Exhibit 2.1

EXECUTION

BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

by and among

VectoIQ Acquisition Corp.,

VCTIQ Merger Sub Corp.,

and

Nikola Corporation

Dated as of March 2, 2020

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BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT, dated as of March 2, 2020 (this “Agreement”), by and among VectoIQ Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“VectoIQ”), VCTIQ Merger Sub Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”) and Nikola Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”).

WHEREAS, Merger Sub is a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of VectoIQ;

WHEREAS, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement and in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), VectoIQ and the Company will enter into a business combination transaction pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of VectoIQ;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Company Board”) has unanimously (a) determined that the Merger is fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its stockholders and has approved and adopted this Agreement and declared its advisability and approved the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and (b) has recommended the approval and adoption of this Agreement and the Merger by the stockholders of the Company;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of VectoIQ (the “VectoIQ Board”) has (a) approved and adopted this Agreement and declared its advisability and approved the payment of the Per Share Merger Consideration to stockholders of the Company pursuant to this Agreement and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and (b) has recommended the approval and adoption of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement by the stockholders of VectoIQ;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Merger Sub (the “Merger Sub Board”) has (a) determined that the Merger is fair to, and in the best interests of, Merger Sub and its sole stockholder and has approved and adopted this Agreement and declared its advisability and approved the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and (b) has recommended the approval and adoption of this Agreement and the Merger by the sole stockholder of Merger Sub;

WHEREAS, VectoIQ, the Company and the Key Company Stockholders (as defined herein), concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, are entering into the Stockholder Support Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “Stockholder Support Agreement”), providing that, among other things, the Key Company Stockholders will vote their shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock in favor of this Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

WHEREAS, in connection with the Closing, VectoIQ, certain stockholders of the Company and certain stockholders of VectoIQ, shall enter into a Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement (the “Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement”) substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A;

WHEREAS, VectoIQ shall enter into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors pursuant to which such investors, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, shall purchase shares of VectoIQ Common Stock at a purchase price of $10.00 in a private placement or placements (the “Private Placements”) to be consummated immediately prior to the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and

WHEREAS, for United States federal income tax purposes, it is intended that the Merger shall qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, that the Company, Merger Sub and VectoIQ are parties to such reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(b) of the Code and that this Agreement constitutes a plan of reorganization.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

Article I.

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.01     Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

“Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement” means a confidentiality agreement that contains confidentiality and standstill provisions on terms no less favorable in any substantive respect to the Company than those contained in the Confidentiality Agreement (except for such changes specifically necessary in order for the Company to be able to comply with its obligations under this Agreement and such non-material changes requested by the counterparty to ensure the confidentiality agreement is consistent with its organization’s customary policies, procedures and practices with respect to confidentiality agreements).

“affiliate” of a specified person means a person who, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified person.

“Ancillary Agreements” means the Stockholder Support Agreement, the Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement and all other agreements, certificates and instruments executed and delivered by VectoIQ, Merger Sub or the Company in connection with the Transactions and specifically contemplated by this Agreement.

“Business Data” means all business information and data, including Personal Information (whether of employees, contractors, consultants, customers, consumers, or other persons and whether in electronic or any other form or medium) that is accessed, collected, used, processed, stored, shared, distributed, transferred, disclosed, destroyed, or disposed of by any of the Business Systems or otherwise in the course of the conduct of the business of the Company or any Company Subsidiaries.

“Business Day” means any day on which the principal offices of the SEC in Washington, D.C. are open to accept filings, or, in the case of determining a date when any payment is due, any day on which banks are not required or authorized to close in New York, NY.

“Business Systems” means all Software, computer hardware (whether general or special purpose), electronic data processing, information, record keeping, communications, telecommunications, networks, interfaces, platforms, servers, peripherals, and computer systems, including any outsourced systems and processes, that are owned or used in the conduct of the business of the Company or any Company Subsidiaries.

“Company Acquisition Proposal” means any proposal or offer from any person or group of persons (other than VectoIQ, Merger Sub or their respective affiliates) relating to, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, any direct or indirect acquisition or purchase of a business that constitutes 10% or more of the assets of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or 10% or more of the total voting power of the equity securities of the Company, whether by way of merger, asset purchase, equity purchase or otherwise.

“Company Capital Stock” means the Company’s Common Stock and the Company’s Preferred Stock.

“Company Certificate of Incorporation” means the certificate of incorporation of the Company dated September 30, 2019, as such may have been amended, supplemented or modified from time to time.

“Company Common Stock” means the Company’s common stock, with a par value of $0.00001 per share.

“Company IP” means, collectively, all Company-Owned IP and Company-Licensed IP.

“Company-Licensed IP” means all Intellectual Property rights owned or purported to be owned by a third party and licensed to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary otherwise has a right to use.

“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any event, circumstance, change or effect (collectively “Effect”) that, individually or in the aggregate with all other events, circumstances, changes and effects, (a) is or would reasonably be expected to be materially adverse to the business, condition (financial or otherwise), assets, liabilities or operations of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (b) would prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement or the consummation of the Merger or any of the other Transactions; provided, however, that none of the following shall be deemed to constitute, alone or in combination, or be taken into account in the determination of whether, there has been or will be a Company Material Adverse Effect: (i) any change or proposed change in or change in the interpretation of any Law or GAAP; (ii) events or conditions generally affecting the industries or geographic areas in which the Company and the Company Subsidiaries operate; (iii) any downturn in general economic conditions, including changes in the credit, debt, securities, financial or capital markets (including changes in interest or exchange rates, prices of any security or market index or commodity or any disruption of such markets); (iv) acts of war, sabotage, civil unrest or terrorism, or any escalation or worsening of any such acts of war, sabotage, civil unrest or terrorism, or changes in global, national, regional, state or local political or social conditions; (v) any hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake, natural disaster, or other acts of God, (vi) any actions taken or not taken by the Company or the Company Subsidiaries as required by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, (vii) any effect attributable to the announcement or execution, pendency, negotiation or consummation of the Merger or any of the other Transaction (including the impact thereof on relationships with customers, suppliers, employees or Governmental Authorities), (viii) any failure to meet any projections, forecasts, guidance, estimates, milestones, budgets or financial or operating predictions of revenue, earnings, cash flow or cash position, provided that this clause (viii) shall not prevent a determination that any change, event, or occurrence underlying such failure has resulted in a Company Material Adverse Effect, (ix) any actions taken, or failures to take action, or such other changed or events, in each case, which VectoIQ has requested or to which it has consented or which actions are contemplated by this Agreement or (x) any statements or items set forth in the Company Disclosure Schedule, except in the cases of clauses (i) through (iii), to the extent that the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are disproportionately affected thereby as compared with other participants in the industries in which the Company and the Company Subsidiaries operate.

“Company Option Plans” means the Nikola Corporation 2017 Stock Option Plan, as such may have been amended, supplemented or modified from time to time and the Founder Stock Option Plan.

“Company Options” means all options to purchase outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, whether or not exercisable and whether or not vested, immediately prior to the Closing under the Company Option Plans or otherwise.

“Company-Owned IP” means all Intellectual Property rights owned or purported to be owned by the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries.

“Company Preferred Stock” means the shares of the Company’s preferred stock, including Series AA Seed Preferred Stock, Series BB Seed Preferred Stock, Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock.

“Company Superior Proposal” means a bona fide, written Company Acquisition Proposal, not solicited, received, initiated or facilitated in violation of Section 7.05, involving (i) assets that generate more than 50% of the consolidated total revenues of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) assets that constitute more than 50% of the consolidated total assets of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) more than 50% of the total voting power of the equity securities of the Company, in each case, that the Company Board (after consultation with outside legal counsel) reasonably determines, in good faith, would, if consummated, result in a transaction that is more favorable to the Company than the transactions contemplated hereby after taking into account all such factors and matters deemed relevant in good faith by the Company Board, including legal, financial (including the financing terms of any such proposal), regulatory, timing or other aspects of such proposal and the transactions contemplated hereby and after taking into account any changes to the terms of this Agreement irrevocably offered in writing by VectoIQ in response to such Company Superior Proposal pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 7.05(d).

“Confidential Information” means any information, knowledge or data concerning the businesses and affairs of the Company, the Company Subsidiaries, or any Suppliers or customers of the Company or any Company Subsidiaries or VectoIQ or its subsidiaries (as applicable) that is not already generally available to the public, including any Intellectual Property rights.

“control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, or as trustee or executor, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, by contract or otherwise.

“Disabling Devices” means undisclosed Software viruses, time bombs, logic bombs, trojan horses, trap doors, back doors, or other computer instructions, intentional devices or techniques that are designed to threaten, infect, assault, vandalize, defraud, disrupt, damage, disable, maliciously encumber, hack into, incapacitate, infiltrate or slow or shut down a computer system or any component of such computer system, including any such device affecting system security or compromising or disclosing user data in an unauthorized manner.

“Environmental Laws” means any United States federal, state or local or non-United States laws relating to: (a) releases or threatened releases of Hazardous Substances or materials containing Hazardous Substances; (b) the manufacture, handling, transport, use, treatment, storage or disposal of Hazardous Substances or materials containing Hazardous Substances; or (c) pollution or protection of the environment or natural resources.

“Exchange Ratio” means 1.901.

“Founder Stock Option Plan” means the Company’s Founder Stock Option Plan, effective as of December 31, 2018, as such may have been amended, supplemented or modified from time to time.

“Hazardous Substance(s)” means: (a) those substances defined in or regulated under the following United States federal statutes and their state counterparts, as each may be amended from time to time, and all regulations thereunder: the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Atomic Energy Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Clean Air Act; (b) petroleum and petroleum products, including crude oil and any fractions thereof; (c) natural gas, synthetic gas, and any mixtures thereof; (d) polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos and radon; and (e) any substance, material or waste regulated by any Governmental Authority pursuant to any Environmental Law.

“HSR Act” means the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.

“Intellectual Property” means: (a) patents, patent applications and patent disclosures, together with all reissues, continuations, continuations-in-part, divisionals, revisions, extensions or reexaminations thereof; (b) trademarks and service marks, trade dress, logos, trade names, corporate names, brands, slogans, and other source identifiers together with all translations, adaptations, derivations, combinations and other variants of the foregoing, and all applications, registrations, and renewals in connection therewith, together with all of the goodwill associated with the foregoing; (c) copyrights, and other works of authorship (whether or not copyrightable), and moral rights, and registrations and applications for registration, renewals and extensions thereof; (d) trade secrets and know-how (including ideas, formulas, compositions, inventions (whether or not patentable or reduced to practice)), customer and supplier lists, improvements, protocols, processes, methods and techniques, research and development information, industry analyses, algorithms, architectures, layouts, drawings, specifications, designs, plans, methodologies, proposals, industrial models, technical data, financial and accounting and all other data, databases, database rights, including rights to use any Personal Information, pricing and cost information, business and marketing plans and proposals, and customer and supplier lists (including lists of prospects) and related information; (e) Internet domain names and social media accounts; (f) rights of privacy and publicity and all other intellectual property or proprietary rights of any kind or description; (g) copies and tangible embodiments of any of the foregoing, in whatever form or medium; and (h) all legal rights arising from items (a) through (f), including the right to prosecute and perfect such interests and rights to sue, oppose, cancel, interfere, and enjoin based upon such interests, including such rights based on past infringement, if any, in connection with any of the foregoing.

“Intervening Event” means an event, fact, development, circumstance or occurrence (but specifically excluding any Company Acquisition Proposal or Company Superior Proposal) that materially affects the business, assets, operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that was not known and was not reasonably foreseeable to the Company or the Company Board as of the date hereof (or the consequences of which were not reasonably foreseeable to the Company Board as of the date hereof), and that becomes known to the Company or the Company Board after the date of this Agreement.

“Key Company Stockholders” means the persons and entities listed on Schedule B.

“knowledge” or “to the knowledge” of a person shall mean in the case of the Company, the actual knowledge of the persons listed on Schedule A after reasonable inquiry, and in the case of VectoIQ, the actual knowledge of Stephen Girsky, Steve Shindler and Mary Chan after reasonable inquiry.

“Leased Real Property” means the real property leased by the Company or Company Subsidiaries as tenant, together with, to the extent leased by the Company or Company Subsidiaries, all buildings and other structures, facilities or improvements located thereon and all easements, licenses, rights and appurtenances of the Company or Company Subsidiaries relating to the foregoing.

“Lien” means any lien, security interest, mortgage, pledge, adverse claim or other encumbrance of any kind that secures the payment or performance of an obligation (other than those created under applicable securities laws, and not including any license of Intellectual Property).

“M&M Residual, LLC” means M&M, Residual, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company that is wholly owned by Trevor Milton.

“Merger Sub Organizational Documents” means the certificate of incorporation and by-laws of Merger Sub, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

“Open Source Software” means any Software that is licensed pursuant to: (a) any license that is a license now or in the future approved by the open source initiative and listed at http://www.opensource.org/licenses, which licenses include all versions of the GNU General Public License (GPL), the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), the GNU Affero GPL, the MIT license, the Eclipse Public License, the Common Public License, the CDDL, the Mozilla Public License (MPL), the Artistic License, the Netscape Public License, the Sun Community Source License (SCSL), and the Sun Industry Standards License (SISL); or (b) any license to Software that is considered “free” or “open source software” by the open source foundation or the free software foundation.

“Owned Real Property” means the real property owned by the Company, together with all buildings and other structures, facilities, or improvements located thereon and all easements, licenses, rights and appurtenances of the Company relating to the foregoing.

“PCAOB” means the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and any division or subdivision thereof.

“Permitted Liens” means: (a) such imperfections of title, easements, encumbrances, Liens or restrictions that do not materially impair the current use of the Company’s or any Company Subsidiary’s assets that are subject thereto; (b) materialmen’s, mechanics’, carriers’, workmen’s, warehousemen’s, repairmen’s, landlord’s and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business, or deposits to obtain the release of such Liens; (c) Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable, or being contested in good faith; (d) zoning, entitlement, conservation restriction and other land use and environmental regulations promulgated by Governmental Authorities, (e) non-exclusive licenses, sublicenses or other rights to Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or the Company Subsidiaries granted to any licensee in the ordinary course of business (f) non-monetary Liens, encumbrances and restrictions on real property (including easements, covenants, rights of way and similar restrictions of record) that do not materially interfere with the present uses of such real property, (g) Liens identified in the Audited Financial Statements and (h) Liens on leases, subleases, easements, licenses, rights of use, rights to access and rights of way arising from the provisions of such agreements or benefiting or created by any superior estate, right or interest.

“person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, syndicate, person (including, without limitation, a “person” as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), trust, association or entity or government, political subdivision, agency or instrumentality of a government.

“Personal Information” means (a) information related to an identified or identifiable individual (e.g., name, address telephone number, email address, financial account number, government-issued identifier), (b) any other data used or intended to be used or which allows one to identify, contact, or precisely locate an individual, including any internet protocol address or other persistent identifier, and (c) any other, similar information or data regulated by Privacy/Data Security Laws.

“Privacy/Data Security Laws” means all laws governing the receipt, collection, use, storage, processing, sharing, security, disclosure, or transfer of Personal Information or the security of Company’s Business Systems or Business Data.

“Products” mean any products or services, developed, manufactured, performed, out-licensed, sold, distributed other otherwise made available by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, from which the Company or any Company Subsidiary has derived previously, is currently deriving or is scheduled to derive, revenue from the sale or provision thereof.

“Redemption Rights” means the redemption rights provided for in Section 9.2 of Article IX of the VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation.

“Requisite Approval” means the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a (i) majority of the shares of the Company Capital Stock outstanding and (ii) a majority of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, outstanding.

“Series A Preferred Stock” means the shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, designated as Series A Preferred Stock in the Company Certificate of Incorporation.

“Series AA Seed Preferred Stock” means the shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, designated as Series AA Seed Preferred Stock in the Company Certificate of Incorporation.

“Series B Preferred Stock” means the shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, designated as Series B Preferred Stock in the Company Certificate of Incorporation.

“Series BB Seed Preferred Stock” means the shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, designated as Series BB Seed Preferred Stock in the Company Certificate of Incorporation.

“Series C Preferred Stock” means the shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, designated as Series C Preferred Stock in the Company Certificate of Incorporation.

“Series D Preferred Stock” means the shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, designated as Series D Preferred Stock in the Company Certificate of Incorporation.

“Software” means all computer software (in object code or source code format), data and databases, and related documentation and materials.

“subsidiary” or “subsidiaries” of the Company, the Surviving Corporation, VectoIQ or any other person means an affiliate controlled by such person, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries.

“Supplier” means any person that supplies inventory or other materials or personal property, components, or other goods or services that are utilized in or comprise the Products of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries.

“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, including all Schedules and Exhibits hereto, the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Ancillary Agreements, and all other agreements, certificates and instruments executed and delivered by VectoIQ, Merger Sub or the Company in connection with the Transaction and specifically contemplated by this Agreement.

“Transactions” means the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Documents.

“Treasury Regulations” means the United States Treasury regulations issued pursuant to the Code.

“VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation” means the Amended and Restated VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation dated May 15, 2018.

“VectoIQ Common Stock” means VectoIQ’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

“VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect” means any event, circumstance, change or effect that, individually or in the aggregate with all other events, circumstances, changes and effects, (a) is or is reasonably expected to be materially adverse to the business, financial condition or results of operations of VectoIQ; or (b) would prevent, materially delay or materially impede the performance by VectoIQ or Merger Sub of their respective obligations under this Agreement or the consummation of the Merger or any of the other Transactions; provided, however, that none of the following shall be deemed to constitute, alone or in combination, or be taken into account in the determination of whether, there has been or will be a VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect: (i) any change or proposed change in or change in the interpretation of any Law or GAAP; (ii) events or conditions generally affecting the industries or geographic areas in which VectoIQ operates; (iii) any downturn in general economic conditions, including changes in the credit, debt, securities, financial or capital markets (including changes in interest or exchange rates, prices of any security or market index or commodity or any disruption of such markets); (iv) acts of war, sabotage, civil unrest or terrorism, or any escalation or worsening of any such acts of war, sabotage, civil unrest or terrorism, or changes in global, national, regional, state or local political or social conditions; (v) any hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake, natural disaster, or other acts of God, (vi) any actions taken or not taken by VectoIQ as required by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, (vii) any effect attributable to the announcement or execution, pendency, negotiation or consummation of the Merger or any of the other Transaction, or (viii) any actions taken, or failures to take action, or such other changed or events, in each case, which the Company has requested or to which it has consented or which actions are contemplated by this Agreement, except in the cases of clauses (i) through (iii), to the extent that VectoIQ is disproportionately affected thereby as compared with other participants in the industry in which VectoIQ operate.

“VectoIQ Organizational Documents” means the VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation, by-laws, and Trust Agreement of VectoIQ, in each case as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

“VectoIQ Units” means one share of VectoIQ Common Stock and one VectoIQ Warrant.

“VectoIQ Warrant Agreement” means that certain warrant agreement dated May 15, 2018 by and between VectoIQ and Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company.

“VectoIQ Warrants” means warrants to purchase shares of VectoIQ Common Stock as contemplated under the VectoIQ Warrant Agreement, with each warrant exercisable for one share of VectoIQ Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50.

SECTION 1.03     Construction.

(a)            Unless the context of this Agreement otherwise requires, (i) words of any gender include each other gender, (ii) words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively, (iii) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” “hereby,” “hereto” and derivative or similar words refer to this entire Agreement, (iv) the terms “Article,” “Section,” “Schedule” and “Exhibit” refer to the specified Article, Section, Schedule or Exhibit of or to this Agreement, (v) the word “including” means “including without limitation,” (vi) the word “or” shall be disjunctive but not exclusive, (vii) references to agreements and other documents shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments and other modifications thereto and (viii) references to statutes shall include all regulations promulgated thereunder and references to statutes or regulations shall be construed as including all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending or replacing the statute or regulation.

(b)            The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

(c)            Whenever this Agreement refers to a number of days, such number shall refer to calendar days unless Business Days are specified. If any action is to be taken or given on or by a particular calendar day, and such calendar day is not a Business Day, then such action may be deferred until the next Business Day.

(d)            All accounting terms used herein and not expressly defined herein shall have the meanings given to them under GAAP.

Article II.

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

SECTION 2.01             The Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Article VIII, and in accordance with the DGCL, at the Effective Time, Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company. As a result of the Merger, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease and the Company shall continue as the surviving corporation of the Merger (the “Surviving Corporation”).

SECTION 2.02             Effective Time; Closing.

(a)        As promptly as practicable, but in no event later than three (3) Business Days, after the satisfaction or, if permissible, waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VIII (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, it being understood that the occurrence of the Closing shall remain subject to the satisfaction or, if permissible, waiver of such conditions at the Closing), the parties hereto shall cause the Merger to be consummated by filing a certificate of merger (a “Certificate of Merger”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, in such form as is required by, and executed in accordance with, the relevant provisions of the DGCL and mutually agreed by the parties (the date and time of the filing of such Certificate of Merger (or such later time as may be agreed by each of the parties hereto and specified in such Certificate of Merger) being the “Effective Time”).

(b)        Immediately prior to such filing of a Certificate of Merger in accordance with Section 2.02(a), a closing (the “Closing”) shall be held at the offices of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166, or such other place as the parties shall agree, for the purpose of confirming the satisfaction or waiver, as the case may be, of the conditions set forth in Article VIII. The date on which the Closing shall occur is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”

SECTION 2.03             Effect of the Merger. At the Effective Time, the effect of the Merger shall be as provided in the applicable provisions of the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Effective Time, all the property, rights, privileges, immunities, powers, franchises, licenses and authority of the Company and Merger Sub shall vest in the Surviving Corporation, and all debts, liabilities, obligations, restrictions, disabilities and duties of each of the Company and Merger Sub shall become the debts, liabilities, obligations, restrictions, disabilities and duties of the Surviving Corporation.

SECTION 2.04             Certificate of Incorporation; By-laws.

(a)        At the Effective Time, the Company Certificate of Incorporation, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be the certification of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation, until thereafter amended as provided by law and such certificate of incorporation. After the Effective Time, the Company shall cause the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation to be amended and restated in its entirety as set forth on Exhibit B.

