or any upward revision in our settlement estimate could result in a material change in our results of operations and financial condition.

If we do not satisfy the terms of our DOE Grant, we may not receive the remaining $8.0  million under the grant we were awarded.

We have a $32.4 million Grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative with the U.S. Department of Energy. We have received funding of $24.4 million under this Grant as of March 31, 2014. This Grant is subject to terms and conditions specified in the agreement between us and the DOE. We are required to spend on a dollar-for-dollar matching basis in order to receive funds under this Grant. If we are unable to match the total amount of the $32.4 million Grant with funding from non-Federal sources, we will be unable to take advantage of the entire award, and could become ineligible for continued participation in the program. The award may be terminated at any time at the convenience of the government.

Although we expect to satisfy the requirements in the Grant, we cannot assure that all of the requirements will be satisfied and the contract will not be terminated prior to receiving all of the proceeds .

All funding from our DOE Grant will cease as of January 12, 2015 when the Grant expires.

We believe that we have adequate cash resources for at least the next two years.  However, if anticipated revenues are not realized and other cash resources are unavailable, the loss of the DOE Grant funding could significantly impact our ability to sustain operations.

The reduction or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for alternative energy technologies, including our electric vehicle motor technology , could reduce demand for our products and services, lead to a reduction in our revenues and adversely impact our operating results.

We believe that the near-term growth of alternative energy technologies, including our electric vehicle motor technology, relies on the availability and size of government and economic incentives both in the United States and in other countries.  Many of these government incentives expire, phase out over time, exhaust the allocated funding, require renewal by the applicable authority, and/or could be reduced or discontinued for other reasons. The reduction, elimination, or expiration of government subsidies and economic incentives may result in the diminished demand from our customers and could materially and adversely affect our future operating results.

We are subject to risks inherent in international operations.

Since we market our products both inside and outside the United States, our success depends in part, on our ability to secure international customers and our ability to manufacture products that meet foreign regulatory and commercial requirements in target markets. In addition, we are subject to tariff regulations and requirements for export licenses.  We can face numerous challenges in our international growth plans, including unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, potential conflicts or disputes that countries may have to deal with, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, longer accounts receivable requirements and collections, difficulties in managing international operations, potentially adverse tax consequences, restrictions on repatriation of earnings and the burdens of complying with a wide variety of international laws. Any of these factors could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our revenue is highly concentrated among a small number of customers.

A large percentage of our revenue is typically derived from a small number of customers, and we expect this trend to continue.

Our customer arrangements generally are non-exclusive, have no long-term volume commitments and are often done on a purchase order basis. We cannot be certain that customers that have accounted for significant revenue in past periods will continue to purchase our products. Accordingly, our revenue and results of operations may vary substantially from period to period. We are also subject to credit risk associated with the concentration of our accounts receivable from our customers. If one or more of our significant customers were to cease doing business with us, significantly reduce or delay its purchases from us or fail to pay us on a timely basis, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected .  

Our business relies on third parties, whose success we cannot predict.

As a manufacturer of motors, generators, and other component parts, our business model depends on the ability of third parties in our industry to develop, produce and market products that include or are compatible with our technology and then to sell these products into the marketplace. Our ability to generate revenue depends significantly on the commercial success of our customers and partners. Failure of these third parties to achieve significant sales of products incorporating our products and fluctuations in the timing and volume of such sales could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations .  

Our electric propulsion systems use rare-earth minerals and unavailability or limited supply of these minerals could prevent us from manufacturing our products in production quantities or increase our costs.