(b)        At the Effective Time, the by-laws of the Company, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be the by-laws of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter amended as provided by law, the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation and such by-laws, as applicable.

(c)        At the Closing, VectoIQ shall amend and restate, effective as of the Effective Time, the VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation to be as set forth on Exhibit C.

SECTION 2.05             Directors and Officers.

(a)        The initial directors of the Surviving Corporation and the initial officers of the Surviving Corporation shall be the individuals set forth on Exhibit D hereto, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and by-laws of the Surviving Corporation.

(b)        The parties shall cause the VectoIQ Board and the officers of VectoIQ as of immediately following the Effective Time to be comprised of the individuals set forth on Exhibit D, each to hold office in accordance with the VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation and the by-laws of the VectoIQ.

Article III.

CONVERSION OF SECURITIES; Exchange of certificates

SECTION 3.01             Conversion of Securities.

(a)        Immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall cause each share of Company Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time to be automatically converted into a number of shares of Company Common Stock in accordance with the terms of Article Fourth, Section 9.1 of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation. All of the shares of Company Preferred Stock converted into shares of Company Common Stock shall no longer be outstanding and shall cease to exist, and each holder of Company Preferred Stock shall thereafter cease to have any rights with respect to such securities.

(b)       At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of VectoIQ, Merger Sub, the Company or the holders of any of the following securities:

(i)        all shares of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (including shares of Company Common Stock resulting from the conversion of Company Preferred Stock described in Section 3.01(a)) shall be canceled and converted into the right to receive the number of shares of VectoIQ Common Stock equal to the Exchange Ratio (the “Per Share Merger Consideration”);

(ii)       all shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock held in the treasury of the Company shall be canceled without any conversion thereof and no payment or distribution shall be made with respect thereto;

(iii)      each share of Merger Sub Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into and exchanged for one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Surviving Corporation; and

(iv)      each Company Option that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether vested or unvested, shall be converted into an option to purchase a number of shares of VectoIQ Common Stock (such option, an “Exchanged Option”) equal to the product (rounded down to the nearest whole number) of (x) the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time and (y) the Exchange Ratio, at an exercise price per share (rounded up to the nearest whole cent) equal to (A) the exercise price per share of such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by (B) the Exchange Ratio; provided, however, that the exercise price and the number of shares of VectoIQ Common Stock purchasable pursuant to the Exchanged Options shall be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code; provided, further, that in the case of any Exchanged Option to which Section 422 of the Code applies, the exercise price and the number of shares of the Surviving Corporation stock purchasable pursuant to such option shall be determined in accordance with the foregoing, subject to such adjustments as are necessary in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code. Except as specifically provided above, following the Effective Time, each Exchanged Option shall continue to be governed by the same terms and conditions (including vesting and exercisability terms) as were applicable to the corresponding former Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time. At or prior to the Effective Time, the parties and their boards, as applicable, shall adopt any resolutions and take any actions that are necessary to effectuate the treatment of the Company Options pursuant to this subsection.

SECTION 3.02             Exchange of Certificates.

(a)        Exchange Agent. On the Closing Date, VectoIQ shall deposit, or shall cause to be deposited, with a bank or trust company that shall be designated by VectoIQ and is reasonably satisfactory to the Company (the “Exchange Agent”), for the benefit of the holders of Company Common Stock, for exchange in accordance with this Article III, the number of shares of VectoIQ Common Stock sufficient to deliver the aggregate Per Share Merger Consideration payable pursuant to this Agreement (such certificates for shares of VectoIQ Common Stock, together with any dividends or distributions with respect thereto (pursuant to Section 3.02(c), being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Fund”). VectoIQ shall cause the Exchange Agent pursuant to irrevocable instructions, to pay the Per Share Merger Consideration out of the Exchange Fund in accordance with this Agreement. Except as contemplated by Section 3.02(c) hereof, the Exchange Fund shall not be used for any other purpose.

(b)        Exchange Procedures. As promptly as practicable after the date hereof, VectoIQ shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Exchange Agent to mail to each holder of Company Common Stock and holder of Company Preferred Stock entitled to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration pursuant to Section 3.01: a letter of transmittal, which shall be in a form reasonably acceptable to VectoIQ and the Company (the “Letter of Transmittal”) and shall specify (i) that delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the certificates evidencing such shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock (the “Certificates”) shall pass, only upon proper delivery of the Certificates to the Exchange Agent or confirmation of cancellation of such Certificates from the Company’s transfer agent, eShares, Inc. DBA Carta, Inc. (each, a “Carta Cancellation”); and (ii) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates pursuant to the Letter of Transmittal. Within two (2) Business Days (but in no event prior to the Effective Time) after the surrender to the Exchange Agent of all Certificates held by such holder for cancellation (or a Carta Cancellation), together with a Letter of Transmittal, duly completed and validly executed in accordance with the instructions thereto and such other documents as may be required pursuant to such instructions, the holder of such Certificates shall be entitled to receive in exchange therefore, and VectoIQ shall cause the Exchange Agent to deliver, the Per Share Merger Consideration in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.01, and the Certificate so surrendered shall forthwith be cancelled. Until surrendered as contemplated by this Section 3.02, each Certificate entitled to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration in accordance with Section 3.01 shall be deemed at all times after the Effective Time to represent only the right to receive upon such surrender the Per Share Merger Consideration that such holder is entitled to receive in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.01.

(c)        Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Shares of VectoIQ Common Stock. No dividends or other distributions declared or made after the Effective Time with respect to the VectoIQ Common Stock with a record date after the Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered Certificate with respect to the shares of VectoIQ Common Stock represented thereby until the holder of such Certificate shall surrender such Certificate in accordance with Section 3.02(b). Subject to the effect of escheat, tax or other applicable Laws, following surrender of any such Certificate, VectoIQ shall pay or cause to be paid to the holder of the certificates representing shares of VectoIQ Common Stock issued in exchange therefore, without interest, (i) promptly, but in any event within five (5) Business Days of such surrender, the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Effective Time and theretofore paid with respect to such shares of VectoIQ Common Stock, and (ii) at the appropriate payment date, the amount of dividends or other distributions, with a record date after the Effective Time but prior to surrender and a payment date occurring after surrender, payable with respect to such shares of VectoIQ Common Stock.

(d)        No Further Rights in Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock. The Per Share Merger Consideration payable upon conversion of the Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof shall be deemed to have been paid and issued in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock.

(e)        Adjustments to Per Share Consideration. The Per Share Merger Consideration shall be adjusted to reflect appropriately the effect of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, combination, exchange of shares or other like change with respect to VectoIQ Common Stock occurring on or after the date hereof and prior to the Effective Time.

(f)        Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains undistributed to the holders of Company Common Stock for one year after the Effective Time shall be delivered to VectoIQ, upon demand, and any holders of Company Common Stock who have not theretofore complied with this Section 3.02 shall thereafter look only to VectoIQ for the Per Share Merger Consideration. Any portion of the Exchange Fund remaining unclaimed by holders of Company Common Stock as of a date which is immediately prior to such time as such amounts would otherwise escheat to or become property of any government entity shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, become the property of VectoIQ free and clear of any claims or interest of any person previously entitled thereto.

(g)        No Liability. None of the Exchange Agent, VectoIQ or the Surviving Corporation shall be liable to any holder of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock for any such Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock (or dividends or distributions with respect thereto) or cash delivered to a public official pursuant to any abandoned property, escheat or similar Law in accordance with Section 3.02.

(h)        Withholding Rights. Each of the Surviving Corporation and VectoIQ shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement to any holder of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock such amounts as it is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) or any provision of state, local or foreign tax law. To the extent that amounts are so withheld by the Surviving Corporation or VectoIQ, as the case may be, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of the Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock (or intended recipients of compensatory payments) in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made by the Surviving Corporation or VectoIQ, as the case may be.

(i)         Lost Certificates. If any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed, the Exchange Agent will issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate, the Per Share Merger Consideration that such holder is otherwise entitled to receive pursuant to, and in accordance with, the provisions of Section 3.01.

SECTION 3.03             Stock Transfer Books. At the Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the Company shall be closed and there shall be no further registration of transfers of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock thereafter on the records of the Company. From and after the Effective Time, the holders of Certificates representing Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to have any rights with respect to such Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or by Law. On or after the Effective Time, any Certificates presented to the Exchange Agent or VectoIQ for any reason shall be converted into the Per Share Merger Consideration in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.01.

SECTION 3.04             Payment of Expenses.

(a)        No sooner than five (5) or later than two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall provide to VectoIQ a written report setting forth a list of all of the following fees and expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the preparation, negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (together with written invoices and wire transfer instructions for the payment thereof), solely to the extent such fees and expenses are incurred and expected to remain unpaid as of the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Closing Date: (i) the fees and disbursements of outside counsel to the Company incurred in connection with the Transactions and (ii) the fees and expenses of any other agents, advisors, consultants, experts, financial advisors and other service providers engaged by the Company in connection with the Transactions (collectively, the “Outstanding Company Transaction Expenses”). On the Closing Date following the Closing, VectoIQ shall pay or cause to be paid by wire transfer of immediately available funds all such Outstanding Company Transaction Expenses. For the avoidance of doubt, the Outstanding Company Transaction Expenses shall not include any fees and expenses of the Company’s stockholders.

(b)        No sooner than five (5) or later than two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, VectoIQ shall provide to the Company a written report setting forth a list of all fees, expenses and disbursements incurred by or on behalf of VectoIQ or Merger Sub for outside counsel, agents, advisors, consultants, experts, financial advisors and other service providers engaged by or on behalf of VectoIQ or Merger Sub in connection with the Transactions or otherwise in connection with VectoIQ’s operations (together with written invoices and wire transfer instructions for the payment thereof) (collectively, the “Outstanding VectoIQ Transaction Expenses”). On the Closing Date following the Closing, VectoIQ shall pay or cause to be paid by wire transfer of immediately available funds all such Outstanding VectoIQ Transaction Expenses.

(c)        VectoIQ shall not pay or cause to be paid any Outstanding VectoIQ Transaction Expenses or Outstanding Company Transaction Expenses other than in accordance with this Section 3.04.

SECTION 3.05              Appraisal Rights.

(a)        Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary and to the extent available under the DGCL, shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and that are held by stockholders of the Company who shall have neither voted in favor of the Merger nor consented thereto in writing and who shall have demanded properly in writing appraisal for such Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock in accordance with Section 262 of the DGCL and otherwise complied with all of the provisions of the DGCL relevant to the exercise and perfection of dissenters’ rights (collectively, the “Dissenting Shares”) shall not be converted into, and such stockholders shall have no right to receive, the Per Share Merger Consideration unless and until such stockholder fails to perfect or withdraws or otherwise loses his, her or its right to appraisal and payment under the DGCL. Any stockholder of the Company who fails to perfect or who effectively withdraws or otherwise loses his, her or its rights to appraisal of such shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock under Section 262 of the DGCL shall thereupon be deemed to have been converted into, and to have become exchangeable for, as of the Effective Time, the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration, without any interest thereon, upon surrender, in the manner provided in Section 3.01(b), of the Certificate or Certificates that formerly evidenced such shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock (as the case may be).

(b)        Prior to the Closing, the Company shall give VectoIQ (i) prompt notice of any demands for appraisal received by the Company and any withdrawals of such demands, and (ii) the opportunity to participate in all negotiations and proceedings with respect to demands for appraisal under the DGCL. The Company shall not, except with the prior written consent of VectoIQ (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), make any payment with respect to any demands for appraisal or offer to settle or settle any such demands.

Article IV.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

Except as set forth in the Company’s disclosure schedule delivered by Company in connection with this Agreement (the “Company Disclosure Schedule”), the Company hereby represents and warrants to VectoIQ and Merger Sub as follows:

SECTION 4.01             Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.

(a)        The Company and each subsidiary of the Company (each a “Company Subsidiary”), is a corporation or other organization duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the requisite corporate or other organizational power and authority and all necessary governmental approvals to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. The Company and each Company Subsidiary is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign corporation or other organization to do business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction where the character of the properties owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its business makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing that would not individually or in the aggregate expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b)        A true and complete list of all the Company Subsidiaries, together with the jurisdiction of incorporation of each Company Subsidiary and the percentage of the outstanding capital stock of each Company Subsidiary owned by the Company and each other Company Subsidiary, is set forth in Section 4.01(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. The Company does not directly or indirectly own any equity or similar interest in, or any interest convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any equity or similar interest in, any other corporation, partnership, joint venture or business association or other entity.

SECTION 4.02             Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws. The Company has prior to the date of this Agreement made available a complete and correct copy of the certificate of incorporation and the by-laws or equivalent organizational documents, each as amended to date, of the Company and each Company Subsidiary. Such certificates of incorporation, by-laws or equivalent organizational documents are in full force and effect. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is in violation of any of the provisions of its certificate of incorporation, by-laws or equivalent organizational documents.

SECTION 4.03             Capitalization.

(a)        The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of two hundred thirty-seven million (237,000,000) shares of Company Common Stock and one hundred thirty-one million five hundred thirty-two thousand nine hundred four (131,532,904) shares of Company Preferred Stock. As of the date hereof, (i) Sixty million one hundred sixty six thousand six hundred sixty seven (60,166,667) shares of Company Common Stock are issued and outstanding, (ii) ten million twenty thousand (10,020,000) shares of Series AA Seed Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, (iii) twenty nine million nine hundred eighty thousand (29,980,000) shares of Series BB Seed Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, (iv) five million six hundred six thousand six hundred seventy-one (5,606,671) shares of Series A Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, (v) four million nine hundred four thousand and fifty (4,904,050) shares of Series B Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, (vi) twenty five million one hundred forty five thousand five hundred nineteen (25,145,519) shares of Series C Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, (vii) fourteen million nine hundred seventy four thousand five hundred ten (14,974,510) shares of Series D Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding, (viii) no shares of Company Common Stock are held in the treasury of the Company, and (ix) thirty six nine hundred eighty eight thousand two hundred eighty five (36,988,285) Company Common Stock are reserved for future issuance pursuant to outstanding Company Options and other purchase rights (the “Company Share Awards”) granted pursuant to the Company Option Plans or otherwise.

(b)       Other than the Company Options, there are no options, warrants, preemptive rights, calls, convertible securities, conversion rights or other rights, agreements, arrangements or commitments of any character relating to the issued or unissued capital stock of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or obligating the Company or any Company Subsidiary to issue or sell any shares of capital stock of, or other equity interests in, the Company or any Company Subsidiary. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise bound by, and neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has granted, any equity appreciation rights, participations, phantom equity or similar rights. There are no voting trusts, voting agreements, proxies, shareholder agreements or other agreements with respect to the voting or transfer of the Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock or any of the equity interests or other securities of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries. The Company does not own any equity interests in any person, other than the Company Subsidiaries.

(c)        Section 4.03(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth, the following information with respect to each Company Share Award outstanding: (i) the name of the Company Share Award recipient; (ii) the particular Company Option Plan, if any, pursuant to which such Company Share Award was granted; (iii) the number of shares of the Company subject to such Company Share Award; (iv) the exercise or purchase price of such Company Share Award; (v) the date on which such Company Share Award was granted; and (vi) the date on which such Company Share Award expires.  The Company has made available to accurate and complete copies of all Company Option Plans pursuant to which Company has granted the Company Share Awards that are currently outstanding and the form of all stock award agreements evidencing such Company Share Awards.  No Company Option was granted with an exercise price per share less than the fair market value of the underlying Company Share Awards as of the date such Company Option was granted.  All shares of the Company subject to issuance as aforesaid, upon issuance on the terms and conditions specified in the instruments pursuant to which they are issuable, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(d)       There are no outstanding contractual obligations of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of the Company or any capital stock of any Company Subsidiary or to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any person other than a Company Subsidiary.

(e)        (i) There are no commitments or agreements of any character to which the Company is bound obligating the Company to accelerate the vesting of any Company Share Award or Company Option as a result of the proposed transactions herein, and (ii) all outstanding shares of the Company, all outstanding Company Share Awards and Company Options, and all outstanding shares of capital stock of each Company Subsidiary have been issued and granted in compliance with (A) all applicable securities laws and other applicable laws and (B) all pre-emptive rights and other requirements set forth in applicable contracts to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party.

(f)         Each outstanding share of capital stock of each Company Subsidiary is duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and each such share is owned by the Company or another Company Subsidiary free and clear of all Liens, options, rights of first refusal and limitations on the Company’s or any Company Subsidiary’s voting rights, other than transfer restrictions under applicable securities laws and their respective organizational documents.

(g)        The stockholders of the Company collectively own directly and beneficially and of record, all of the equity of the Company (which are represented by the issued and outstanding shares of the Company). Except for the shares of the Company held by the stockholders of the Company, no shares or other equity or voting interest of the Company, or options, warrants or other rights to acquire any such shares or other equity or voting interest, of the Company is authorized or issued and outstanding.

(h)        All outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock and all outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity securities (as applicable) of each Company Subsidiary have been issued and granted in compliance with (A) applicable securities laws and other applicable laws and (B) any pre-emptive rights and other similar requirements set forth in applicable contracts to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party.

(i)         Immediately prior to the Effective Time, each share of Company Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into Company Common Stock in accordance with the terms of Article Fourth, Section 9.1 of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (the “Conversion”). After the Conversion, all of the shares of Company Preferred Stock shall no longer be outstanding and shall cease to exist, and each previous holder of Company Preferred Stock shall thereafter cease to have any rights with respect to such securities. Subject to and upon receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval, the Conversion will have been duly and validly authorized by all corporate action and all required approvals and consents will have been obtained by the Company. By way of example, the 90,630,750 shares of Company Preferred Stock outstanding as of the date hereof would convert into 90,630,750 shares of Company Common Stock.

SECTION 4.04             Authority Relative to this Agreement. The Company has all necessary power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and, subject to receiving the Company Stockholder Approval, to consummate the Transactions. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the Transactions have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Company are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the Transactions (other than, with respect to the Merger, the Company Stockholder Approval, which the Written Consent shall satisfy, and the filing and recordation of appropriate merger documents as required by the DGCL). This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by VectoIQ and Merger Sub, constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, by general equitable principles (the “Remedies Exceptions”). The Company Board has approved this Agreement and the Transactions, and such approvals are sufficient so that the restrictions on business combinations set forth in Section 203 of the DGCL shall not apply to the Merger, this Agreement, the Support Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or any of the other Transactions. To the knowledge of the Company, no other state takeover statute is applicable to the Merger or the other Transactions.

SECTION 4.05             No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents.

(a)        The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company does not, and subject to receipt of the filing and recordation of appropriate merger documents as required by the DGCL and of the consents, approvals, authorizations or permits, filings and notifications contemplated by Section 4.05(b), the performance of this Agreement by the Company will not (i) conflict with or violate the certificate of incorporation or by-laws or any equivalent organizational documents of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, (ii) conflict with or violate any United States or non-United States statute, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, code, executive order, injunction, judgment, decree or other order (“Law”) applicable to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) result in any breach of or constitute a default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would become a default) under, or give to others any right of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of a Lien (other than any Permitted Lien) on any material property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary pursuant to, any Material Contract, except, with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii), for any such conflicts, violations, breaches, defaults or other occurrences which would not have or reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b)        The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company does not, and the performance of this Agreement by the Company will not, require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or filing with or notification to, any United States federal, state, county or local or non-United States government, governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency, instrumentality or commission or any court, tribunal, or judicial or arbitral body (a “Governmental Authority”), except (i) for applicable requirements, if any, of the Exchange Act, state securities or “blue sky” laws (“Blue Sky Laws”) and state takeover laws, the pre-merger notification requirements of the HSR Act, and filing and recordation of appropriate merger documents as required by the DGCL, and (ii) where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits, or to make such filings or notifications, would not have or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 4.06             Permits; Compliance. Each of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries is in possession of all material franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, variances, exceptions, consents, certificates, approvals and orders of any Governmental Authority necessary for each of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries to own, lease and operate its properties or to carry on its business as it is now being conducted (the “Company Permits”), except where the failure to have such Company Permits would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. No suspension or cancellation of any of the Company Permits is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is in conflict with, or in default, breach or violation of, (a) any Law applicable to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (b) any Material Contract or Company Permit, except, in each case, for any such conflicts, defaults, breaches or violations that would not have or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 4.07             Financial Statements.

(a)        The Company has made available to VectoIQ true and complete copies of the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2018, and the related audited consolidated statements of operations and cash flows of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries for each of the years then ended (collectively, the “Audited Financial Statements”), which are attached as Section 4.07(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and which contain an unqualified report of the Company’s auditors. Each of the Audited Financial Statements (including the notes thereto) (i) was prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods indicated (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto) and (ii) fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries as at the date thereof and for the period indicated therein, except as otherwise noted therein.

(b)        The Company has made available to VectoIQ a true and complete copy of the consolidated unaudited balance sheet of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2019 (the “2019 Balance Sheet”), and the related unaudited consolidated statements of operations and cash flows of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries for the twelve-month period then ended, which are attached as Section 4.07(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. Such unaudited financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods indicated (except for the omission of footnotes and subject to year-end adjustments) and fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries as at the date thereof and for the period indicated therein, except as otherwise noted therein and subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments and the absence of notes.

(c)        Except as and to the extent set forth on the Audited Financial Statements, the 2019 Balance Sheet, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has any liability or obligation of a nature (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise) required to be reflected on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP, except for: (i) liabilities that were incurred in the ordinary course of business since the date of such 2019 Balance Sheet, (ii) obligations for future performance under any contract to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party or (iii) liabilities and obligations which are not, individually or in the aggregate, expected to result in a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(d)       Since January 1, 2017 (i) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee, auditor, accountant or Representative of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, has received or otherwise had or obtained knowledge of any complaint, allegation, assertion or claim, whether written or, to the knowledge of the Company, oral, regarding the accounting or auditing practices, procedures, methodologies or methods of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or their respective internal accounting controls, including any such complaint, allegation, assertion or claim that the Company or any Company Subsidiary has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing practices and (ii) there have been no internal investigations regarding accounting or revenue recognition discussed with, reviewed by or initiated at the direction of the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, general counsel, the Company Board or any committee thereof.

(e)        To the knowledge of the Company, no employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary has provided or is providing information to any law enforcement agency regarding the commission or possible commission of any crime or the violation or possible violation of any applicable Law. None of the Company, any Company Subsidiary or, to the knowledge of the Company any officer, employee, contractor, subcontractor or agent of the Company or any such Company Subsidiary has discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed or in any other manner discriminated against an employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary in the terms and conditions of employment because of any act of such employee described in 18 U.S.C. sec. 1514A(a).

(f)        All accounts receivable of the Company and its Company Subsidiaries reflected on the 2019 Balance Sheet or arising thereafter have arisen from bona fide transactions in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices and in accordance with GAAP and are collectible, subject to bad debts reserved in the Financial Statements. To the knowledge of the Company, such accounts receivables are not subject to valid defenses, setoffs or counterclaims, other than routine credits granted for errors in ordering, shipping, pricing, discounts, rebates, returns in the ordinary course of business and other similar matters. The Company’s reserve for contractual allowances and doubtful accounts is adequate in all material respects and has been calculated in a manner consistent with past practices. Since the date of the 2019 Balance Sheet, neither the Company nor any of its Company Subsidiaries has modified or changed in any material respect its sales practices or methods including, without limitation, such practices or methods in accordance with which the Company or any of its Company Subsidiaries sell goods, fill orders or record sales.

(g)        All accounts payable of the Company and its Company Subsidiaries reflected on the 2019 Balance Sheet or arising thereafter are the result of bona fide transactions in the ordinary course of business and have been paid or are not yet due or payable. Since the date of the 2019 Balance Sheet, the Company and its Company Subsidiaries have not altered in any material respects their practices for the payment of such accounts payable, including the timing of such payment.

SECTION 4.08             Absence of Certain Changes or Events. Since the 2019 Balance Sheet and prior to the date of this Agreement, except as otherwise reflected in the Audited Financial Statements, or as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, (a) the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses in all material respects in the ordinary course and in a manner consistent with past practice, (b) the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have not sold, assigned or otherwise transferred any right, title, or interest in or to any of their material assets (including Intellectual Property and Business Systems) other than non-exclusive licenses or assignments or transfers in the ordinary course of business, (c) there has not been any Company Material Adverse Effect, and (d) none of the Company or any Company Subsidiary has taken any action that, if taken after the date of this Agreement, would constitute a material breach of any of the covenants set forth in Section 6.01.

SECTION 4.09             Absence of Litigation. There is no material litigation, suit, claim, action, proceeding or investigation by or before any Governmental Authority (an “Action”) pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or any property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, before any Governmental Authority. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary nor any material property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary is, subject to any continuing order of, consent decree, settlement agreement or other similar written agreement with, or, to the knowledge of the Company, continuing investigation by, any Governmental Authority, or any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination or award of any Governmental Authority.

SECTION 4.10             Employee Benefit Plans.

(a)        All employment and consulting contracts or agreements to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party, with respect to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary has any obligation have been made available to VectoIQ. Section 4.10(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists, as of the date of this Agreement, all employee benefit plans (as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)) and all bonus, stock option, stock purchase, restricted stock, incentive, deferred compensation, retiree medical or life insurance, supplemental retirement, severance, change in control, fringe benefit, sick pay and vacation plans or arrangements or other employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, in each case which are maintained, contributed to or sponsored by the Company or any Company Subsidiary for the benefit of any current or former employee, officer, director and/or consultant, or under which the Company or any Company Subsidiary has or could incur any liability (contingent or otherwise) (collectively, the “Plans”).

(b)        With respect to each Plan, the Company has made available to VectoIQ, if applicable (i) a true and complete copy of the current plan document and all amendments thereto and each trust or other funding arrangement, (ii) copies of the most recent summary plan description and any summaries of material modifications, (iii) a copy of the 2018 filed Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 5500 annual report and accompanying schedules, (iv) copies of the most recently received IRS determination, opinion or advisory letter for each such Plan, and (v) any material non-routine correspondence from any Governmental Authority with respect to any Plan within the past three (3) years. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has any express commitment to modify, change or terminate any Plan, other than with respect to a modification, change or termination required by ERISA or the Code, or other applicable Law.

(c)        None of the Plans is or was within the past six (6) years, nor does the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate have or reasonably expect to have any liability or obligation under (i) a multiemployer plan (within the meaning of Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA), (ii) a single employer pension plan (within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA) subject to Section 412 of the Code and/or Title IV of ERISA, (iii) a multiple employer plan subject to Section 413(c) of the Code, or (iv) a multiple employer welfare arrangement under ERISA. For purposes of this Agreement, “ERISA Affiliate” shall mean any entity that together with the Company would be deemed a “single employer” for purposes of Section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA and/or Sections 414(b), (c) and/or (m) of the Code.

(d)        Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is nor will be obligated, whether under any Plan or otherwise, to pay separation, severance, termination or similar benefits to any person directly as a result of any Transaction contemplated by this Agreement, nor will any such transaction accelerate the time of payment or vesting, or increase the amount, of any benefit or other compensation due to any individual. The Transactions shall not be the direct or indirect cause of any amount paid or payable by the Company or any Company Subsidiary being classified as an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code.

(e)        None of the Plans provides, nor does the Company nor any Company Subsidiary have or reasonably expect to have any obligation to provide retiree medical to any current or former employee, officer, director or consultant of the Company or any Company Subsidiary after termination of employment or service except as may be required under Section 4980B of the Code and Parts 6 and 7 of Title I of ERISA and the regulations thereunder.

(f)        Each Plan is and has been within the past six (6) years in compliance, in all material respects, in accordance with its terms and the requirements of all applicable Laws including, without limitation, ERISA and the Code. The Company and the ERISA Affiliates have performed, in all material respects, all obligations required to be performed by them under, are not in any material respect in default under or in violation of, and have no knowledge of any default or violation in any material respect by any party to, any Plan. No Action is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened with respect to any Plan (other than claims for benefits in the ordinary course) and, to the knowledge of the Company, no fact or event exists that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any such Action.

(g)       Each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code or Section 401(k) of the Code has (i) timely received a favorable determination letter from the IRS covering all of the provisions applicable to the Plan for which determination letters are currently available that the Plan is so qualified and each trust established in connection with such Plan is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a) of the Code or (ii) is entitled to rely on a favorable opinion letter from the IRS, and to the knowledge of Company, no fact or event has occurred since the date of such determination or opinion letter or letters from the IRS that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the qualified status of any such Plan or the exempt status of any such trust.

(h)       There has not been any prohibited transaction (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) nor any reportable events (within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA) with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries. There have been no acts or omissions by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that have given or could reasonably be expected to give rise to any material fines, penalties, taxes or related charges under Sections 502 or 4071 of ERISA or Section 511 or Chapter 43 of the Code for which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate may be liable.

(i)         All contributions, premiums or payments required to be made with respect to any Plan have been timely made to the extent due or properly accrued on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, except as would not result in material liability to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries.

(j)         The Company and each ERISA Affiliate have each complied in all material respects with the notice and continuation coverage requirements, and all other requirements, of Section 4980B of the Code and Parts 6 and 7 of Title I of ERISA, and the regulations thereunder, with respect to each Plan that is, or was during any taxable year for which the statute of limitations on the assessment of federal income taxes remains open, by consent or otherwise, a group health plan within the meaning of Section 5000(b)(1) of the Code.

(k)        The Company and each Plan that is a “group health plan” as defined in Section 733(a)(1) of ERISA (each, a “Health Plan”) is and has been in compliance, in all material respects, with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (“PPACA”), and no event has occurred, and no condition or circumstance exists, that could reasonably be expected to subject the Company, any ERISA Affiliate or any Health Plan to any material liability for penalties or excise taxes under Code Section 4980D or 4980H or any other provision of the PPACA.

(l)         Each Plan that constitutes a nonqualified deferred compensation plan subject to Section 409A of the Code has been administered and operated, in all material respects, in compliance with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, and no additional Tax under Section 409A(a)(1)(B) of the Code has been or could reasonably be expected to be incurred by a participant in any such Plan.

SECTION 4.11             Labor and Employment Matters.

(a)        Schedule 4.11(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true, correct and complete list of all employees of the Company and any Company Subsidiary as of the date hereof, including any employee who is on a leave of absence of any nature, authorized or unauthorized, and sets forth for each such individual the following: (i) name; (ii) title or position (including whether full or part time); (iii) hire date; (iv) current annual base compensation rate; and (v) commission, bonus or other incentive based compensation. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.11(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, as of the date hereof, all compensation, including wages, commissions and bonuses, due and payable to all employees of the Company and any Company Subsidiary for services performed on or prior to the date hereof have been paid in full (or accrued in full in the Company’s financial statements).

(b)        (i) There are no material Actions pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any Company Subsidiary by any of their respective current or former employees, which Actions would be material to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is, nor have been for the past five (5) years, a party to, bound by, or negotiating any collective bargaining agreement or other contract with a union, works council or labor organization applicable to persons employed by the Company or any Company Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, are there any activities or proceedings of any labor union to organize any such employees; (iii)  there are no unfair labor practice complaints pending against the Company or any Company Subsidiary before the National Labor Relations Board; and (iv) there has never been, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, has there been any threat of any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, concerted refusal to work overtime or other similar labor disruption or dispute affecting, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threat thereof, by or with respect to any employees of the Company or any Company Subsidiary.

(c)        The Company and the Company Subsidiaries are and have been in compliance in all respects with all applicable Laws relating to the employment, employment practices, employment discrimination, terms and conditions of employment, mass layoffs and plant closings (including the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar state or local Laws), immigration, meal and rest breaks, pay equity, workers’ compensation, family and medical leave, and occupational safety and health requirements, including those related to wages, hours, collective bargaining and the payment and withholding of taxes and other sums as required by the appropriate Governmental Authority and are not liable for any arrears of wages, taxes, penalties or other sums for failure to comply with any of the foregoing.

SECTION 4.12             Real Property; Title to Assets.

(a)        Section 4.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth the Owned Real Property. The Company or one of the Company Subsidiaries has good and valid title in fee simple to the Owned Real Property, free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens.

(b)        Section 4.12(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists the street address of each parcel of Leased Real Property, and sets forth a list of each lease, sublease, and license pursuant to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary leases, subleases or licenses and real property (each, a “Lease”), with the name of the lessor and the date of the Lease in connection therewith and each material amendment to any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Lease Documents”). True, correct and complete copies of all Lease Documents have been made available to VectoIQ. Except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.12(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (i) there are no leases, subleases, concessions or other contracts granting to any person any than the Company or Company Subsidiaries the right to use or occupy any real property, and (ii) all such Leases are in full force and effect, are valid and enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, subject to the Remedies Exceptions, and there is not, under any of such Leases, any existing material default or event of default (or event which, with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) by the Company or any Company Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, by the other party to such Leases, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Neither the Company, nor any Company Subsidiary, has subleased, sublicensed or otherwise granted to any person any right to use, occupy or possess any portion of the Leased Real Property.

(c)        There are no contractual or legal restrictions that preclude or restrict the ability of the Company or Company Subsidiary to use any Owned Real Property or Leased Real Property by such party for the purposes for which it is currently being used, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. There are no latent defects or adverse physical conditions affecting the Owned Real Property or Leased Real Property, and improvements thereon, other than those that would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(d)        Each of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries has legal and valid title to, or, in the case of Leased Real Property and assets, valid leasehold or subleasehold interests in, all of its properties and assets, tangible and intangible, real, personal and mixed, used or held for use in its business, free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

SECTION 4.13             Intellectual Property.

(a)        Section 4.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains a true, correct and complete list of all of the following that are owned or purported to be owned, used or held for use by the Company and/or the Company Subsidiaries: (i) registered Intellectual Property rights and applications for registrations of other Intellectual Property rights (showing in each, as applicable, the filing date, date of issuance, expiration date and registration or application number, and registrar), (ii) all contracts or agreements to use any Company-Licensed IP, including for the Software or Business Systems of any other person, that are material to the business of the Company and/or the Company Subsidiaries as currently conducted (other than unmodified, commercially available, “off-the-shelf” Software with a replacement cost and/or aggregate annual license and maintenance fees of less than $75,000); and (iii) any Software or Business Systems, owned or purported to be owned by the Company or any Company Subsidiary that is material to the business of, the Company or any Company Subsidiary as currently conducted that would have a replacement cost of more than $75,000. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company IP specified on Section 4.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule constitutes all material Intellectual Property rights used in the operation of the business of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries and is sufficient for the conduct of such business as currently conducted and contemplated to be conducted as of the date hereof.

(b)        The Company or one of the Company Subsidiaries solely and exclusively owns and possesses, free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens), all right, title and interest in and to the Company-Owned IP and has the right to use pursuant to a valid and enforceable written license, all Company-Licensed IP. All Company-Owned IP is subsisting and, to the knowledge of the Company, valid and enforceable. No loss or expiration of any of the Company-Owned IP, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company-Licensed IP, is threatened, or pending.

(c)        The Company and each of its applicable Company Subsidiaries have taken and take reasonable actions to maintain, protect and enforce Intellectual Property rights, including the secrecy, confidentiality and value of its trade secrets and other Confidential Information. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiaries have disclosed any trade secrets or other Confidential Information that is material to the business of the Company and any applicable Company Subsidiaries to any other person other than pursuant to a written confidentiality agreement under which such other person agrees to maintain the confidentiality and protect such Confidential Information or intentionally in the conduct of the Company’s business in the ordinary course including the marketing, sale, distribution and maintenance of Products.

(d)       (i) There have been no claims properly filed and served, or threatened in writing (including email) to be filed, against the Company or any Company Subsidiary in any forum, by any person (A) contesting the validity, use, ownership, enforceability, patentability or registrability of any of the Company IP, or (B) alleging any infringement or misappropriation of, or other conflict with, any Intellectual Property rights of other persons (including any material demands or offers to license any Intellectual Property rights from any other person); (ii)  to the Company’s knowledge, the operation of its business of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries (including the Products) has not and does not infringe, misappropriate or violate, any Intellectual Property rights of other persons; (iii) to the Company’s knowledge, no other person has infringed, misappropriated or violated any of the Company-Owned IP; and (iv) neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has received any formal written opinions of counsel regarding any of the foregoing.

(e)        All persons who have contributed, developed or conceived any Company IP have executed valid, written agreements with the Company or one of the Company Subsidiaries, substantially in the form made available to Merger Sub or VectoIQ, and pursuant to which such persons agreed to assign to the Company or the applicable Company Subsidiary all of their entire right, title, and interest in and to any Intellectual Property created, conceived or otherwise developed by such person in the course of and related to his, her or its relationship with the Company or the applicable Company Subsidiary, without further consideration or any restrictions or obligations whatsoever, including on the use or other disposition or ownership of such Intellectual Property, except as required by applicable Law.

(f)         Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other person is in material breach or in material default of any agreement specified in Section 4.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule.

(g)        The Company and Company Subsidiaries do not use and have not used any Open Source Software or any modification or derivative thereof (i) in a manner that would grant or purport to grant to any other person any rights to or immunities under any of the Company IP, or (ii) under any license requiring the Company or any Company Subsidiary to disclose or distribute the source code to any Business Systems or Product components, to license or provide the source code to any of the Business Systems or Product components for the purpose of making derivative works, or to make available for redistribution to any person the source code to any of the Business Systems or Product components at no or minimal charge.

(h)        The Company and/or one of the Company Subsidiaries owns, leases, licenses, or otherwise has the legal right to use all Business Systems, and such Business Systems are sufficient for the immediate and anticipated future needs of the business of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries as currently conducted by the Company and/or the Company Subsidiaries. Except as specified in Section 4.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company and each of the Company Subsidiaries maintain commercially reasonable disaster recovery and business continuity plans, procedures and facilities, and since January 1, 2017, there has not been any material failure with respect to any of the Business Systems that has not been remedied or replaced in all material respects. The Company and each of the Company Subsidiaries have purchased a sufficient number of seat licenses for their Business Systems.

(i)         The Company and each of the Company Subsidiaries currently and previously have complied in all material respects with (i) all applicable Privacy/Data Security Laws, (ii) any applicable privacy or other policies of the Company and/or the Company Subsidiary, respectively, concerning the collection, dissemination, storage or use of Personal Information or other Business Data, (iii) industry standards to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is bound, and (iv) all contractual commitments that the Company or any Company Subsidiary has entered into or is otherwise bound with respect to privacy and/or data security (collectively, the “Data Security Requirements”). The Company and the Company Subsidiaries have each implemented reasonable data security safeguards designed to protect the security and integrity of its Business Systems and any Business Data, including implementing industry standard procedures preventing unauthorized access and the introduction of Disabling Devices. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiaries has inserted and, to the knowledge of the Company, no other person has inserted or alleged to have inserted any Disabling Device in any of the Business Systems or Product components. Since January 1, 2017, neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has (x) experienced any data security breaches that were required to be reported under applicable Privacy/Data Security Laws or customer contracts; or (y) been subject to or received written notice of any audits, proceedings or investigations by any Governmental Authority or any customer, or received any material claims or complaints regarding the collection, dissemination, storage or use of Personal Information, or the violation of any applicable Data Security Requirements, and, to the Company’s knowledge, there is no reasonable basis for the same.

(j)         The Company and/or one of the Company Subsidiaries (i) exclusively owns and possesses all right, title and interest in and to the Business Data free and clear of any restrictions of any nature or (ii) has all rights to use, exploit, publish, reproduce, distribute, license, sell, and create derivative works of the Business Data, in whole or in part, in the manner in which the Company and the Company Subsidiaries receive and use such Business Data prior to the Closing Date. The Company and the Company Subsidiaries are not subject to any contractual requirements, privacy policies, or other legal obligations, including based on the Transactions contemplated hereunder, that would prohibit Merger Sub or VectoIQ from receiving or using Personal Information or other Business Data, in the manner in which the Company and the Company Subsidiaries receive and use such Personal Information and other Business Data prior to the Closing Date or result in liabilities in connection with Data Security Requirements. No employee, officer, director, or agent of Merger Sub or VectoIQ has been debarred or otherwise forbidden by any applicable Law or any Governmental Authority (including judicial or agency order) from involvement in the operations of a business such as that of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries.

(k)        All current officers, management employees, and technical and professional employees of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries are under written obligation to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries to maintain in confidence all confidential or proprietary information acquired by them in the course of their employment and to assign to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries all inventions made by them within the scope of their employment during such employment.

SECTION 4.14             Taxes.

(a)        The Company and each of its Company Subsidiaries: (i) have duly and timely filed (taking into account any extension of time within which to file) all material Tax Returns required to be filed by any of them as of the date hereof and all such filed Tax Returns are complete and accurate in all material respects; (ii) have timely paid all Taxes that are shown as due on such filed Tax Returns and any other material Taxes that the Company or any of its Company Subsidiaries are otherwise obligated to pay, except with respect to Taxes that are being contested in good faith and are disclosed in Section 4.14(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and no material penalties or charges are due with respect to the late filing of any Tax Return required to be filed by or with respect to any of them on or before the Effective Time; (iii) with respect to all material Tax Returns filed by or with respect to any of them, have not waived any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to a Tax assessment or deficiency; and (iv) do not have any deficiency, audit, examination, investigation or other proceeding in respect of Taxes or Tax matters pending or proposed or threatened in writing, for a Tax period which the statute of limitations for assessments remains open.

(b)        Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to, is bound by or has an obligation under any Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnification agreement, Tax allocation agreement or similar contract or arrangement (including any agreement, contract or arrangement providing for the sharing or ceding of credits or losses) or has a potential liability or obligation to any person as a result of or pursuant to any such agreement, contract, arrangement or commitment other than an agreement, contract, arrangement or commitment the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes.

(c)        None of the Company and its Company Subsidiaries will be required to include any material item of income in, or exclude any material item of deduction from, taxable income for any taxable period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any: (i) change in method of accounting for a taxable period ending on or prior to the Closing Date under Code Section 481(c) (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign income Tax law); (ii) “closing agreement” as described in Code Section 7121 (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign income Tax law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date; or (iii) installment sale made on or prior to the Closing Date.

(d)        Each of the Company and its Company Subsidiaries has withheld and paid to the appropriate Tax authority all material Taxes required to have been withheld and paid in connection with amounts paid or owing to any current or former employee, independent contractor, creditor, shareholder or other third party and has complied in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules and regulations relating to the payment and withholding of Taxes.

(e)        Neither the Company nor any of its Company Subsidiaries has been a member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated, combined or unitary U.S. federal, state, local or foreign income Tax Return (other than a group of which the Company was the common parent).

(f)         Neither the Company nor any of its Company Subsidiaries has any material liability for the Taxes of any person (other than the Company and its Company Subsidiaries) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign law), as a transferee or successor, by contract, or otherwise.

(g)        Neither the Company nor any of its Company Subsidiaries has any request for a material ruling in respect of Taxes pending between the Company or any Company Subsidiary and any Tax authority.

(h)        The Company has made available to VectoIQ true, correct and complete copies of the U.S. federal income Tax Returns filed by the Company and its Company Subsidiaries for tax years 2017 and 2018.

(i)         Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has in any year for which the applicable statute of limitations remains open distributed stock of another person, or has had its stock distributed by another person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 or Section 361 of the Code.

(j)         Neither the Company nor any of its Company Subsidiaries has engaged in or entered into a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).

(k)        Neither the IRS nor any other United States or non-United States taxing authority or agency has asserted in writing or, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Company Subsidiaries, has threatened to assert against the Company or any Company Subsidiary any deficiency or claim for any Taxes or interest thereon or penalties in connection therewith.

(l)         There are no Tax liens upon any assets of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries except for Permitted Liens.

(m)       None of the Company and its Company Subsidiaries has been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code. None of the Company and its Company Subsidiaries: (A) is a “controlled foreign corporation” as defined in Section 957 of the Code, (B) is a “passive foreign investment company” within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code, or (C) has received written notice from a non-United States taxing authority that it has a permanent establishment (within the meaning of an applicable Tax treaty) or otherwise has an office or fixed place of business in a country other than the country in which it is organized.