Neodymium and dysprosium, rare-earth minerals, are key elements used in the production of magnets that are components of our electric propulsion systems. We currently source our magnets from China, and China has indicated

its intent to retain more of this mineral for China use, rather than exporting it. During calendar year 2011, we experienced significant price escalation in the cost of magnets used in our motors. This price escalation was primarily due to rare-earth government policy in China. Rare-earth prices have decreased substantially since peaking in the summer of 2011, and are now approaching the baseline prices (defined as the beginning of calendar year 2011). We have implemented a magnet surcharge process to recover these additional costs in the event of another price escalation. Although rare-earth magnets are available from other sources, these alternative sources are currently more costly. Reduced availability of neodymium and dysprosium from China could adversely affect our ability to obtain magnets in sufficient quantities, in a timely manner, or at a commercially reasonable cost. In the event that China's actions cause us to seek alternate sources of supply for magnets, it could cause an increase in our product costs, thereby reducing or eliminating our profit margin on electric propulsion systems if we are unable to pass the increase on to our customers . Increasing prices to our customers due to escalating magnet costs may reduce demand for our motors and make it difficult or impossible to compete with other motor manufacturers whose motors do not use rare-earth minerals.

Some of our contracts can be cancelled with little or no notice and could restrict our ability to commercialize our technology.

Our contracts with government agencies are subject to the risk of termination at the convenience of the contracting agency and in some cases grant "march-in" rights to the government. March-in rights are the right of the United States government or the applicable government agency, under limited circumstances, to exercise a non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable worldwide license to any technology developed under contracts funded by the government to facilitate commercialization of technology developed with government funding. March-in rights can be exercised if we fail to commercialize the developed technology. The exercise of march-in rights by the government or an agency of the government could restrict our ability to commercialize our technology.

Some of our orders for the future delivery of products are placed under blanket purchase orders which may be cancelled by our customers at any time. The amount payable to us, if any, upon cancellation by the customer varies by customer. Accordingly, we may not recognize as revenue all or any portion of the amount of outstanding order backlog we have reported .  

We face intense competition and may be unable to compete successfully .  

In developing electric motors for use in vehicles and other applications, we face competition from very large domestic and international companies, including the world's largest automobile manufacturers. Many of our competitors have far greater resources to apply to research and development efforts than we have, and they may independently develop motors that are technologically more advanced than ours. These competitors also have much greater experience in and resources for marketing their products. For these reasons, potential customers may choose to purchase electric motors from our competitors rather than from us. In addition, the U.S. government has awarded substantial financial grants under the stimulus bill to several large companies who compete with us. To the extent that some of these competitors received awards under the stimulus bill in amounts greater than we have, this could adversely impact our ability to compete .  

Changes in environmental policies could hurt the market for our products .  

The market for electric and other alternative fuel vehicles and equipment and the demand for our products are influenced, to a degree, by federal, state and local regulations relating to air quality, greenhouse gases and pollutants. These laws and regulations may change, which could result in transportation or equipment manufacturers abandoning or delaying their interest in electric or hybrid electric vehicles or equipment. In addition, a failure by authorities to enforce current laws and regulations or to adopt additional environmental laws or regulations could limit the demand for our products.

Although many governments have identified as a significant priority the development of alternative energy sources, governments may change their priorities, and any change they make could materially affect our revenue or the development of our products . 

If we are unable to protect our patents and other proprietary technology, we will be unable to prevent third parties from using our technology, which would impair our competitiveness and ability to commercialize our products. In addition, the cost of enforcing our proprietary rights may be expensive and result in increased losses .  

Our ability to compete effectively against other companies in our industry will depend, in part, on our ability to protect our proprietary technology. Although we have attempted to safeguard and maintain our proprietary rights, we do not know whether we have been or will be successful in doing so. We have historically pursued patent protection in the United States and a limited number of foreign countries where we believe significant markets for our products exist or where potentially significant competitors have operations. It is possible that a substantial market could develop in a country where we have not received patent protection and under such circumstances our proprietary products would not be afforded legal protection in these markets. Further, our competitors may independently develop or patent technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to ours. We cannot assure that additional patents will be issued to us or, if they are issued, as to the scope of their protection. Patents granted may not provide meaningful protection from competitors. Even if a competitor's products were to infringe patents owned by us, it would be costly for us to pursue our rights in an enforcement action, it would divert funds and resources which otherwise could be used in our operations and we may not be successful in enforcing our intellectual property rights. In addition, effective patent, trademark, service mark, copyright and trade secret protection may not be available in every country where we may operate or sell our products in the future. If third parties assert technology infringement claims against us, the defense of the claims could involve significant legal costs and require our management to divert time and attention from our business operations. If we are unsuccessful in defending any claims of infringement, we may be forced to obtain licenses or to pay royalties to continue to use our technology. We may not be able to obtain any necessary licenses on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we fail to obtain necessary licenses or other rights, or if these licenses are costly, our results of operations may suffer either from reductions in revenues through our inability to serve customers or from increases in costs to license third-party technologies .   Finally, patents may not deter third parties from attempting to reverse engineer our products and discovering our intellectual property.