(n)        As used in this Agreement, (i) the term “Tax” (including, with correlative meaning, the term “Taxes,”) includes all federal, state, local and foreign income, profits, franchise, gross receipts, environmental, capital stock, severances, stamp, payroll, sales, employment, unemployment, disability, use, property, withholding, excise, production, value added, occupancy and other taxes, duties or assessments of any nature whatsoever, together with all interest, penalties and additions imposed with respect to such amounts and any interest in respect of such penalties and additions, and (ii) the term “Tax Return” includes all returns and reports (including elections, declarations, disclosures, schedules, estimates and information returns, as well as attachments thereto and amendments thereof) required to be supplied to a Tax authority relating to Taxes.

SECTION 4.15             Environmental Matters. (a) None of the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has materially violated since January 1, 2017 or is in material violation of applicable Environmental Law; (b) to the knowledge of the Company, none of the properties currently or formerly owned, leased or operated by the Company or any Company Subsidiary (including, without limitation, soils and surface and ground waters) are contaminated with any Hazardous Substance in violation of applicable Environmental Laws which requires reporting, investigation, remediation, monitoring or other response action by the Company or any Company Subsidiary pursuant to applicable Environmental Laws; (c) to the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries is, in any material respect, actually, potentially or allegedly liable pursuant to applicable Environmental Laws for any off-site contamination by Hazardous Substances; (d) each of the Company and each Company Subsidiary has all material permits, licenses and other authorizations required of each of the Company and each Company Subsidiary under applicable Environmental Law (“Environmental Permits”); and (e) each of the Company and each Company Subsidiary is in material compliance with its Environmental Permits.

SECTION 4.16              Material Contracts.

(a)        Section 4.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists, as of the date of this Agreement, the following types of contracts and agreements to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party, excluding for this purpose, any purchase orders submitted by customers (such contracts and agreements as are required to be set forth Section 4.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule along with any Plan listed on Section 4.10(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule being the “Material Contracts”):

(i)              each contract and agreement with consideration paid or payable to the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries of more than $250,000, in the aggregate, over the 12-month period ending December 31, 2019;

(ii)             each contract and agreement with suppliers to the Company or any Company Subsidiary for expenditures paid or payable by the Company or any Company Subsidiary of more than $250,000, in the aggregate, over the 12-month period ending December 31, 2019;

(iii)            all broker, distributor, dealer, manufacturer’s representative, franchise, agency, sales promotion, market research, marketing consulting and advertising contracts and agreements to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party that are material to the business of the Company;

(iv)            all management contracts (excluding contracts for employment) and contracts with other consultants, including any contracts involving the payment of royalties or other amounts calculated based upon the revenues or income of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or income or revenues related to any Product of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party;

(v)             all contracts and agreements evidencing indebtedness for borrowed money in an amount greater than $500,000;

(vi)            all partnership, joint venture or similar agreements;

(vii)           all contracts and agreements with any Governmental Authority to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party, other than any Company Permits;

(viii)          all contracts and agreements that limit, or purport to limit, the ability of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to compete in any line of business or with any person or entity or in any geographic area or during any period of time, excluding customary confidentiality agreements and agreements that contain customary confidentiality clauses;

(ix)             all contracts or arrangements that result in any person or entity holding a power of attorney from the Company or any Company Subsidiary that relates to the Company, any Company Subsidiary or their respective businesses;

(x)              all leases or master leases of personal property reasonably likely to result in annual payments of $500,000 or more in a 12-month period;

(xi)             all contracts involving use of any Company-Licensed IP required to be listed in Section 4.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule; and

(xii)            contracts which involve the license or grant of rights to Company-Owned IP by the Company and/or the Company Subsidiaries, but excluding any nonexclusive licenses (or sublicenses) of Company-Owned IP granted to customers in the ordinary course of business that are substantially in the same form as the Company’s or a Company Subsidiary’s standard form customer agreements as have been provided to VectoIQ.

(b)           (i) each Material Contract is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the other parties thereto, and neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is in material breach or violation of, or material default under, any Material Contract nor has any Material Contract been canceled by the other party; (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, no other party is in material breach or violation of, or material default under, any Material Contract; and (iii) the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have not received any written, or to the knowledge of the Company, oral claim of default under any such Material Contract. The Company has furnished or made available to VectoIQ true and complete copies of all Material Contracts, including amendments thereto that are material in nature.

SECTION 4.17            Insurance.

(a)            Section 4.17(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth, with respect to each material insurance policy under which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is an insured, a named insured or otherwise the principal beneficiary of coverage as of the date of this Agreement (i) the names of the insurer, the principal insured and each named insured that is the Company or any Company Subsidiary, (ii) the policy number, (iii) the period, scope and amount of coverage and (iv) the premium most recently charged.

(b)           With respect to each such insurance policy, except as would not be expected to result in a Company Material Adverse Effect: (i) the policy is legal, valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms (subject to the Remedies Exceptions) and, except for policies that have expired under their terms in the ordinary course, is in full force and effect; (ii) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is in material breach or default (including any such breach or default with respect to the payment of premiums or the giving of notice), and no event has occurred which, with notice or the lapse of time, would constitute such a breach or default, or permit termination or modification, under the policy; and (iii) to the knowledge of the Company, no insurer on the policy has been declared insolvent or placed in receivership, conservatorship or liquidation.

SECTION 4.18            Board Approval; Vote Required. The Company Board, by resolutions duly adopted by unanimous vote of those voting at a meeting duly called and held and not subsequently rescinded or modified in any way, or by unanimous written consent, has duly (a) determined that this Agreement and the Merger are fair to and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, (b) approved this Agreement and the Merger and declared their advisability, and (c) recommended that the stockholders of the Company approve and adopt this Agreement and approve the Merger and directed that this Agreement and the Transactions (including the Merger) be submitted for consideration by the Company’s stockholders. The Requisite Approval (the “Company Stockholder Approval”) is the only vote of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Company necessary to adopt this Agreement and approve the Transactions. The Written Consent, if executed and delivered, would qualify as the Company Stockholder Approval and no additional approval or vote from any holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Company would then be necessary to adopt this Agreement and approve the Transactions.

SECTION 4.19            Certain Business Practices. Since January 1, 2017, none of the Company, any Company Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any directors or officers, agents or employees of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, has: (a) used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to political activity; (b) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns or violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (c) made any payment in the nature of criminal bribery.

SECTION 4.20            Interested Party Transactions. Except for employment relationships and the payment of compensation, benefits and expense reimbursements and advances in the ordinary course of business, no director, officer or other affiliate of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, to the Company’s knowledge, has or has had, directly or indirectly: (a) an economic interest in any person that has furnished or sold, or furnishes or sells, services or Products that the Company or any Company Subsidiary furnishes or sells, or proposes to furnish or sell; (b) an economic interest in any person that purchases from or sells or furnishes to, the Company or any Company Subsidiary, any goods or services; (c) a beneficial interest in any contract or agreement disclosed in Section 4.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule; or (d) any contractual or other arrangement with the Company or any Company Subsidiary, other than customary indemnity arrangements; provided, however, that ownership of no more than five percent (5%) of the outstanding voting stock of a publicly traded corporation shall not be deemed an “economic interest in any person” for purposes of this Section 4.20. The Company and the Company Subsidiaries have not, since January 1, 2017, (i) extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit or renewed an extension of credit in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company, or (ii) materially modified any term of any such extension or maintenance of credit.

SECTION 4.21            Exchange Act. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is currently (or has previously been) subject to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

SECTION 4.22            Brokers. No broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary.

SECTION 4.23            Exclusivity of Representations and Warranties. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Article IV (as modified by the Company Disclosure Schedule), the Company hereby expressly disclaims and negates, any other express or implied representation or warranty whatsoever (whether at Law or in equity) with respect to the Company, its affiliates, and any matter relating to any of them, including their affairs, the condition, value or quality of the assets, liabilities, financial condition or results of operations, or with respect to the accuracy or completeness of any other information made available to VectoIQ, its affiliates or any of their respective Representatives by, or on behalf of, Company, and any such representations or warranties are expressly disclaimed. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, neither Company nor any other person on behalf of Company has made or makes, any representation or warranty, whether express or implied, with respect to any projections, forecasts, estimates or budgets made available to VectoIQ, its affiliates or any of their respective Representatives of future revenues, future results of operations (or any component thereof), future cash flows or future financial condition (or any component thereof) of the Company (including the reasonableness of the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing), whether or not included in any management presentation or in any other information made available to VectoIQ, its affiliates or any of their respective Representatives or any other person, and that any such representations or warranties are expressly disclaimed.

Article V.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF VECTOIQ AND MERGER SUB

Except as set forth in the VectoIQ SEC Reports (to the extent the qualifying nature of such disclosure is readily apparent from the content of such VectoIQ SEC Reports, but excluding disclosures referred to in “Forward-Looking Statements”, “Risk Factors” and any other disclosures therein to the extent they are of a predictive or cautionary nature or related to forward-looking statements) (it being acknowledged that nothing in disclosed in such a SEC Report will be deemed to modify or qualify the representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.01 (Corporate Organization), Section 5.03 (Capitalization) and Section 5.04 (Authority Relative to This Agreement)), VectoIQ hereby represents and warrants to the Company as follows:

SECTION 5.01            Corporate Organization.

(a)            Each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has the requisite corporate power and authority and all necessary governmental approvals to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted, except where the failure to have such power, authority and governmental approvals would not be a VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect.

(b)            Merger Sub is the only subsidiary of VectoIQ. Except for Merger Sub, VectoIQ does not directly or indirectly own any equity or similar interest in, or any interest convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any equity or similar interest in, any corporation, partnership, joint venture or business association or other person.

SECTION 5.02            Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws. Each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub has heretofore furnished to the Company complete and correct copies of the VectoIQ Organizational Documents and the Merger Sub Organizational Documents. The VectoIQ Organizational Documents and the Merger Sub Organizational Documents are in full force and effect. Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub is in violation of any of the provisions of the VectoIQ Organizational Documents and the Merger Sub Organizational Documents.

SECTION 5.03            Capitalization.

(a)            The authorized capital stock of VectoIQ consists of (i) 100,000,000 shares of VectoIQ Common Stock, and (ii) 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“VectoIQ Preferred Stock”). As of the date of this Agreement (i) 29,640,000 shares of VectoIQ Common Stock are issued and outstanding (which includes 22,831,030 shares subject to Redemption Rights), all of which are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to any preemptive rights, (ii) no shares of VectoIQ Common Stock are held in the treasury of VectoIQ, (iii) 23,890,000 VectoIQ Warrants are issued and outstanding, and (iv) 23,890,000 shares of VectoIQ Common Stock are reserved for future issuance pursuant to the VectoIQ Warrants. As of the date of this Agreement, there are no shares of VectoIQ Preferred Stock issued and outstanding. Each VectoIQ Warrant is exercisable for one share of VectoIQ Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50.

(b)            As of the date of this Agreement, the authorized capital stock of Merger Sub consists of 1,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Merger Sub Common Stock”). As of the date hereof, 100 shares of Merger Sub Common Stock are issued and outstanding. All outstanding shares of Merger Sub Common Stock have been duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and are non-assessable and are not subject to preemptive rights, and are held by VectoIQ free and clear of all Liens, other than transfer restrictions under applicable securities laws and the Merger Sub Organizational Documents.

(c)            All outstanding VectoIQ Units, shares of VectoIQ Common Stock and VectoIQ Warrants have been issued and granted in compliance with all applicable securities laws and other applicable Laws and were issued free and clear of all Liens other than transfer restrictions under applicable securities laws and the VectoIQ Organizational Documents.

(d)            The Per Share Merger Consideration being delivered by VectoIQ hereunder shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and each such share or other security shall be issued free and clear of preemptive rights and all Liens, other than transfer restrictions under applicable securities laws and the VectoIQ Organizational Documents. The Per Share Merger Consideration will be issued in compliance with all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Laws and without contravention of any other person’s rights therein or with respect thereto.

(e)            Except for securities issued pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, securities issued by VectoIQ as permitted by this Agreement and the VectoIQ Warrants, VectoIQ has not issued any options, warrants, preemptive rights, calls, convertible securities or other rights, agreements, arrangements or commitments of any character relating to the issued or unissued capital stock of VectoIQ or obligating VectoIQ to issue or sell any shares of capital stock of, or other equity interests in, VectoIQ. All shares of VectoIQ Common Stock subject to issuance as aforesaid, upon issuance on the terms and conditions specified in the instruments pursuant to which they are issuable, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Neither VectoIQ nor any subsidiary of VectoIQ is a party to, or otherwise bound by, and neither VectoIQ nor any subsidiary of VectoIQ has granted, any equity appreciation rights, participations, phantom equity or similar rights. VectoIQ is not a party to any voting trusts, voting agreements, proxies, shareholder agreements or other agreements with respect to the voting or transfer of VectoIQ Common Stock or any of the equity interests or other securities of VectoIQ or any of its subsidiaries. There are no outstanding contractual obligations of VectoIQ to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of VectoIQ Common Stock. There are no outstanding contractual obligations of VectoIQ to make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in, any person.

SECTION 5.04            Authority Relative to This Agreement. Each of VectoIQ, and Merger Sub have all necessary power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the Transactions. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub and the consummation by each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub of the Transactions, have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of VectoIQ or Merger Sub are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the Transactions (other than (a) with respect to the Merger, the approval and adoption of this Agreement by the holders of a majority of the then-outstanding shares of VectoIQ Common Stock and by the holders of a majority of the then-outstanding shares of Merger Sub Common Stock, and the filing and recordation of appropriate merger documents as required by the DGCL, and (b) with respect to the issuance of VectoIQ Common Stock and the amendment and restatement of the VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation pursuant to this Agreement, the approval of majority of the then-outstanding shares of VectoIQ Common Stock). This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by VectoIQ and Merger Sub and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company, constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of VectoIQ or Merger Sub, enforceable against VectoIQ or Merger Sub in accordance with its terms subject to the Remedies Exceptions.

SECTION 5.05            No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents.

(a)            The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub do not, and the performance of this Agreement by each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub will not, (i) conflict with or violate the VectoIQ Organizational Documents or the Merger Sub Organizational Documents, (ii) assuming that all consents, approvals, authorizations and other actions described in Section 5.05(b) have been obtained and all filings and obligations described in Section 5.05(b) have been made, conflict with or violate any Law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree applicable to each of VectoIQ or Merger Sub or by which any of their property or assets is bound or affected, or (iii) result in any breach of, or constitute a default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of a Lien on any property or asset of each of VectoIQ or Merger Sub pursuant to, any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, contract, agreement, lease, license, permit, franchise or other instrument or obligation to which each of VectoIQ or Merger Sub is a party or by which each of VectoIQ or Merger Sub or any of their property or assets is bound or affected, except, with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii), for any such conflicts, violations, breaches, defaults or other occurrences which would not have or reasonably be expected to have a VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect.

(b)            The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub do not, and the performance of this Agreement by each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub will not, require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or filing with or notification to, any Governmental Authority, except (i) for applicable requirements, if any, of the Exchange Act, Blue Sky Laws and state takeover laws, the pre-merger notification requirements of the HSR Act, and filing and recordation of appropriate merger documents as required by the DGCL and (ii) where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits, or to make such filings or notifications, would not, individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay consummation of any of the Transactions or otherwise prevent VectoIQ or Merger Sub from performing its material obligations under this Agreement.

SECTION 5.06            Compliance. Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub is or has been in conflict with, or in default, breach or violation of, (a) any Law applicable to VectoIQ or Merger Sub or by which any property or asset of VectoIQ or Merger Sub is bound or affected, or (b) any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, contract, agreement, lease, license, permit, franchise or other instrument or obligation to which VectoIQ or Merger Sub is a party or by which VectoIQ or Merger Sub or any property or asset of VectoIQ or Merger Sub is bound, except, in each case, for any such conflicts, defaults, breaches or violations that would not have or reasonably be expected to have a VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect. Each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub is in possession of all material franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, variances, exceptions, consents, certificates, approvals and orders of any Governmental Authority necessary for VectoIQ or Merger Sub to own, lease and operate its properties or to carry on its business as it is now being conducted.

SECTION 5.07            SEC Filings; Financial Statements; Sarbanes-Oxley.

(a)            VectoIQ has filed all forms, reports, schedules, statements and other documents, including any exhibits thereto, required to be filed by it with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) since May 15, 2018, together with any amendments, restatements or supplements thereto (collectively, the “VectoIQ SEC Reports”). VectoIQ has heretofore furnished to the Company true and correct copies of all amendments and modifications that have not been filed by VectoIQ with the SEC to all agreements, documents and other instruments that previously had been filed by VectoIQ with the SEC and are currently in effect. As of their respective dates, the VectoIQ SEC Reports (i) complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act” ), the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and (ii) did not, at the time they were filed, or, if amended, as of the date of such amendment, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Each director and executive officer of VectoIQ has filed with the SEC on a timely basis all documents required with respect to VectoIQ by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

(b)            Each of the financial statements (including, in each case, any notes thereto) contained in the VectoIQ SEC Reports was prepared in accordance with GAAP (applied on a consistent basis) and Regulation S-X and Regulation S-K, as applicable, throughout the periods indicated (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto or, in the case of unaudited financial statements, as permitted by Form 10-Q of the SEC) and each fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations, changes in stockholders equity and cash flows of VectoIQ as at the respective dates thereof and for the respective periods indicated therein, (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal and recurring year-end adjustments which have not had, and would not reasonably be expected to individually or in the aggregate be material). VectoIQ has no off-balance sheet arrangements that are not disclosed in the VectoIQ SEC Reports. No financial statements other than those of VectoIQ are required by GAAP to be included in the consolidated financial statements of VectoIQ.

(c)            Except as and to the extent set forth in the VectoIQ SEC Reports, neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub has any liability or obligation of a nature (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise) required to be reflected on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP, except for liabilities and obligations arising in the ordinary course of VectoIQ’s and Merger Sub’s business.

(d)            VectoIQ is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable listing and corporate governance rules and regulations of Nasdaq Capital Market.

(e)            VectoIQ has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act). Such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to VectoIQ and other material information required to be disclosed by VectoIQ in the reports and other documents that it files or furnishes under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that all such material information is accumulated and communicated to VectoIQ’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications required pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in timely alerting VectoIQ’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer to material information required to be included in VectoIQ’s periodic reports required under the Exchange Act.

(f)            VectoIQ maintains systems of internal control over financial reporting that are sufficient to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including policies and procedures sufficient to provide reasonable assurance: (i) that VectoIQ maintains records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect, in all material respects, its transactions and dispositions of assets; (ii) that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP; (iii) that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and its board of directors; and (iv) regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of its assets that could have a material effect on its financial statements. VectoIQ has delivered to the Company a true and complete copy of any disclosure (or, if unwritten, a summary thereof) by any representative of VectoIQ to VectoIQ’s independent auditors relating to any material weaknesses in internal controls and any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that would adversely affect the ability of VectoIQ to record, process, summarize and report financial data. VectoIQ has no knowledge of any fraud or whistle-blower allegations, whether or not material, that involve management or other employees or consultants who have or had a significant role in the internal control over financial reporting of VectoIQ. Since December 31, 2018, there have been no material changes in VectoIQ internal control over financial reporting.

(g)            There are no outstanding loans or other extensions of credit made by VectoIQ to any executive officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act) or director of VectoIQ. VectoIQ has not taken any action prohibited by Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(h)            Neither VectoIQ (including any employee thereof) nor VectoIQ’s independent auditors has identified or been made aware of (i) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the system of internal accounting controls utilized by VectoIQ, (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves VectoIQ’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by VectoIQ or (iii) any claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing.

(i)             As of the date hereof, there are no outstanding SEC comments from the SEC with respect to the VectoIQ SEC Reports. To the knowledge of VectoIQ, none of the VectoIQ SEC Reports filed on or prior to the date hereof is subject to ongoing SEC review or investigation as of the date hereof.

SECTION 5.08            Absence of Certain Changes or Events. Since May 18, 2018, except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, (a) VectoIQ has conducted its business in the ordinary course and in a manner consistent with past practice, and (b) there has not been any VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.09            Absence of Litigation. There is no Action pending or, to the knowledge of VectoIQ, threatened against VectoIQ, or any property or asset of VectoIQ, before any Governmental Authority. Neither VectoIQ nor any material property or asset of VectoIQ is subject to any continuing order of, consent decree, settlement agreement or other similar written agreement with, or, to the knowledge of VectoIQ, continuing investigation by, any Governmental Authority.

SECTION 5.10            Board Approval; Vote Required.

(a)            The VectoIQ Board, by resolutions duly adopted by majority vote of those voting at a meeting duly called and held and not subsequently rescinded or modified in any way, has duly (i) determined that this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are fair to and in the best interests of VectoIQ and its stockholders, (ii) approved this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and declared their advisability, (iii) recommended that the stockholders of VectoIQ approve and adopt this Agreement and Merger, and directed that this Agreement and the Merger, be submitted for consideration by the stockholders of VectoIQ at the VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting.

(b)            The only vote of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of VectoIQ necessary to approve the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of VectoIQ Common Stock.

(c)            The Merger Sub Board, by resolutions duly adopted by written consent and not subsequently rescinded or modified in any way, has duly (i) determined that this Agreement and the Merger are fair to and in the best interests of Merger Sub and its sole stockholder, (ii) approved this Agreement and the Merger and declared their advisability, (iii) recommended that the sole stockholder of Merger Sub approve and adopt this Agreement and approve the Merger and directed that this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby be submitted for consideration by the sole stockholder of Merger Sub.

(d)            The only vote of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of Merger Sub is necessary to approve this Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement is the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Merger Sub Common Stock.

SECTION 5.11            No Prior Operations of Merger Sub. Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and has not engaged in any business activities or conducted any operations or incurred any obligation or liability, other than as contemplated by this Agreement.

SECTION 5.12            Brokers. Except for Cowen and Company, LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, no broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of VectoIQ or Merger Sub.

SECTION 5.13            VectoIQ Trust Fund. As of the date of this Agreement, VectoIQ has no less than $238,714,201.42 in the trust fund established by VectoIQ for the benefit of its public stockholders (the “Trust Fund”) maintained in a trust account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Trust Account”). The monies of such Trust Account are invested in United States Government securities or money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and held in trust by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Trustee”) pursuant to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2018, between VectoIQ and the Trustee (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement has not been amended or modified and is valid and in full force and effect and is enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to the Remedies Exceptions. VectoIQ has complied in all material respects with the terms of the Trust Agreement and is not in breach thereof or default thereunder and there does not exist under the Trust Agreement any event which, with the giving of notice or the lapse of time, would constitute such a breach or default by VectoIQ or the Trustee. There are no separate contracts, agreements, side letters or other understandings (whether written or unwritten, express or implied): (i) between VectoIQ and the Trustee that would cause the description of the Trust Agreement in the VectoIQ SEC Reports to be inaccurate in any material respect; or (ii) to the knowledge of VectoIQ, that would entitle any person (other than stockholders of VectoIQ who shall have elected to redeem their shares of VectoIQ Common Stock pursuant to the VectoIQ Organizational Documents) to any portion of the proceeds in the Trust Account. Prior to the Closing, none of the funds held in the Trust Account may be released except: (A) to pay income and franchise taxes from any interest income earned in the Trust Account; and (B) upon the exercise of Redemption Rights in accordance with the provisions of the VectoIQ Organizational Documents. As of the date hereof, there are no Actions pending or, to the knowledge of VectoIQ, threatened in writing with respect to the Trust Account. Upon consummation of the Merger and notice thereof to the Trustee pursuant to the Trust Agreement, VectoIQ shall cause the Trustee to, and the Trustee shall thereupon be obligated to, release to VectoIQ as promptly as practicable, the Trust Funds in accordance with the Trust Agreement at which point the Trust Account shall terminate; provided, however that the liabilities and obligations of VectoIQ due and owing or incurred at or prior to the Effective Time shall be paid as and when due, including all amounts payable (a) to stockholders of VectoIQ who shall have exercised their Redemption Rights, (b)  with respect to filings, applications and/or other actions taken pursuant to this Agreement required under Law, (c) to the Trustee for fees and costs incurred in accordance with the Trust Agreement; and (d) to third parties (e.g., professionals, printers, etc.) who have rendered services to VectoIQ in connection with its efforts to effect the Merger (including fees owed by VectoIQ to Cowen and Company, LLC and Chardan Capital Markets, LLC, pursuant to that certain Business Combination Marketing Agreement, dated May 15, 2018, among Cowen and Company, LLC, Chardan Capital Markets, LLC and VectoIQ). As of the date hereof, assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein and the compliance by the Company with its respective obligations hereunder, VectoIQ has no reason to believe that any of the conditions to the use of funds in the Trust Account will not be satisfied or funds available in the Trust Account will not be available to VectoIQ at the Effective Time.

SECTION 5.14            Employees. Other than any officers as described in the VectoIQ SEC Reports, VectoIQ and Merger Sub have never employed any employees or retained any contractors. Other than reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by VectoIQ’s officers and directors in connection with activities on VectoIQ’s behalf in an aggregate amount not in excess of the amount of cash held by VectoIQ outside of the Trust Account, VectoIQ has no unsatisfied material liability with respect to any employee, officer or director. VectoIQ and Merger Sub have never and do not currently maintain, sponsor, contribute to or have any direct liability under any employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA), nonqualified deferred compensation plan subject to Section 409A of the Code, bonus, stock option, stock purchase, restricted stock, incentive, deferred compensation, retiree medical or life insurance, supplemental retirement, severance, change in control, fringe benefit, sick pay and vacation plans or arrangements or other employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements. Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the other Ancillary Agreements nor the consummation of the Transactions will (i) result in any payment (including severance, unemployment compensation, golden parachute, bonus or otherwise) becoming due to any director, officer or employee of VectoIQ, or (ii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment or vesting of any such benefits. The Transactions shall not be the direct or indirect cause of any amount paid or payable by the VectoIQ, Merger Sub or any affiliate being classified as an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code or the imposition of any additional Tax under Section 409A(a)(1)(B) of the Code. There is no contract, agreement, plan or arrangement to which VectoIQ or Merger Sub is a party which requires payment by any party of a Tax gross-up or Tax reimbursement payment to any person.

SECTION 5.15           Taxes.

(a)            VectoIQ and Merger Sub (i) have duly and timely filed (taking into account any extension of time within which to file) all material Tax Returns required to be filed by any of them as of the date hereof and all such filed Tax Returns are complete and accurate in all material respects; (ii) have timely paid all Taxes that are shown as due on such filed Tax Returns and any other material Taxes that VectoIQ or Merger Sub are otherwise obligated to pay, except with respect to current Taxes not yet due and payable or otherwise being contested in good faith or that are described in clause (a)(v) below; (iii) with respect to all material Tax Returns filed by or with respect to any of them, have not waived any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to a Tax assessment or deficiency; (iv) do not have any deficiency, audit, examination, investigation or other proceeding in respect of a material amount of Taxes or material Tax matters pending or threatened in writing, for a Tax period which the statute of limitations for assessments remains open; and (v) have provided adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP in the most recent consolidated financial statements of VectoIQ, for any material Taxes of VectoIQ that have not been paid, whether or not shown as being due on any Tax Return.

(b)            Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub is a party to, is bound by or has an obligation under any Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnification agreement, Tax allocation agreement or similar contract or arrangement (including any agreement, contract or arrangement providing for the sharing or ceding of credits or losses) or has a potential liability or obligation to any person as a result of or pursuant to any such agreement, contract, arrangement or commitment other than an agreement, contract, arrangement or commitment the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes.

(c)            None of VectoIQ or Merger Sub will be required to include any material item of income in, or exclude any material item of deduction from, taxable income for any taxable period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any: (i) change in method of accounting for a taxable period ending on or prior to the Closing Date under Section 481(c) of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign income Tax law); (ii) “closing agreement” as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign income Tax law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date; or (iii) installment sale made on or prior to the Closing Date.

(d)            Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub has been a member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated, combined or unitary U.S. federal, state, local or foreign income Tax Return.

(e)            Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub has any material liability for the Taxes of any person under Treasury Regulation section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign law), as a transferee or successor, by contract, or otherwise.

(f)            Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub has any request for a material ruling in respect of Taxes pending between VectoIQ and/or Merger Sub, on the one hand, and any Tax authority, on the other hand.

(g)            Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub has in any year for which the applicable statute of limitations remains open distributed stock of another person, or has had its stock distributed by another person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 or Section 361 of the Code.

(h)            Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub has engaged in or entered into a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).

SECTION 5.16            Listing. The issued and outstanding VectoIQ Units are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VTIQU.” The issued and outstanding shares of VectoIQ Common Stock are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VTIQ”. The issued and outstanding VectoIQ Warrants are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VTIQW”. As of the date of this Agreement, there is no Action pending or, to the knowledge of VectoIQ, threatened in writing against VectoIQ by the Nasdaq Capital Market or the SEC with respect to any intention by such entity to deregister the VectoIQ Units, the shares of VectoIQ Common Stock, or VectoIQ Warrants or terminate the listing of VectoIQ on the Nasdaq Capital Market. None of VectoIQ or any of its affiliates has taken any action in an attempt to terminate the registration of the VectoIQ Units, the shares of VectoIQ Common Stock, or the VectoIQ Warrants under the Exchange Act.

SECTION 5.17            VectoIQ’s and Merger Sub’s Investigation and Reliance. Each of VectoIQ and Merger Sub is a sophisticated purchaser and has made its own independent investigation, review and analysis regarding the Company and any Company Subsidiary and the Transactions, which investigation, review and analysis were conducted by VectoIQ and Merger Sub together with expert advisors, including legal counsel, that they have engaged for such purpose. VectoIQ, Merger Sub and their Representatives have been provided with full and complete access to the Representatives, properties, offices, plants and other facilities, books and records of the Company and any Company Subsidiary and other information that they have requested in connection with their investigation of the Company and Company Subsidiary and the Transactions. Neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub is relying on any statement, representation or warranty, oral or written, express or implied, made by the Company or any Company Subsidiary or any of their respective Representatives, except as expressly set forth in Article IV (as modified by the Company Disclosure Schedule). Neither the Company nor any of its respective stockholders, affiliates or Representatives shall have any liability to VectoIQ, Merger Sub or any of their respective stockholders, affiliates or Representatives resulting from the use of any information, documents or materials made available to VectoIQ or Merger Sub or any of their Representatives, whether orally or in writing, in any confidential information memoranda, “data rooms,” management presentations, due diligence discussions or in any other form in expectation of the Transactions. Neither the Company nor any of its stockholders, affiliates or Representatives is making, directly or indirectly, any representation or warranty with respect to any estimates, projections or forecasts involving the Company and/or any Company Subsidiary.

Article VI.

CONDUCT OF BUSINESS PENDING THE MERGER

SECTION 6.01            Conduct of Business by the Company Pending the Merger.

(a)            the Company agrees that, between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement, except as (1) expressly contemplated by any other provision of this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement, (2) as set forth in Section 6.01 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and (3) as required by applicable Law (including as may be requested or compelled by any Governmental Authority), unless VectoIQ shall otherwise consent in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed):

(i)              the Company shall, and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to, conduct their business in the ordinary course of business and in a manner consistent with past practice; and

(ii)             the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to preserve substantially intact the business organization of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, to keep available the services of the current officers, key employees and consultants of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries and to preserve the current relationships of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries with customers, suppliers and other persons with which the Company or any Company Subsidiary has significant business relations.

(b)           By way of amplification and not limitation, except as (1) expressly contemplated by any other provision of this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement, (2) as set forth in Section 6.01 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, and (3) as required by applicable Law (including as may be requested or compelled by any Governmental Authority), the Company shall not, and shall cause each Company Subsidiary not to, between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, do any of the following without the prior written consent of VectoIQ (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed):

(i)            amend or otherwise change its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or equivalent organizational documents;

(ii)            issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, grant or encumber, or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, disposition, grant or encumbrance of, (A) any shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or any options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of such capital stock, or any other ownership interest (including, without limitation, any phantom interest), of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, provided that (1) the exercise or settlement of any Company Options or grants of Company Options in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (2) the sale of shares of Series D Preferred Stock to investors at a price per share of at least $19.01 shall not require the consent of VectoIQ; or (B) any material assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary;

(iii)            declare, set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, with respect to any of its capital stock;

(iv)            reclassify, combine, split, subdivide or redeem, or purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of its capital stock, other than redemptions of equity securities from former employees upon the terms set forth in the underlying agreements governing such equity securities;

(v)            (A) acquire (including, without limitation, by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets or any other business combination) any corporation, partnership, other business organization or any division thereof in an amount in excess of $5,000,000; or (B) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money in excess of $5,000,000 or issue any debt securities or assume, guarantee or endorse, or otherwise become responsible for, the obligations of any person, or make any loans or advances, or intentionally grant any security interest in any of its assets, in each case, except in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice;

(vi)            (A) grant any increase in the compensation, incentives or benefits payable or to become payable to any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company as of the date of this Agreement, other than increases in base compensation of employees in the ordinary course of business, (B) enter into any new, or materially amend any existing employment or severance or termination agreement with any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant, (C) accelerate or commit to accelerate the funding, payment, or vesting of any compensation or benefits to any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant or (D) hire or otherwise enter into any employment or consulting agreement or arrangement with any person or terminate any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant provider whose compensation would exceed, on an annualized basis, $300,000;

(vii)           other than as required by Law or pursuant to the terms of an agreement entered into prior to the date of this Agreement and reflected on Section 4.10(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule or that the Company is not prohibited from entering into after the date hereof, grant any severance or termination pay to, any director or officer of the Company or of any Company Subsidiary, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(viii)          adopt, amend and/or terminate any material Plan except as may be required by applicable Law, is necessary in order to consummate the Transactions, or health and welfare plan renewals in the ordinary course of business;

(ix)            materially amend other than reasonable and usual amendments in the ordinary course of business, with respect to accounting policies or procedures, other than as required by GAAP;

(x)             make any material tax election, amend a material Tax Return or settle or compromise any material United States federal, state, local or non-United States income tax liability;

(xi)            materially amend, or modify or consent to the termination (excluding any expiration in accordance with its terms) of any Material Contract or amend, waive, modify or consent to the termination (excluding any expiration in accordance with its terms) of the Company’s or any Company Subsidiary’s material rights thereunder, in each case in a manner that is adverse to the Company or any Company Subsidiary, taken as a whole, except in the ordinary course of business;

(xii)            intentionally permit any material item of Company IP to lapse or to be abandoned, invalidated, dedicated to the public, or disclaimed, or otherwise become unenforceable or fail to perform or make any applicable filings, recordings or other similar actions or filings, or fail to pay all required fees and taxes required or advisable to maintain and protect its interest in each and every material item of Company IP; or

(xiii)            enter into any formal or informal agreement or otherwise make a binding commitment to do any of the foregoing.

SECTION 6.02            Conduct of Business by VectoIQ and Merger Sub Pending the Merger. Except as expressly contemplated by any other provision of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (including entering into various Subscription Agreements and consummating the Private Placements), except as set forth on Section 6.02 of the Company Disclosure Schedule and as required by applicable Law (including as may be requested or compelled by any Governmental Authority), VectoIQ agrees that from the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement and the Effective Time, unless the Company shall otherwise consent in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), the businesses of VectoIQ and Merger Sub shall be conducted in the ordinary course of business and in a manner consistent with past practice. By way of amplification and not limitation, except as expressly contemplated by any other provision of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (including entering into various Subscription Agreements and consummating the Private Placements), or in connection with the terms and conditions of, any Subscription Agreement, as set forth on Section 6.02 of the Company Disclosure Schedule or and as required by applicable Law (including as may be requested or compelled by any Governmental Authority), neither VectoIQ nor Merger Sub shall, between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement, directly or indirectly, do any of the following without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned:

(a)            amend or otherwise change the VectoIQ Organizational Documents or the Merger Sub Organizational Documents or form any subsidiary of VectoIQ other than Merger Sub;

(b)           declare, set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, with respect to any of its capital stock, other than redemptions from the Trust Fund that are required pursuant to the VectoIQ Organizational Documents;

(c)            reclassify, combine, split, subdivide or redeem, or purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of the VectoIQ Common Stock or VectorIQ Warrants except for redemptions from the Trust Fund that are required pursuant to the VectoIQ Organizational Documents;

(d)            issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, grant or encumber, or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, disposition, grant or encumbrance of, any shares of any class of capital stock or other securities of VectoIQ or Merger Sub, or any options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of such capital stock, or any other ownership interest (including, without limitation, any phantom interest), of VectoIQ or Merger Sub;

(e)            acquire (including, without limitation, by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets or any other business combination) any corporation, partnership, other business organization or enter into any strategic joint ventures, partnerships or alliances with any other person;

(f)             incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any such indebtedness of another person or persons, issue or sell any debt securities or options, warrants, calls or other rights to acquire any debt securities of VectoIQ, as applicable, enter into any “keep well” or other agreement to maintain any financial statement condition or enter into any arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing, in each case, except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(g)            make any change in any method of financial accounting or financial accounting principles, policies, procedures or practices, except as required by a concurrent amendment in GAAP or applicable Law made subsequent to the date hereof, as agreed to by its independent accountants;

(h)            make any material tax election or settle or compromise any material United States federal, state, local or non-United States income tax liability, except in the ordinary course consistent with past practice;

(i)             liquidate, dissolve, reorganize or otherwise wind up the business and operations of VectoIQ or Merger Sub;

(j)             amend the Trust Agreement or any other agreement related to the Trust Account; or

(k)            enter into any formal or informal agreement or otherwise make a binding commitment to do any of the foregoing.

SECTION 6.03            Claims Against Trust Account. The Company agrees that, notwithstanding any other provision contained in this Agreement, the Company does not now have, and shall not at any time prior to the Effective Time have, any claim to, or make any claim against, the Trust Fund, regardless of whether such claim arises as a result of, in connection with or relating in any way to, the business relationship between the Company on the one hand, and VectoIQ on the other hand, this Agreement, or any other agreement or any other matter, and regardless of whether such claim arises based on contract, tort, equity or any other theory of legal liability (any and all such claims are collectively referred to in this Section 6.03 as the “Claims”). Notwithstanding any other provision contained in this Agreement, the Company hereby irrevocably waives any Claim they may have, now or in the future and will not seek recourse against the Trust Fund for any reason whatsoever in respect thereof; provided, however, that the foregoing waiver will not limit or prohibit the Company from pursuing a claim against VectoIQ, Merger Sub or any other person (a) for legal relief against monies or other assets of VectoIQ or Merger Sub held outside of the Trust Account or for specific performance or other equitable relief in connection with the Transactions or (b) for damages for breach of this Agreement against VectoIQ (or any successor entity) or Merger Sub in the event this Agreement is terminated for any reason and VectoIQ consummates a business combination transaction with another party. In the event that the Company commences any action or proceeding against or involving the Trust Fund in violation of the foregoing, VectoIQ shall be entitled to recover from the Company the associated reasonable legal fees and costs in connection with any such action, in the event VectoIQ prevails in such action or proceeding.

Article VII.

ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS

SECTION 7.01            Proxy Statement; Registration Statement.

(a)            As promptly as practicable after the execution of this Agreement and receipt of the PCAOB Audited Financials, (i) VectoIQ and the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC a joint information statement/proxy statement (as amended or supplemented, the “Proxy Statement”) to be sent to the stockholders of VectoIQ and to the stockholders of the Company as an information statements relating (A) with respect to the Company’s stockholders, the action to be taken by certain stockholders of the Company pursuant to the Written Consent and (B) with respect to VectoIQ’s stockholders, the meeting of VectoIQ’s stockholders (the “VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting”) to be held to consider approval and adoption of (1) this Agreement and the Merger, (2) the issuance of VectoIQ Common Stock as contemplated by this Agreement, (3) the second amended and restated VectoIQ Certificate of Incorporation as set forth on Exhibit C and (4) any other proposals the parties deem necessary to effectuate the Merger (collectively, the “VectoIQ Proposals”) and (ii) VectoIQ shall prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (together with all amendments thereto, the “Registration Statement”) in which the Proxy Statement shall be included as a prospectus, in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of the shares of VectoIQ Common Stock (A) to be issued to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to this Agreement and (B) held by the stockholders of VectoIQ immediately prior to the Effective Time. The Company shall furnish all information concerning the Company as VectoIQ may reasonably request in connection with such actions and the preparation of the Proxy Statement and Registration Statement. VectoIQ and the Company each shall use their reasonable best efforts to (i) cause the Registration Statement when filed with the SEC to comply in all material respects with all legal requirements applicable thereto, (ii) respond as promptly as reasonably practicable to and resolve all comments received from the SEC concerning the Registration Statement, (iii) to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable and (iv) to keep the Registration Statement effective as long as is necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. Prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement, VectoIQ shall take all or any action required under any applicable federal or state securities laws in connection with the issuance of shares of VectoIQ Common Stock, in each case to be issued or issuable to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to this Agreement. As promptly as practicable after finalization of the Proxy Statement, each of the Company and VectoIQ shall mail the Proxy Statement to their stockholders. Each of VectoIQ and the Company shall furnish all information concerning it as may reasonably be requested by the other party in connection with such actions and the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement.

(b)            No filing of, or amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement or the Registration Statement will be made by VectoIQ or the Company without the approval of the other party (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). VectoIQ and the Company each will advise the other, promptly after they receive notice thereof, of the time when the Registration Statement has become effective or any supplement or amendment has been filed, of the issuance of any stop order, of the suspension of the qualification of the VectoIQ Common Stock to be issued or issuable to the stockholders of the Company in connection with this Agreement for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of any request by the SEC for amendment of the Proxy Statement or the Registration Statement or comments thereon and responses thereto or requests by the SEC for additional information. Each of VectoIQ and the Company shall cooperate and mutually agree upon (such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), any response to comments of the SEC or its staff with respect to the Registration Statement and any amendment to the Registration Statement filed in response thereto.

(c)            VectoIQ represents that the information supplied by VectoIQ for inclusion in the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement shall not, at (i) the time the Registration Statement is declared effective, (ii) the time the Proxy Statement (or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto) is first mailed to the stockholders of VectoIQ, (iii) the time of the VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting, and (iv) the Effective Time, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or fail to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If, at any time prior to the Effective Time, any event or circumstance relating to VectoIQ or Merger Sub, or their respective officers or directors, should be discovered by VectoIQ which should be set forth in an amendment or a supplement to the Registration Statement or the Proxy Statement, VectoIQ shall promptly inform the Company. All documents that VectoIQ is responsible for filing with the SEC in connection with the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement will comply as to form and substance in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

(d)            The Company represents that the information supplied by the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement shall not, at (i) the time the Registration Statement is declared effective, (ii) the time the Proxy Statement (or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto) is first mailed to the stockholders of VectoIQ, (iii) the time of the VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting, and (iv) the Effective Time, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or fail to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If, at any time prior to the Effective Time, any event or circumstance relating to the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or their respective officers or directors, should be discovered by the Company which should be set forth in an amendment or a supplement to the Registration Statement or the Proxy Statement, the Company shall promptly inform VectoIQ. All documents that the Company is responsible for filing with the SEC in connection with the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement will comply as to form and substance in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

SECTION 7.02            VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meetings; and Merger Sub Stockholder’s Approval.

(a)            VectoIQ shall call and hold the VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting as promptly as practicable after the date on which the Registration Statement becomes effective for the purpose of voting solely upon the VectoIQ Proposals, and VectoIQ shall use its reasonable best efforts to hold the VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting as soon as practicable after the date on which the Registration Statement becomes effective (but in any event no later than 30 days after the date on which the Proxy Statement is mailed to stockholders of VectoIQ). VectoIQ shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the approval of the VectoIQ Proposals at the VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting, including by soliciting from its stockholders proxies as promptly as possible in favor of the VectoIQ Proposals, and shall take all other action necessary or advisable to secure the required vote or consent of its stockholders. The VectoIQ Board shall recommend to its stockholders that they approve the VectoIQ Proposals and shall include such recommendation in the Proxy Statement.