We rely, in part, on contractual provisions to protect our trade secrets and proprietary knowledge, the adequacy of which may not be sufficient.

Confidentiality agreements to which we are party may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach.  Our trade secrets may also be known without breach of such agreements or may be independently developed by competitors.  Our inability to maintain the proprietary nature of our technology and processes could allow our competitors to limit or eliminate any competitive advantages we may have.

Use of our motors in vehicles could subject us to product liability claims or product recalls, and product liability insurance claims could cause an increase in our insurance rates or could exceed our insurance limits, which could impair our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity .  

The automotive industry experiences significant product liability claims. As a supplier of electric propulsion systems or other products to vehicle OEMs, we face an inherent business risk of exposure to product liability claims in the event that our products, or the equipment into which our products are incorporated, malfunction and result in personal injury or death. We may be named in product liability claims even if there is no evidence that our systems or components caused an accident. Product liability claims could result in significant losses as a result of expenses incurred in defending claims or the award of damages. The sale of systems and components for the transportation industry entails a high risk of these claims, which may increase as our production and sales increase. In addition, we may be required to participate in recalls involving these systems if any of our systems prove to be defective, or we may voluntarily initiate a recall or make payments related to such claims as a result of various industry or business practices or the need to maintain good customer relationships.

We carry product liability insurance of $10 million   covering most of our products. If we were to experience a large insured loss, it might exceed our coverage limits, or our insurance carriers could decline to further cover us or raise our insurance rates to unacceptable levels, any of which could impair our financial position and results of operations. Any product liability claim brought against us also could have a material adverse effect on our reputation .  

We may be subject to warranty claims, and our provision for warranty costs may not be sufficient .  

We may be subject to warranty claims for defects or alleged defects in our products, and the risk of such claims arising will increase as our production and sales increase. In addition, in response to consumer demand, vehicle manufacturers have been providing, and may continue to provide, increasingly longer warranty periods for their products. As a consequence, these manufacturers may require their suppliers, such as us, to provide correspondingly longer product warranties. As a result, we could incur substantially greater warranty claims in the future .  

Our future success will depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified management and technical personnel.

Our future success is substantially dependent on the continued services and on the performance of our executive officers and other key management, engineering, manufacturing and operating personnel. The loss of the services of any executive officer, or other key management, engineering, manufacturing and operating personnel, could materially adversely affect our business. Our ability to achieve our growth plans will also depend on our ability to attract and retain additional qualified management and technical personnel, and we do not know whether we will be able to be successful in these regards. Our inability to attract and retain additional qualified management and technical personnel, or the departure of key employees, could materially and adversely affect our growth plans and, therefore, our business prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

Our stock price has been and could remain volatile.

The market price for our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile and subject to extreme price and volume fluctuations in response to market and other factors, including the following, some of which are beyond our control:

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of their stock, many companies have been the subjects of securities class action litigation.  If we became involved in securities class action litigation in the future, it could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources and could harm our stock price, business prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The maintenance and security of our information systems are critical to our operations.

We rely on our information systems to be functioning at all times, and that the data in those systems is protected and secure from viruses, illegal access and any other form of unauthorized use.  Should our information systems be compromised in any way, our business operations could be severely impacted.

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