(b)            Promptly following the execution of this Agreement, VectoIQ shall approve and adopt this Agreement and approve the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub.

SECTION 7.03           Company Stockholders’ Written Consent. Upon the terms set forth in this Agreement, the Company shall seek the irrevocable written consent, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to VectoIQ, of holders of the Requisite Approval (including the Key Company Stockholders) in favor of the approval and adoption of this Agreement and the Merger and all other transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Written Consent”) as soon as reasonably practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective, and in any event within twenty-four (24) hours after the Registration Statement becomes effective. The Company shall not send the Registration Statement to the stockholders of the Company, other than Key Company Stockholders, until after delivery of the Written Consent to VectoIQ (it being agreed that the Company shall seek the Written Consent even if there shall have been a Company Adverse Recommendation Change except if VectoIQ shall have otherwise terminated this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.01(e)).

SECTION 7.04           Access to Information; Confidentiality.

(a)            From the date of this Agreement until the Effective Time, the Company and VectoIQ shall (and shall cause their respective subsidiaries to): (i) provide to the other party (and the other party’s officers, directors, employees, accountants, consultants, legal counsel, agents and other representatives, collectively, “Representatives”) reasonable access at reasonable times upon prior notice to the officers, employees, agents, properties, offices and other facilities of such party and its subsidiaries and to the books and records thereof; and (ii) furnish promptly to the other party such information concerning the business, properties, contracts, assets, liabilities, personnel and other aspects of such party and its subsidiaries as the other party or its Representatives may reasonably request. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company nor VectoIQ shall be required to provide access to or disclose information where the access or disclosure would jeopardize the protection of attorney-client privilege or contravene applicable Law (it being agreed that the parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause such information to be provided in a manner that would not result in such jeopardy or contravention).

(b)            All information obtained by the parties pursuant to this Section 7.04 shall be kept confidential in accordance with the confidentiality agreement, dated December 20, 2019 (the “Confidentiality Agreement”), between VectoIQ and the Company.

(c)            Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, each party (and its Representatives) may consult any tax advisor regarding the tax treatment and tax structure of the Transactions and may disclose to any other person, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure of the Transactions and all materials (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided relating to such treatment or structure, in each case in accordance with the Confidentiality Agreement.

SECTION 7.05           Company Solicitation; Change in Recommendation.

(a)            From and after the date hereof until the Effective Time or, if earlier, the valid termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9.01, the Company shall not, and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries not to and shall direct its and their Representatives not to, (i) initiate, solicit, facilitate or encourage (including by way of furnishing non-public information), whether publicly or otherwise, any inquiries with respect to, or the making of, any Company Acquisition Proposal, (ii) engage in any negotiations or discussions concerning, or provide access to its properties, books and records or any Confidential Information or data to, any person relating to a Company Acquisition Proposal, (iii) enter into, engage in and maintain discussions or negotiations with respect to any Company Acquisition Proposal (or inquiries, proposals or offers or other efforts that would reasonably be expected to lead to any Company Acquisition Proposal) or otherwise cooperate with or assist or participate in, or facilitate any such inquiries, proposals, offers, efforts, discussions or negotiations, (iv) amend or grant any waiver or release under any standstill or similar agreement with respect to any class of equity securities of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, (v) approve, endorse or recommend, or propose publicly to approve, endorse or recommend, any Company Acquisition Proposal, (vi) approve, endorse, recommend, execute or enter into any agreement in principle, letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, term sheet, acquisition agreement, merger agreement, option agreement, joint venture agreement, partnership agreement or other written arrangement relating to any Company Acquisition Proposal (each, a “Company Acquisition Agreement”) or any proposal or offer that could reasonably be expected to lead to a Company Acquisition Proposal, or (vii) resolve or agree to do any of the foregoing or otherwise authorize or permit any of its Representatives to take any such action. The Company shall, and shall instruct and cause the Company Subsidiaries and each of their respective Representatives, to immediately cease any solicitations, discussions or negotiations with any person (other than the parties hereto and their respective Representatives) in connection with a Company Acquisition Proposal. The Company also agrees that it will promptly request each person (other than the parties hereto and their respective Representatives) that has prior to the date hereof executed a confidentiality agreement in connection with its consideration of acquiring the Company to return or destroy all Confidential Information furnished to such person by or on behalf of it or any of the Company Subsidiaries prior to the date hereof. The Company shall promptly notify VectoIQ (and in any event within twenty-four (24) hours) of the receipt of any Company Acquisition Proposal after the date hereof, which notice shall identify the third party making any Company Acquisition Proposal and shall include a summary of the material terms and conditions of any material developments, discussions or negotiations in connection therewith, and any material modifications to the financial or other terms and conditions of any such Company Acquisition Proposal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) VectoIQ hereby acknowledges that prior to the date of this Agreement, the Company has provided information related to the Company and has afforded access to, and engaged in discussions with, other persons in connection with a proposed Company Acquisition Proposal and that such information, access and discussions could reasonably enable another person to form a basis for a Company Acquisition Proposal without any breach by the Company of this Section 7.05 and (ii) the Company may inform any person making a unsolicited proposal regarding a Company Acquisition Proposal of the terms of this Section 7.05.

(b)            Notwithstanding Section 7.05(a), prior to the receipt of the Written Consent, the Company Board, directly or indirectly through any Representative, may, subject to Section 7.05(c), (i) participate in negotiations or discussions with any third party that has made (and not withdrawn) a bona fide, unsolicited Company Acquisition Proposal in writing that the Company Board reasonably believes in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, constitutes or would reasonably be expected to result in a Company Superior Proposal, and (ii) thereafter furnish to such third party non-public information relating to the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries pursuant to an executed Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement (a copy of such confidentiality agreement shall be promptly (in all events within twenty-four (24) hours) provided to VectoIQ); provided, that the Company shall promptly provide to VectoIQ and Merger Sub any material non-public information that is provided to any such person which has not previously been provided to VectoIQ and Merger Sub.

(c)            The Company shall notify VectoIQ promptly (but in no event later than twenty-four (24) hours) after receipt by the Company, the Company Subsidiaries or any of their respective Representatives of any Company Acquisition Proposal, any inquiry that would reasonably be expected to lead to an Company Acquisition Proposal or any request for non-public information relating to the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries or for access to the business, properties, assets, personnel, books or records of the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries by any third party. In such notice, the Company shall identify the third party making any such Company Acquisition Proposal, indication or request and provide the details of the material terms and conditions of any such Company Acquisition Proposal, indication or request. The Company shall keep VectoIQ informed, on a current and prompt basis, of the status and material terms of any such Company Acquisition Proposal, indication or request, including the material terms and conditions thereof any material amendments or proposed amendments. The Company shall promptly provide VectoIQ copies of any nonpublic information concerning the Company’s business, present or future performance, financial condition or results of operations provided to any third party to the extent such information has not been previously provided to VectoIQ.

(d)            Except as set forth in this Section 7.05(d), neither the Company Board nor any committee thereof shall (i)(A) fail to make, change, withdraw, withhold, amend, modify or qualify, or publicly propose to make, change, withdraw, withhold, amend, modify or qualify, in a manner adverse to VectoIQ or Merger Sub, the Company Board recommendation, or (B) adopt, approve, endorse or recommend, or publicly propose to adopt, approve, endorse or recommend to the stockholders of the Company any Company Acquisition Proposal or Company Superior Proposal, (ii) make any public statement inconsistent with the Company Board recommendation, (iii) resolve or agree to take any of the foregoing actions (any of the foregoing, a “Company Adverse Recommendation Change”), or (iv) authorize, cause or permit the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries or any of their respective Representatives to enter into any Company Acquisition Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time prior to the receipt of the Written Consent, but not after, the Company Board may make a Company Adverse Recommendation Change or cause the Company to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.01(i) to enter into (or permit any Company Subsidiary to enter into) a Company Acquisition Agreement with respect to a Company Acquisition Proposal only if the Company Board has reasonably determined in good faith, after consultation with its outside financial advisor and legal counsel, that (i) the failure to take such action would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law, and (ii) that such Company Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Company Superior Proposal; provided, however, that prior to taking such action, (A) the Company promptly notifies VectoIQ, in writing, at least three (3) Business Days (the “Company Notice Period”) before making a Company Adverse Recommendation Change or entering into (or causing a Company Subsidiary to enter into) a Company Acquisition Agreement, of its intention to take such action with respect to a Company Superior Proposal, which notice shall (1) state expressly that the Company has received a Company Acquisition Proposal that the Company Board intends to declare a Company Superior Proposal and that the Company Board intends to make a Company Adverse Recommendation Change and/or the Company intends to enter into a Company Acquisition Agreement, and (2) include a copy of the most current version of the proposed agreement relating to such Company Superior Proposal (which version shall be updated on a prompt basis, but in each case redacted as necessary to exclude the identity of the third party making such Company Superior Proposal), and a description of any financing commitments relating thereto; (B) the Company shall, and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to, and shall cause its and the Company Subsidiaries’ Representatives to, during the Company Notice Period, negotiate with VectoIQ in good faith in respect of adjustments in the terms and conditions of this Agreement such that such Company Acquisition Proposal would cease to constitute a Company Superior Proposal, if VectoIQ, in its discretion, proposes to make such adjustments (it being agreed that in the event that, after commencement of the Company Notice Period, there is any material revision to the terms of a Company Superior Proposal, including, any revision in price, the Company Notice Period shall be extended, if applicable, to ensure that at least two (2) Business Days remains in the Company Notice Period subsequent to the time the Company notifies VectoIQ of any such material revision (it being understood that there may be multiple extensions)); and (C) following the end of such Company Notice Period (as extended pursuant to the preceding clause (B)) the Company Board determines in good faith, after consulting with outside financial advisor and legal counsel, that such Company Acquisition Proposal continues to constitute a Company Superior Proposal after taking into account any adjustments made by VectoIQ during the Company Notice Period in the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and provided, further, that the Company shall have complied with its obligations under this Section 7.05(d) and if the Company Board terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.01(i) to enter into (or permit any Company Subsidiary to enter into) a Company Acquisition Agreement, the Company pays to VectoIQ the Termination Fee due under Section 9.03(a).

(e)            Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, at any time prior to obtaining the Written Consent, the Company Board determines in good faith, in response to an Intervening Event, after consultation with its outside legal counsel, that the failure to make a Company Adverse Recommendation Change would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law, the Company Board may, prior to obtaining the Written Consent, make a Company Adverse Recommendation Change; provided that the Company will not be entitled to make, or agree or resolve to make, a Company Adverse Recommendation Change unless (i) the Company promptly notifies VectoIQ in writing, at least three (3) Business Days (the “Intervening Event Notice Period”) advising VectoIQ that the Company Board proposes to take such action and containing the material facts underlying the Company Board’s determination that an Intervening Event has occurred, and (ii) following the end of such Intervening Event Notice Period (it being agreed that in the event after the commencement of the Intervening Event Notice Period, there is any material development with respect to an Intervening Event, the Intervening Event Notice Period shall be extended, if applicable, to ensure that at least two (2) Business Days remains in the Intervening Event Notice Period subsequent to the time the Company notifies VectoIQ of any such material revision (it being understood that there may be multiple extensions)), the Company Board determines in good faith, after consulting with outside financial advisors and legal counsel, that the failure to make a Company Adverse Recommendation Change would be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law. If requested by VectoIQ, the Company shall, and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to, and shall cause its and the Company Subsidiaries’ Representatives to, during the Intervening Event Notice Period, negotiate with VectoIQ in good faith to make such adjustments in the terms and conditions of this Agreement so as to obviate the need for a Company Adverse Recommendation Change.

SECTION 7.06           Employee Benefits Matters.

(a)            The parties shall cooperate to establish an equity incentive award plan for the Surviving Corporation to be effective after the Closing (the “Equity Plan”).

(b)            VectoIQ shall, or shall cause the Surviving Corporation and each of its subsidiaries, as applicable, to provide the employees of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries who remain employed immediately after the Effective Time (the “Continuing Employees”) credit for purposes of eligibility to participate, vesting and determining the level of benefits, as applicable, under any employee benefit plan, program or arrangement established or maintained by the Surviving Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any employee benefit plan as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and any vacation or other paid time-off program or policy) for service accrued or deemed accrued prior to the Effective Time with the Company or any Company Subsidiary; provided, however, that such crediting of service shall not operate to duplicate any benefit or the funding of any such benefit. In addition, VectoIQ shall use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) cause to be waived any eligibility waiting periods, any evidence of insurability requirements and the application of any pre-existing condition limitations under each of the employee benefit plans established or maintained by the Surviving Corporation or any of its subsidiaries that cover the Continuing Employees or their dependents, and (ii) cause any eligible expenses incurred by any Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents, during the portion of the plan year in which the Closing occurs, under those health and welfare benefit plans in which such Continuing Employee currently participates to be taken into account under those health and welfare benefit plans in which such Continuing Employee participates subsequent to the Closing Date for purposes of satisfying all deductible, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents for the applicable plan year. Following the Closing, Surviving Corporation will honor all accrued but unused vacation and other paid time off of the Continuing Employees that existed immediately prior to the Closing.

(c)            The Company shall cause all notices to be timely provided to each optionee under the Founder Stock Option Plan as required by the Founder Stock Option Plan.

(d)            The provisions of this Section 7.06 are solely for the benefit of the parties to the Agreement, and nothing contained in this Agreement, express or implied, shall confer upon any Continuing Employee or legal representative or beneficiary or dependent thereof, or any other person, any rights or remedies of any nature or kind whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement, whether as a third-party beneficiary or otherwise, including, without limitation, any right to employment or continued employment for any specified period, or level of compensation or benefits. Nothing contained in this Agreement, express or implied, shall constitute an amendment or modification of any employee benefit plan of the Company or shall require the Company, VectoIQ, the Surviving Corporation and each of its subsidiaries to continue any Plan or other employee benefit arrangements, or prevent their amendment, modification or termination.

SECTION 7.07           Directors’ and Officers’ Indemnification. The certificate of incorporation and by-laws of the Surviving Corporation shall contain provisions no less favorable with respect to indemnification, advancement or expense reimbursement than are set forth in the by-laws of the Company, which provisions shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise modified for a period of six years from the Effective Time in any manner that would affect adversely the rights thereunder of individuals who, at or prior to the Effective Time, were directors, officers, employees, fiduciaries or agents of the Company, unless such modification shall be required by applicable Law. VectoIQ further agrees that with respect to the provisions of the by-laws or limited liability company agreements of the Company Subsidiaries relating to indemnification, advancement or expense reimbursement, such provisions shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise modified for a period of six years from the Effective Time in any manner that would affect adversely the rights thereunder of individuals who, at or prior to the Effective Time, were directors, officers, employees, fiduciaries or agents of such Company Subsidiary, unless such modification shall be required by applicable Law.

SECTION 7.08           Notification of Certain Matters. The Company shall give prompt notice to VectoIQ, and VectoIQ shall give prompt notice to the Company, of any event which a party becomes aware of between the date of this Agreement and the Closing (or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article IX), the occurrence, or non-occurrence of which causes or would reasonably be expected to cause any of the conditions set forth in Article VIII to fail.

SECTION 7.09           Further Action; Reasonable Best Efforts

(a)            Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, each of the parties hereto shall use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, appropriate action, and to do, or cause to be done, such things as are necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws or otherwise to consummate and make effective the Transactions, including, without limitation, using its reasonable best efforts to obtain all permits, consents, approvals, authorizations, qualifications and orders of Governmental Authorities and parties to contracts with the Company and the Company Subsidiaries as set forth in Section 4.05 necessary for the consummation of the Transactions and to fulfill the conditions to the Merger. In case, at any time after the Effective Time, any further action is necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement, the proper officers and directors of each party shall use their reasonable best efforts to take all such action.

(b)            Each of the parties shall keep each other apprised of the status of matters relating to the Transactions, including promptly notifying the other parties of any communication it or any of its affiliates receives from any Governmental Authority relating to the matters that are the subject of this Agreement and permitting the other parties to review in advance, and to the extent practicable consult about, any proposed communication by such party to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Transactions. No party to this Agreement shall agree to participate in any meeting with any Governmental Authority in respect of any filings, investigation or other inquiry unless it consults with the other parties in advance and, to the extent permitted by such Governmental Authority, gives the other parties the opportunity to attend and participate at such meeting. Subject to the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, the parties will coordinate and cooperate fully with each other in exchanging such information and providing such assistance as the other parties may reasonably request in connection with the foregoing. Subject to the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, the parties will provide each other with copies of all material correspondence, filings or communications, including any documents, information and data contained therewith, between them or any of their Representatives, on the one hand, and any Governmental Authority or members of its staff, on the other hand, with respect to this Agreement and the Transactions contemplated hereby. No party shall take or cause to be taken any action before any Governmental Authority that is inconsistent with or intended to delay its action on requests for a consent or the consummation of the Transactions.

SECTION 7.10           Public Announcements. The initial press release relating to this Agreement shall be a joint press release the text of which has been agreed to by each of VectoIQ and the Company. Thereafter, between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date (or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article IX) unless otherwise prohibited by applicable Law or the requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market, each of VectoIQ and the Company shall each use its reasonable best efforts to consult with each other before issuing any press release or otherwise making any public statements with respect to this Agreement, the Merger or any of the other Transactions, and shall not issue any such press release or make any such public statement without the prior written consent of the other party. Furthermore, nothing contained in this Section 7.10 shall prevent VectoIQ or the Company and/or its respective affiliates from furnishing customary or other reasonable information concerning the Transactions to their investors and prospective investors.

SECTION 7.11           Tax Matters. Each of VectoIQ, Merger Sub and the Company shall use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Merger to qualify, and agree not to, and not to permit or cause any of their affiliates or subsidiaries to, take any action which to its knowledge could reasonably be expected to prevent or impede the Merger from qualifying, as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. This Agreement is intended to constitute, and the parties hereto hereby adopt this Agreement as, a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a). Each of VectoIQ, Merger Sub and the Company shall report the Merger as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code unless otherwise required pursuant to a “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code, including attaching the statement described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-3(a) on or with its Tax Return for the taxable year of the Merger.

SECTION 7.12           Stock Exchange Listing. VectoIQ will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Per Share Merger Consideration issued in connection with the Transactions to be approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market at Closing. During the period from the date hereof until the Closing, VectoIQ shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep the VectoIQ Units, VectoIQ Common Stock and VectoIQ Warrants listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

SECTION 7.13           Antitrust.

(a)            To the extent required under any Laws that are designed to prohibit, restrict or regulate actions having the purpose or effect of monopolization or restraint of trade, including the HSR Act (“Antitrust Laws”), each party hereto agrees to promptly make any required filing or application under Antitrust Laws, as applicable. The parties hereto agree to supply as promptly as reasonably practicable any additional information and documentary material that may be requested pursuant to Antitrust Laws and to take all other actions necessary, proper or advisable to cause the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods or obtain required approvals, as applicable under Antitrust Laws as soon as practicable, including by requesting early termination of the waiting period provided for under the HSR Act.

(b)           Each party shall, in connection with its efforts to obtain all requisite approvals and authorizations for the Transactions under any Antitrust Law, use its commercially reasonable efforts to: (i) cooperate in all respects with each other party or its affiliates in connection with any filing or submission and in connection with any investigation or other inquiry, including any proceeding initiated by a private person; (ii) keep the other parties reasonably informed of any communication received by such party or its Representatives from, or given by such party or its Representatives to, any Governmental Authority and of any communication received or given in connection with any proceeding by a private person, in each case regarding any of the Transactions; (iii) permit a Representative of the other parties and their respective outside counsel to review any communication given by it to, and consult with each other in advance of any meeting or conference with, any Governmental Authority or, in connection with any proceeding by a private person, with any other person, and to the extent permitted by such Governmental Authority or other person, give a Representative or Representatives of the other parties the opportunity to attend and participate in such meetings and conferences; (iv) in the event a party’s Representative is prohibited from participating in or attending any meetings or conferences, the other parties shall keep such party promptly and reasonably apprised with respect thereto; and (v) use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate in the filing of any memoranda, white papers, filings, correspondence or other written communications explaining or defending the Transactions, articulating any regulatory or competitive argument, and/or responding to requests or objections made by any Governmental Authority.

(c)            No party hereto shall take any action that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect or materially delay the approval of any Governmental Authority of any required filings or applications under Antitrust Laws. The parties hereto further covenant and agree, with respect to a threatened or pending preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, decree or ruling or statute, rule, regulation or executive order that would adversely affect the ability of the parties to consummate the Transactions, to use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent or lift the entry, enactment or promulgation thereof, as the case may be.

SECTION 7.14           PCAOB Audited Financials. The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to deliver true and complete copies of the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and the consolidated Company Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017, December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019, and the related audited consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Company and the consolidated Company Subsidiaries for such years, each audited in accordance with the auditing standards of the PCAOB (collectively, the “PCAOB Audited Financials”) not later than 30 days from the date hereof.

SECTION 7.15           Exclusivity. From and after the date hereof until the Effective Time or, if earlier, the valid termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9.01, but only to the extent not inconsistent with the fiduciary duties of the VectoIQ Board, VectoIQ shall not take, nor shall it permit any of its affiliates or Representatives to take, whether directly or indirectly, any action to solicit, initiate, continue or engage in discussions or negotiations with, or enter into any agreement with, or encourage, respond, provide information to or commence due diligence with respect to, any person (other than the Company, its stockholders and/or any of their affiliates or Representatives), concerning, relating to or which is intended or is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, any offer, inquiry, proposal or indication of interest, written or oral relating to any business combination transaction (a “Business Combination Proposal”) other than with the Company, its stockholders and their respective affiliates and Representatives. VectoIQ shall, and shall cause its affiliates and Representatives to, immediately cease any and all existing discussions or negotiations with any person conducted prior to the date hereof with respect to, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, a Business Combination Proposal.

SECTION 7.16           Trust Account. As of the Effective Time, the obligations of VectoIQ to dissolve or liquidate within a specified time period as contained in VectoIQ’s Certificate of Incorporation will be terminated and VectoIQ shall have no obligation whatsoever to dissolve and liquidate the assets of VectoIQ by reason of the consummation of the Merger or otherwise, and no stockholder of VectoIQ shall be entitled to receive any amount from the Trust Account. At least 48 hours prior to the Effective Time, VectoIQ shall provide notice to the Trustee in accordance with the Trust Agreement and shall deliver any other documents, opinions or notices required to be delivered to the Trustee pursuant to the Trust Agreement and cause the Trustee prior to the Effective Time to, and the Trustee shall thereupon be obligated to, transfer all funds held in the Trust Account to VectoIQ (to be held as available cash on the balance sheet of VectoIQ, and to be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes of the business following the Closing) and thereafter shall cause the Trust Account and the Trust Agreement to terminate.

SECTION 7.17           Extension. If, by May 1, 2020, VectoIQ and the Company determine that that the Closing is unlikely to be consummated on or before May 18, 2020 (the “First Expiration Date”), then VectoIQ shall take all actions necessary to obtain the approval of the stockholders of VectoIQ to extend the deadline for VectoIQ to consummate its initial business combination (the “Extension”) to a date after the First Expiration Date but prior to the Outside Date in accordance with the VectoIQ Organizational Documents. VectoIQ shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain stockholder approval for any and all required Extensions during the term of this Agreement.

SECTION 7.18           Redemption. Immediately following, and subject to the Effective Time, VectoIQ shall redeem 7,000,000 shares of VectoIQ Common Stock from M&M Residual, LLC at a purchase price of $10.00 per share, payable in immediately available funds.

Article VIII.

CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER

SECTION 8.01           Conditions to the Obligations of Each Party. The obligations of the Company, VectoIQ and Merger Sub to consummate the Transactions, including the Merger, are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible) at or prior to the Closing of the following conditions:

(a)            Written Consent. The Written Consent shall have been delivered to VectoIQ.

(b)            VectoIQ Stockholders’ Approval. The VectoIQ Proposals shall have been approved and adopted by the requisite affirmative vote of the stockholders of VectoIQ in accordance with the Proxy Statement, the DGCL, the VectoIQ Organizational Documents and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market.

(c)            No Order. No Governmental Authority shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any Law, rule, regulation, judgment, decree, executive order or award which is then in effect and has the effect of making the Transactions, including the Merger, illegal or otherwise prohibiting consummation of the Transactions, including the Merger.

(d)            Antitrust Approvals and Waiting Periods. All required filings under the HSR Act shall have been completed and any applicable waiting period (and any extension thereof) applicable to the consummation of the Transactions under the HSR Act shall have expired or been terminated, and any pre-Closing approvals or clearances reasonably required thereunder shall have been obtained.

(e)            Consents. All consents, approvals and authorizations set forth on Section 8.01(e) of the Company Disclosure Schedule shall have been obtained from and made with all Governmental Authorities.

(f)            Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have been declared effective under the Securities Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for purposes of suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been initiated or be threatened by the SEC.

(g)            Stock Exchange Listing. The shares of VectoIQ Common Stock shall be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market as of the Closing Date.

SECTION 8.02           Conditions to the Obligations of VectoIQ and Merger Sub. The obligations of VectoIQ and Merger Sub to consummate the Transactions, including the Merger, are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible) at or prior to the Closing of the following additional conditions:

(a)            Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 4.01 (Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries), Section 4.03 (Capitalization), Section 4.04 (Authority Relative to this Agreement) and Section 4.22 (Brokers) shall each be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as though made on the Closing Date (without giving effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Company Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein), except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date. All other representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Company Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) in all respects as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date, except (i) to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date and (ii) where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct (whether as of the Closing Date or such earlier date), taken as a whole, does not result in a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b)            Agreements and Covenants. The Company shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the Effective Time.

(c)            Officer Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to VectoIQ a certificate, dated the date of the Closing, signed by an officer of the Company, certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions specified in Section 8.02(a), Section 8.02(b) and Section 8.02(d).

(d)            Material Adverse Effect. No Company Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date.

(e)            Resignation. Other than those persons identified as continuing directors on Exhibit D, all members of the Company Board and the Board of Directors of the Company Subsidiaries shall have executed written resignations effective as of the Effective Time.

(f)            Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement. All parties to the Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement (other than VectoIQ) shall have delivered, or cause to be delivered, to VectoIQ copies of the Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement duly executed by all such parties.

(g)            FIRPTA Tax Certificates. On or prior to the Closing, the Company shall deliver to VectoIQ a properly executed certification that shares of Company Common Stock are not “U.S. real property interests” in accordance with the Treasury Regulations under Sections 897 and 1445 of the Code, together with a notice to the IRS (which shall be filed by VectoIQ with the IRS following the Closing) in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.897-2(h)(2) of the Treasury Regulations.

(h)            PCAOB Audited Financials. The Company shall have delivered to VectoIQ the PCAOB Audited Financials.

(i)            Minimum Cash. The Company shall have at least $60,000,000 in cash.

(j)            Maximum Debt. The Company shall have indebtedness for borrowed money of no more than $4,100,000.

SECTION 8.03           Conditions to the Obligations of the Company. The obligations of the Company to consummate the Transactions, including the Merger, are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible) at or prior to Closing of the following additional conditions:

(a)            Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of VectoIQ and Merger Sub contained in Section 5.01 (Corporation Organization), Section 5.03 (Capitalization), Section 5.04 (Authority Relative to this Agreement) and Section 5.12 (Brokers) shall each be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as though made on the Closing Date (without giving effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein), except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date. All other representations and warranties of VectoIQ and Merger Sub contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) in all respects as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date, except (i) to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date and (ii) where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct (whether as of the Closing Date or such earlier date), taken as a whole, does not result in a VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect.

(b)            Agreements and Covenants. VectoIQ and Merger Sub shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the Effective Time.

(c)            Officer Certificate. VectoIQ shall have delivered to the Company a certificate, dated the date of the Closing, signed by the President of VectoIQ, certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions specified in Section 8.03(a), Section 8.03(b) and Section 8.03(d).

(d)            Material Adverse Effect. No VectoIQ Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date.

(e)            Stock Exchange Listing. A supplemental listing shall have been filed with the Nasdaq Capital Market as of the Closing Date to list the shares constituting the aggregate Per Share Merger Consideration.

(f)            Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement. VectoIQ shall have delivered a copy of the Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement duly executed by VectoIQ.

(g)            Minimum Proceeds. The sale and issuance by VectoIQ of VectoIQ Common Stock or other securities of VectoIQ in connection with the Private Placements shall have resulted in gross proceeds of not less than $500,000,000.

Article IX.

TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER

SECTION 9.01           Termination. This Agreement may be terminated and the Merger and the other Transactions may be abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time, notwithstanding any requisite approval and adoption of this Agreement and the Transactions by the stockholders of the Company or VectoIQ, as follows:

(a)            by mutual written consent of VectoIQ and the Company; or

(b)            by either VectoIQ or the Company if the Effective Time shall not have occurred prior to August 31, 2020 (the “Outside Date”); provided, however, that this Agreement may not be terminated under this Section 9.01(b) by or on behalf of any party that either directly or indirectly through its affiliates is in breach or violation of any representation, warranty, covenant, agreement or obligation contained herein and such breach or violation is the principal cause of the failure of a condition set forth in Article VIII on or prior to the Outside Date; or

(c)            by either VectoIQ or the Company if any Governmental Authority in the United States shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any injunction, order, decree or ruling (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) which has become final and nonappealable and has the effect of making consummation of the Transactions, including the Merger, illegal or otherwise preventing or prohibiting consummation of the Transactions, the Merger; or

(d)            by either VectoIQ or the Company if any of the VectoIQ Proposals shall fail to receive the requisite vote for approval at the VectoIQ Stockholders’ Meeting; or

(e)            by VectoIQ if the Company Board or a committee thereof, prior to obtaining the Written Consent, shall have made a Company Adverse Recommendation Change; or

(f)            by VectoIQ if the Company shall have failed to deliver the Written Consent to VectoIQ within twenty-four (24) hours after the Registration Statement becomes effective; or

(g)            by VectoIQ upon a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of the Company set forth in this Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of the Company shall have become untrue, in either case such that the conditions set forth in Sections 8.02(a) and 8.02(b) would not be satisfied (“Terminating Company Breach”); provided that VectoIQ has not waived such Terminating Company Breach and VectoIQ and Merger Sub are not then in material breach of their representations, warranties, covenants or agreements in this Agreement; provided  further that, if such Terminating Company Breach is curable by the Company, VectoIQ may not terminate this Agreement under this Section 9.01(g) for so long as the Company continues to exercise its reasonable efforts to cure such breach, unless such breach is not cured within thirty (30) days after notice of such breach is provided by VectoIQ to the Company; or

(h)            by the Company upon a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of VectoIQ and Merger Sub set forth in this Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of VectoIQ and Merger Sub shall have become untrue, in either case such that the conditions set forth in Sections 8.03(a) and 8.03(b) would not be satisfied (“Terminating VectoIQ Breach”); provided that the Company has not waived such Terminating VectoIQ Breach and the Company are not then in material breach of their representations, warranties, covenants or agreements in this Agreement; provided, however, that, if such Terminating VectoIQ Breach is curable by VectoIQ and Merger Sub, the Company may not terminate this Agreement under this Section 9.01(h) for so long as VectoIQ and Merger Sub continue to exercise their reasonable efforts to cure such breach, unless such breach is not cured within thirty (30) days after notice of such breach is provided by the Company to VectoIQ; or

(i)            by the Company, at any time prior to receipt of the Written Consent, in connection with entering into a Company Acquisition Agreement with respect to a Company Superior Proposal in accordance with Section 7.05(d); provided, that prior to or concurrently with such termination the Company pays the Termination Fee due under Section 9.03(a); or

(j)            by VectoIQ if the PCAOB Audited Financials shall not have been delivered to VectoIQ by the Company on or before not later than 30 days from the date hereof.

SECTION 9.02           Effect of Termination. In the event of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.01, this Agreement shall forthwith become void, and there shall be no liability under this Agreement on the part of any party hereto, except as set forth in Section 9.02, Section 9.03, Article X, and any corresponding definitions set forth in Article I, or in the case of termination subsequent to a willful material breach of this Agreement by a party hereto.

SECTION 9.03           Termination Fee

(a)            In the event that:

(i)            (A) this Agreement is terminated by the Company or VectoIQ pursuant to Section 9.01(b) or by VectoIQ pursuant to Section 9.01(f) or Section 9.01(g); (B) a bona fide Company Acquisition Proposal shall have been made, proposed or otherwise communicated to the Company after the date of this Agreement but before the date of such termination, and (C) within six (6) months of the date this Agreement is terminated, the Company enters into a definitive agreement with respect to such Company Acquisition Proposal; provided, that, for purposes of clauses (B) and (C) of this Section 9.03(a)(i), the references to “10%” in the definition of Company Acquisition Proposal shall be deemed to be references to “50%”; or

(ii)            this Agreement is terminated (A) by VectoIQ pursuant to Section 9.01(e) or (B) by the Company pursuant to Section 9.01(i);

then, in any such event under clause (i) or (ii) of this Section 9.03(a), the Company shall pay the Termination Fee to VectoIQ or its designee by wire transfer of same day funds (x) in the case of Section 9.03(a)(ii)(A), within two (2) Business Days after such termination, (y) in the case of Section 9.03(a)(ii)(B), simultaneously with such termination or (z) in the case of Section 9.03(a)(i), upon entry into the definitive agreement with respect to the Company Acquisition Proposal referred to therein; it being understood that in no event shall the Company be required to pay the Termination Fee on more than one occasion.

As used herein, “Termination Fee” means $82,000,000.

(b)            The parties acknowledge and agree that the provisions for payment of the Termination Fee are an integral part of the Transactions and are included herein in order to induce the parties to enter into this Agreement.

SECTION 9.04           Expenses. Except as set forth in this Section 9.04 or elsewhere in this Agreement, all expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions shall be paid by the party incurring such expenses, whether or not the Merger or any other Transaction is consummated, except that VectoIQ and the Company shall each pay one-half of all expenses relating to (A) all SEC and other regulatory filing fees incurred in connection with the Proxy Statement, (B) the filing fee for the Notification and Report Forms filed under the HSR Act.

SECTION 9.05           Amendment. This Agreement may be amended in writing by the parties hereto at any time prior to the Effective Time. This Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed by each of the parties hereto.

SECTION 9.06           Waiver. At any time prior to the Effective Time, (i) VectoIQ may (a) extend the time for the performance of any obligation or other act of the Company, (b) waive any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in any document delivered by the Company pursuant hereto and (c) waive compliance with any agreement of the Company or any condition to its own obligations contained herein and (ii) the Company may (a) extend the time for the performance of any obligation or other act of VectoIQ or Merger Sub, (b) waive any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of VectoIQ or Merger Sub contained herein or in any document delivered by VectoIQ and/or Merger pursuant hereto and (c) waive compliance with any agreement of VectoIQ or Merger Sub or any condition to its own obligations contained herein. Any such extension or waiver shall be valid if set forth in an instrument in writing signed by the party or parties to be bound thereby.

Article X.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 10.01           Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given (and shall be deemed to have been duly given upon receipt) by delivery in person, by email or by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 10.01):

if to VectoIQ or Merger Sub:

VectoIQ Acquisition Corp.
1354 Flagler Drive

Mamaroneck, NY 10543
Attention: Stephen Girsky
Email: sgirsky@vectoiq.com

with a copy to:

Greenberg Traurig, P.A.

333 SE 2nd Avenue

Suite 4400

Miami, FL 33131
Attention: Alan I. Annex, Esq.
Email: annexa@gtlaw.com

if to the Company:

Nikola Corporation

4141 E Broadway Road

Phoenix, AZ, 85040
Attention: Britton Worthen, Chief Legal Officer
Email: britton@nikolamotor.com

with a copy to:

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

2550 Hanover Street

Palo Alto, CA 94304
Telephone No: (650)-233-4625; (212)-858-1227
Attention: Stanley F. Pierson; Jarrod D. Murphy
Email: spierson@pillsburylaw.com; jarrod.murphy@pillsburylaw.com

SECTION 10.02           Nonsurvival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants. None of the representations, warranties, covenants, obligations or other agreements in this Agreement or in any certificate, statement or instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement, including any rights arising out of any breach of such representations, warranties, covenants, obligations, agreements and other provisions, shall survive the Closing and all such representations, warranties, covenants, obligations or other agreements shall terminate and expire upon the occurrence of the Closing (and there shall be no liability after the Closing in respect thereof), except for (a) those covenants and agreements contained herein that by their terms expressly apply in whole or in part after the Closing and then only with respect to any breaches occurring after the Closing and (b) this Article X and any corresponding definitions set forth in Article I.

SECTION 10.03           Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of law, or public policy, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as the economic or legal substance of the Transactions is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the Transactions be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

SECTION 10.04           Entire Agreement; Assignment. This Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements constitute the entire agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede, except as set forth in Section 7.04(b), all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof, except for the Confidentiality Agreement. This Agreement shall not be assigned (whether pursuant to a merger, by operation of law or otherwise) by any party without the prior express written consent of the other parties hereto.

SECTION 10.05           Parties in Interest. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each party hereto, and nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any other person any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement, other than Section 7.07 (which is intended to be for the benefit of the persons covered thereby and may be enforced by such persons).

SECTION 10.06           Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts executed in and to be performed in that State. All legal actions and proceedings arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be heard and determined exclusively in any Delaware Chancery Court; provided, that if jurisdiction is not then available in the Delaware Chancery Court, then any such legal Action may be brought in any federal court located in the State of Delaware or any other Delaware state court. The parties hereto hereby (a) irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts for themselves and with respect to their respective properties for the purpose of any Action arising out of or relating to this Agreement brought by any party hereto, and (b) agree not to commence any Action relating thereto except in the courts described above in Delaware, other than Actions in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce any judgment, decree or award rendered by any such court in Delaware as described herein. Each of the parties further agrees that notice as provided herein shall constitute sufficient service of process and the parties further waive any argument that such service is insufficient. Each of the parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion or as a defense, counterclaim or otherwise, in any Action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, (a) any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in Delaware as described herein for any reason, (b) that it or its property is exempt or immune from jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process commenced in such courts (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution of judgment, execution of judgment or otherwise) and (c) that (i) the Action in any such court is brought in an inconvenient forum, (ii) the venue of such Action is improper or (iii) this Agreement, or the subject matter hereof, may not be enforced in or by such courts.

SECTION 10.07           Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law any right it may have to a trial by jury with respect to any litigation directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions. Each of the parties hereto (a) certifies that no representative, agent or attorney of any other party has represented, expressly or otherwise, that such other party would not, in the event of litigation, seek to enforce that foregoing waiver and (b) acknowledges that it and the other hereto have been induced to enter into this Agreement and the Transactions, as applicable, by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications in this Section 10.07.

SECTION 10.08           Headings. The descriptive headings contained in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

SECTION 10.09           Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed and delivered (including by facsimile or portable document format (pdf) transmission) in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

SECTION 10.10           Specific Performance. The parties agree that irreparable damage would occur if any provision of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with the terms hereof, and, accordingly, that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement or to enforce specifically the performance of the terms and provisions hereof (including the parties’ obligation to consummate the Merger) in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, any court of the United States located in the State of Delaware without proof of actual damages or otherwise, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity as expressly permitted in this Agreement. Each of the parties hereby further waives (a) any defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate and (b) any requirement under any Law to post security or a bond as a prerequisite to obtaining equitable relief.

[Signature Page Follows.]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, VectoIQ, Merger Sub, and the Company have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized.

[Signature Page to Business Combination Agreement]

EXHIBIT A

Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement

EXhibit A

EXECUTION

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AND LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

This Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of [_____ __], 2020 (the “Effective Date”) by and among [_________], a Delaware corporation f/k/a VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) and the parties listed on Schedule A hereto (each, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”). Any capitalized term used but not defined herein will have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Business Combination Agreement (as defined below).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company, VCTIQ Merger Sub Corp., a Delaware corporation and Nikola Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Nikola”) are party to that certain Business Combination Agreement dated as of March 2, 2020 (the “Business Combination Agreement”), pursuant to which, on the Effective Date, Merger Sub will merge (the “Merger”) with and into Nikola, with Nikola surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company;

WHEREAS, the Company and certain of the Holders designated as Original Holders on Schedule A hereto (the “Original Holders”) are parties to that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2018 (the “Prior Agreement”);

WHEREAS, certain of the Holders currently hold an aggregate of [___] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”);

WHEREAS, certain of the Holders currently hold an aggregate of [__] units of the Company (the “Private Placement Units”), with each such unit consisting of one share of the Company’s Common Stock and one redeemable warrant (the “Private Placement Warrants”) to purchase, at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, shares of Common Stock;

WHEREAS, certain of the Holders designated as New Holders on Schedule A hereto (the “New Holders”) are receiving shares of Common Stock (the “Business Combination Shares”) on or about the date hereof, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the parties to the Prior Agreement desire to terminate the Prior Agreement and to provide for certain rights and obligations included herein and to include the recipients of the Business Combination Shares identified herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, the parties agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

Section 1.1      Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms and variations thereof have the meanings set forth below:

“Adverse Disclosure” shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company, after consultation with outside counsel to the Company, (i) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein (in the case of any prospectus and any preliminary prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, and (iii) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.

“Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

“Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

“Business Combination” shall mean any merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses, involving the Company.

“Business Combination Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

“Business Day” means a day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.

“Change in Control” means the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, stock purchase, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons of the Company’s voting securities if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold more than 50% of outstanding voting securities of the Company (or surviving entity) or would otherwise have the power to control the board of directors of the Company or to direct the operations of the Company.

“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Common Stock” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

“Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

“Cowen Investments” shall mean Cowen Investments II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

“Demand Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

“Demand Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

“Demanding Holders” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

“Effectiveness Deadline” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.1.

“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.

“Form S-1” means a Registration Statement on Form S-1.

“Form S-3” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

“Founder Entities” shall mean M&M Residual, LLC and/or T&M Residual, LLC.

“Founder Lock-up Period” shall have the meaning given in subsection 5.1.3.

“Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

“Lock-up Period” shall have the meaning given in subsection 5.1.1.

“Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.

“Misstatement” shall mean an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or necessary to make the statements in a Registration Statement or Prospectus in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading.

“New Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

“New Registration Statement” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.4.

“Original Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

“Original Holder Lock-Up Period” shall have the meaning given in subsection 5.1.3.

“Piggyback Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.1.

“Prior Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

“Private Placement Units” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

“Private Placement Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

“Pro Rata” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.

“Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.

“Registrable Security”, “Registrable Securities” shall mean (a) the Private Placement Warrants (including any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any such Private Placement Warrants), (b) the Private Placement Units (including any shares of Common Stock and Private Placement Warrants underlying the Private Placement Units), (c) any outstanding share of Common Stock or any other equity security (including the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) of the Company held by a Holder as of the date of this Agreement (including the Business Combination Shares), and (d) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such share of Common Stock by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or reorganization; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (B) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for such securities not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (C) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (D) such securities may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission) (but with no volume or other restrictions or limitations); or (E) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.

“Registration” shall mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.

“Registration Expenses” shall mean the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:

(A) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) and any securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed;

(B) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);

(C) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;

(D) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;

(E) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration; and

(F) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration to be registered for offer and sale in the applicable Registration.

“Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

“Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.5.

“Resale Shelf Registration Statement” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.1.

“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

“Selling Holders” means any Holder electing to sell any of its Registrable Securities in a Registration.

“SEC Guidance” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.4.

“Transfer” means to, directly or indirectly, sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber, hypothecate or similarly dispose of, either voluntarily or involuntarily, or to enter into any contract, option or other arrangement or understanding with respect to the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or similar disposition of, any interest owned by a person or any interest (including a beneficial interest) in, or the ownership, control or possession of, any interest owned by a person.

“Underwriter” shall mean a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.

“Underwritten Registration” or “Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATION

Section 2.1      Demand Registration.

2.1.1            Request for Registration.  Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, at any time and from time to time on or after the Effective Time, (i) New Holders holding at least a majority in interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by all New Holders, (ii) Cowen Investments or (iii) Original Holders holding at least a majority in interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by all Original Holders (such New Holders, Cowen Investments or such Original Holders, as the case may be, the “Demanding Holders”), may make a written demand for Registration of all or part of their Registrable Securities on Form S-3 (“Form S-3”) (or, if Form S-3 is not available to be used by the Company at such time, on Form S-1 or another appropriate form permitting Registration of such Registrable Securities for resale by such Demanding Holders), which written demand shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (such written demand a “Demand Registration”).  The Company shall, within ten (10) days of the Company’s receipt of the Demand Registration, notify, in writing, all other Holders of Registrable Securities of such demand, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration (each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration, a “Demand Requesting Holder”) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within five (5) days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company.  Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a Demand Requesting Holder(s) to the Company, such Demand Requesting Holder(s) shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration and the Company shall effect, as soon thereafter as practicable, but not more than forty five (45) days immediately after the Company’s receipt of the Demand Registration, the Registration of all Registrable Securities requested by the Demanding Holders and Demand Requesting Holders pursuant to such Demand Registration.  Under no circumstances shall the Company be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of (i) three (3) Registrations pursuant to a Demand Registration under this subsection 2.1.1 initiated by New Holders or (ii) one (1) Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration under this subsection 2.1.1 initiated by Original Holders; provided, however, that the foregoing limitation shall not apply to any Demand Registration initiated by Cowen Investments which shall be governed by Section 3.6.

2.1.2            Effective Registration.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2.1.1 above or any other part of this Agreement, a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration shall not count as a Registration unless and until (i) the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration has been declared effective by the Commission and (ii) the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, further, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, an offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration is subsequently interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission, federal or state court or any other governmental agency the Registration Statement with respect to such Registration shall be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating such Demand Registration thereafter affirmatively elect to continue with such Registration and accordingly notify the Company in writing, but in no event later than five (5) days, of such election; provided, further, that the Company shall not be obligated or required to file another Registration Statement until the Registration Statement that has been previously filed with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration becomes effective or is subsequently terminated.

2.1.3            Underwritten Offering.  Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, if a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so advise the Company as part of their Demand Registration that the offering of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering, then the right of such Demanding Holder or Demand Requesting Holder (if any) to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering to the extent provided herein.  All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.1.3 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating the Demand Registration.

2.1.4            Reduction of Underwritten Offering.  If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Demand Requesting Holders (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Demand Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell and the Common Stock, if any, as to which a Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (i) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders and the Demand Requesting Holders (if any) (pro rata based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder and Demand Requesting Holder (if any) has requested be included in such Underwritten Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and Demand Requesting Holders have requested be included in such Underwritten Registration (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), Common Stock or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

2.1.5            Demand Registration Withdrawal.  A majority-in-interest of the New Holders, a majority-in-interest of the Original Holders, or Cowen Investments, as the case may be, in the case of a Registration under subsection 2.1.1 initiated by the New Holders, the Original Holders, or Cowen Investors, respectively, or a majority-in-interest of the Demand Requesting Holders (if any), pursuant to a Registration under subsection 2.2.1 shall have the right to withdraw from a Registration pursuant to such Demand Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to the Registration of their Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration.  If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration or a majority-in-interest of the Demand Requesting Holders (if any), withdraws from a proposed offering pursuant to this Section 2.1.5, then such registration shall not count as a Demand Registration provided for in Section 2.1, and, if Cowen Investments withdraws, Sections 2.1 and 3.6. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.1.5; provided that if the Company pays such expenses related to a Demand Registration initiated by Cowen Investments, such registration shall count as a Demand Registration for purposes of Section 3.6.

Section 2.2      Piggyback Registration.

2.2.1            Piggyback Rights.  If, at any time on or after [__], the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of stockholders of the Company (or by the Company and by the stockholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof), other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing stockholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but not less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement, which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (B) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) days after receipt of such written notice (such Registration a “Piggyback Registration”).  The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and shall use its best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.2.1 to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof.  All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.1 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company.

2.2.2            Reduction of Piggyback Registration.  If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration that is to be a Piggyback Registration, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Common Stock that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (i) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, (ii) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, and (iii) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:

2.2.3            Piggyback Registration Withdrawal.  Any Holder of Registrable Securities shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggyback Registration.  The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.3.

2.2.4            Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights.  For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration effected under Section 2.1 hereof.

Section 2.3      Resale Shelf Registration Rights

2.3.1            Registration Statement on Form S-3 Covering Resale of Registrable Securities. The Company shall prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed with the Commission, no later than forty-five (45) days following the date of this Agreement, a Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 of the Securities Act or any successor thereto registering the resale from time to time by Holders of all of the Registrable Securities held by Holders (the “Resale Shelf Registration Statement”). The Resale Shelf Registration Statement shall be on Form S-3 (or, if Form S-3 is not available to be used by the Company at such time, on Form S-1 or another appropriate form permitting Registration of such Registrable Securities for resale). The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Resale Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective as soon as possible after filing, but in no event later than sixty (60) days following the filing deadline (the “Effectiveness Deadline”); provided, that the Effectiveness Deadline shall be extended to ninety (90) days after the filing deadline if the Registration Statement is reviewed by, and receives comments from, the Commission. Once effective, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to keep the Resale Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, to ensure that another Registration Statement is available, under the Securities Act at all times until all Registrable Securities and other securities covered by such Registration Statement have been disposed of in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or have ceased to be Registrable Securities. The Registration Statement filed with the Commission pursuant to this subsection 2.3.1 shall contain a prospectus in such form as to permit any Holder to sell such Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) at any time beginning on the effective date for such Registration Statement (subject to lock-up restrictions provided in Section 5.1 of this Agreement), and shall provide that such Registrable Securities may be sold pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, Holders.

2.3.2            Notification and Distribution of Materials. The Company shall notify the Holders in writing of the effectiveness of the Resale Shelf Registration Statement as soon as practicable, and in any event within one (1) Business Day after the Resale Shelf Registration Statement becomes effective, and shall furnish to them, without charge, such number of copies of the Resale Shelf Registration Statement (including any amendments, supplements and exhibits), the Prospectus contained therein (including each preliminary prospectus and all related amendments and supplements) and any documents incorporated by reference in the Resale Shelf Registration Statement or such other documents as the Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate the sale of the Registrable Securities in the manner described in the Resale Shelf Registration Statement.

2.3.3            Amendments and Supplements. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.3.1 above, the Company shall promptly prepare and file with the Commission from time to time such amendments and supplements to the Resale Shelf Registration Statement and Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep the Resale Shelf Registration Statement effective and to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all the Registrable Securities. If any Resale Shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2.3.1 is filed on Form S-3 and thereafter the Company becomes ineligible to use Form S-3 for secondary sales, the Company shall promptly notify the Holders of such ineligibility and use its best efforts to file a shelf registration on an appropriate form as promptly as practicable to replace the shelf registration statement on Form S-3 Shelf and have the such replacement Resale Shelf Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as practicable and to cause such replacement Resale Shelf Registration Statement to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Resale Shelf Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Resale Shelf Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities; provided, however, that at any time the Company once again becomes eligible to use Form S-3, the Company shall cause such replacement Resale Shelf Registration Statement to be amended, or shall file a new replacement Resale Shelf Registration Statement, such that the Resale Shelf Registration Statement is once again on Form S-3.

2.3.4            Notwithstanding the registration obligations set forth in this Section 2.3, in the event the Commission informs the Company that all of the Registrable Securities cannot, as a result of the application of Rule 415, be registered for resale as a secondary offering on a single registration statement, the Company agrees to promptly (i) inform each of the holders thereof and use its reasonable best efforts to file amendments to the Resale Shelf Registration Statement as required by the Commission and/or (ii) withdraw the Resale Shelf Registration Statement and file a new registration statement (a “New Registration Statement”), on Form S-3, or if Form S-3 is not then available to the Company for such registration statement, on such other form available to register for resale the Registrable Securities as a secondary offering; provided, however, that prior to filing such amendment or New Registration Statement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with any publicly-available written or oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff (the “SEC Guidance”), including without limitation, the Manual of Publicly Available Telephone Interpretations D.29. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation of the number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular Registration Statement as a secondary offering (and notwithstanding that the Company used diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all or a greater number of Registrable Securities), unless otherwise directed in writing by a holder as to its Registrable Securities, the number of Registrable Securities to be registered on such Registration Statement will be reduced on a pro rata basis based on the total number of Registrable Securities held by the Holders, subject to a determination by the Commission that certain Holders must be reduced first based on the number of Registrable Securities held by such Holders. In the event the Company amends the Resale Shelf Registration Statement or files a New Registration Statement, as the case may be, under clauses (i) or (ii) above, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to file with the Commission, as promptly as allowed by Commission or SEC Guidance provided to the Company or to registrants of securities in general, one or more registration statements on Form S-3 or such other form available to register for resale those Registrable Securities that were not registered for resale on the Resale Shelf Registration Statement, as amended, or the New Registration Statement

2.3.5            Registrations effected pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall not be counted as Demand Registrations effected pursuant to Section 2.2.

Section 2.4      Restrictions on Registration Rights. If (A) during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of the filing of, and ending on a date one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of, a Company initiated Registration and provided that the Company has delivered written notice to the Holders prior to receipt of a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.1.1 and it continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable efforts to cause the applicable Registration Statement to become effective; (B) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Registration and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite the offer; or (C) in the good faith judgment of the Board such Registration would be materially detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement at such time, then in each case the Company shall furnish to such Holders a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board it would be materially detrimental to the Company for such Registration Statement to be filed in the near future and that it is therefore essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement.  In such event, the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more than thirty (30) days; provided, however, that the Company shall not defer its obligation in this manner more than once in any 12 month period.

ARTICLE III
COMPANY PROCEDURES

Section 3.1      General Procedures. If at any time on or after the Effective Time the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use its best efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as possible:

3.1.1            prepare and file with the Commission as soon as practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;

3.1.2            prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be reasonably requested by the Holders or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;

3.1.3            prior to filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;

3.1.4            prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use its best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;

3.1.5            cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;

3.1.6            provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;

3.1.7            advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;

3.1.8            advise each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any Prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed;

3.1.9            at least five (5) days prior to the filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus, furnish a copy thereof to each seller of such Registrable Securities or its counsel;

3.1.10          notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof;

3.1.11          permit a representative of the Holders, the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter to participate, at each such person’s own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that such representatives or Underwriters enter into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information;

3.1.12          obtain a “cold comfort” letter from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Registration, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders and such managing Underwriter;

3.1.13          on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the Holders, the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the Holders, placement agent, sales agent, or Underwriter may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority in interest of the participating Holders;

3.1.14            in the event of any Underwritten Offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering;

3.1.15            make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission);

3.1.16            if the Registration involves the Registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $50,000,000, use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering; and

3.1.17            otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders, in connection with such Registration.

Section 3.2      Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company.  It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, Underwriter marketing costs and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders.

Section 3.3      Requirements for Participation in Underwritten Offerings.  No person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (ii) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.

Section 3.4      Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure.  Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until he, she or it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice), or until he, she or it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed.  If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time, but in no event more than thirty (30) days, determined in good faith by the Company to be necessary for such purpose.  In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities.  The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 3.4.

Section 3.5      Reporting Obligations.  As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings.  The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell shares of Common Stock held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), including providing any legal opinions.  Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.

Section 3.6      Limitations on Registration Rights. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) Cowen Investments may not exercise its rights under Sections 2.2 and 2.3 hereunder after five (5) and seven (7) years, respectively, from the effective date of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-224351, and (ii) Cowen Investments may not exercise its rights under Section 2.2 more than one time. The Company shall not hereafter enter into any agreement with respect to its securities which is inconsistent with or violates the rights granted to the Holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement and in the event of any conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

ARTICLE IV
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION

Section 4.1      Indemnification

      4.1.1     The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers and directors and agents and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein.  The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.

4.1.2            In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the obligation to indemnify shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders of Registrable Securities, and the liability of each such Holder of Registrable Securities shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement.  The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company.

4.1.3            Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party.  If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld).  An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim.  No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.

4.1.4            The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of securities.  The Company and each Holder of Registrable Securities participating in an offering also agrees to make such provisions as are reasonably requested by any indemnified party for contribution to such party in the event the Company’s or such Holder’s indemnification is unavailable for any reason.

4.1.5            If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 hereof from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, was made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder under this subsection 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability.  The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding.  The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this subsection 4.1.5.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

ARTICLE V
LOCK-UP

Section 5.1      Lock-Up.

5.1.1     Except as permitted by Section 5.2, for a period of 180 days from the date hereof (the “Lock-up Period”), each New Holder shall not Transfer any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned or owned of record by such Holder.

5.1.2            Except as permitted by Section 5.2, the Original Holders shall not Transfer any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned or owned of record by the such Original Holder until the earliest of: (i) the date that is one (1) year from the date hereof, (ii) the last consecutive trading day where the sale price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the date hereof, or (iii) such date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property (the “Original Holder Lock-up Period”). The provisions of this Section 5.1.2 shall not apply to Blackrock Credit Alpha Master Fund L.P. or HC NCBR Fund (it being acknowledged and agreed that such Original Holders shall remain subject to the lock-up provisions contained in the respective Subscription Agreements, dated April 19, 2018, to which the Company and such Original Holders are parties).

5.1.3            Except as permitted by Section 5.2, the Founder Entities shall not Transfer any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned or owned of record by such Founder Entity until the date that is one (1) year from the date hereof (the “Founder Lock-up Period”).

Section 5.2      Exceptions.      The provisions of Section 5.1 shall not apply to:

5.2.1            transactions relating to shares of Common Stock acquired in open market transactions;

5.2.2            Transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock as a bona fide gift;

5.2.3            Transfers of shares of Common Stock to a trust, or other entity formed for estate planning purposes for the primary benefit of the spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, child or grandchild of the undersigned or any other person with whom the undersigned has a relationship by blood, marriage or adoption not more remote than first cousin;

5.2.4            Transfers by will or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned;

5.2.5            the Transfer of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement;

5.2.6            if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership (whether general, limited or otherwise), limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (i) Transfers to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control or management with the undersigned, (ii) distributions of shares of Common Stock to partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of the undersigned;

5.2.7        Transfers to the Company’s officers, directors or their affiliates;

5.2.8        pledges of shares of Common Stock or other Registrable Securities as security or collateral in connection with any borrowing or the incurrence of any indebtedness by any Holder (provided such borrowing or incurrence of indebtedness is secured by a portfolio of assets or equity interests issued by multiple issuers);

5.2.9        pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, stock sale, recapitalization, consolidation or other transaction involving a Change in Control of the Company, provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, recapitalization, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Common Stock subject to this Agreement shall remain subject to this Agreement;

5.2.10      the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 promulgated under the Exchange Act, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period, the Original Holder Lock-Up Period or Founder Lock-Up Period, as applicable; and

5.2.11      solely as to the Founder Lock-Up, the Founder Entities may collectively Transfer (i) up to $70,000,000 of Common Stock in connection with the Closing; and (ii) up to an additional $70,000,000 of Common Stock at any time after the date that is 180 days from the date hereof.

provided, that in the case of any Transfer or distribution pursuant to Sections 5.2.2 through 5.2.7, each donee, distributee or other transferee shall agree in writing, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement.

ARTICLE VI
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 6.1            Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including Schedule A hereto) constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the parties as to the matters covered herein and supersedes and replaces any prior understanding, agreement or statement of intent, in each case, written or oral, of any and every nature with respect thereto.

Section 6.2           Notices. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be delivered to any party under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed properly delivered, given and received (a) upon receipt when delivered by hand, (b) upon transmission, if sent by facsimile or electronic transmission (in each case with receipt verified by electronic confirmation), or (c) one (1) Business Day after being sent by courier or express delivery service, specifying next day delivery, with proof of receipt. The addresses, email addresses and facsimile numbers for such notices and communications are those set forth on the signature pages hereof, or such other address, email address or facsimile numbers as may be designated in writing hereafter, in the same manner, by any such person.

Section 6.3           Assignment; No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder may be freely assigned or delegated by such Holder of Registrable Securities in conjunction with and to the extent of any transfer of Registrable Securities by any such Holder. This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and the permitted assigns of the applicable holder of Registrable Securities or of any assignee of the applicable holder of Registrable Securities. This Agreement is not intended to confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not party hereto other than as expressly set forth in Article 4 and this Section 6.2. No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment and (ii) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement).

Section 6.4           Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart and such counterparts may be delivered by the parties hereto via facsimile or electronic transmission.

Section 6.5           Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement may be amended or modified, and any provision hereof may be waived, in whole or in part, at any time pursuant to an agreement in writing executed by the Company and Holders holding a majority of the Registrable Securities at such time; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder, solely in his, her or its capacity as a holder of the shares of capital stock of the Company, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected and (b) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof with respect to the last sentence of Section 5.1.2 hereof shall require the consent of Blackrock Credit Alpha Master Fund L.P. and HC NCBR Fund. Any failure by any party at any time to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be construed a waiver of such provision or any other provisions hereof.

Section 6.6           Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances will be interpreted so as reasonably to effect the intent of the parties hereto.

Section 6.7           Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts executed in and to be performed in that State. All legal actions and proceedings arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be heard and determined exclusively in any Delaware Chancery Court; provided, that if jurisdiction is not then available in the Delaware Chancery Court, then any such legal action may be brought in any federal court located in the State of Delaware or any other Delaware state court. The parties hereto hereby (a) irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts for themselves and with respect to their respective properties for the purpose of any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement brought by any party hereto, and (b) agree not to commence any action relating thereto except in the courts described above in Delaware, other than actions in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce any judgment, decree or award rendered by any such court in Delaware as described herein. Each of the parties further agrees that notice as provided herein shall constitute sufficient service of process and the parties further waive any argument that such service is insufficient. Each of the parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion or as a defense, counterclaim or otherwise, in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, (a) any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in Delaware as described herein for any reason, (b) that it or its property is exempt or immune from jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process commenced in such courts (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution of judgment, execution of judgment or otherwise) and (c) that (i) the action in any such court is brought in an inconvenient forum, (ii) the venue of such action is improper or (iii) this Agreement, or the subject matter hereof, may not be enforced in or by such courts.

Section 6.8           Specific Performance. Each party acknowledges and agrees that the other parties hereto would be irreparably harmed and would not have any adequate remedy at law in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed by such first party in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached by such first party. Accordingly, each party agrees that the other parties hereto shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which such parties are entitled at law or in equity.

(Next Page is Signature Page)

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

Schedule A

Original Holders

New Holders

EXHIBIT B

Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Surviving Corporation

Exhibit B

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

NIKOLA Corporation¹

Nikola Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies as follows:

A.            The name of the Corporation is Nikola Corporation. The original Certificate of Incorporation of the Company was filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on July 10, 2017.

B.            The Amended and Restated Certificate of the Corporation in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A has been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware by the directors and stockholders of the Corporation.

C.            The text of the Certificate of Incorporation is amended and restated to read in full as set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Company on this [___] day of [___], 2020.

¹ Name to be changed.

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of the corporation is Nikola Corporation (the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). In addition to the powers and privileges conferred upon the Corporation by law and that incidental thereto, the Corporation shall possess and may exercise all the powers and privileges that are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business or purposes of the Corporation.

ARTICLE III

REGISTERED AGENT

The address of the registered office of the corporation in Delaware is Harvard Business Services, Inc., 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, DE 19958, County of Sussex, and the name of its registered agent at that address is Harvard Business Services, Inc.

ARTICLE IV

CAPITAL STOCK

The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation is authorized to issue is 1,000 shares, all of which shall be shares of common stock par value $0.01 per share of common stock (the “Common Stock”).

ARTICLE V

DIRECTORS

(1)            Elections of directors of the Corporation need not be by written ballot, except and to the extent provided in the By-laws of the Corporation.

(2)            To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as currently in effect, and as it may hereafter be amended, no director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.

ARTICLE VI

BY-LAWS

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by law, the directors of the Corporation shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the By-laws.

ARTICLE VII

INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND OTHERS

(1)            The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.

(2)            The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

(3)            To the extent that a present or former director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Sections (1) and (2) of this Article VII, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

(4)            Any indemnification under Sections (1) and (2) of this Article VII (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in such Sections (1) and (2). Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (a) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (b) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (c) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (d) by the stockholders of the Corporation.

(5)            Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation authorized in this Article VII. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents shall be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Corporation deems appropriate.

(6)            The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other sections of this Article VII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any law, by-law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.

(7)            The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of Section 145 of the DGCL.

(8)            For purposes of this Article VII, references to “the Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article VII with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

(9)            For purposes of this Article VII, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves service by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this Article VII.

(10)            The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article VII shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENT OF

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by this Certificate of Incorporation, the DGCL and all rights conferred on stockholders, directors and officers on this Certificate of Incorporation are subject to this reserved power.

EXHIBIT C

VectoIQ Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Exhibit C

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

VECTOIQ ACQUISITION CORP.

[        ], 2020

VectoIQ Acquisition Corp., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY AS FOLLOWS:

1.            The name of the Corporation is “VectoIQ Acquisition Corp.”. The original certificate of incorporation of the corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 23, 2018 (the “Original Certificate”).

2.            The Original Certificate was amended and restated on May 15, 2018 (the “First Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”).

3.            This Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (this “Second Amended and Restated Certificate”), which both amends and restates the provisions of the First Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, was duly adopted in accordance with Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

4.            This Second Amended and Restated Certificate shall become effective on the date of filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

5.            Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the text of the First Amended and Restated Certificate is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

ARTICLE I

The name of the Corporation is Nikola Corporation (the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE II

The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware, 19958, and the name of the Corporation’s registered agent at such address is Harvard Business Services, Inc.

ARTICLE III

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a corporation may be organized under the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”).

ARTICLE IV

A.            Classes of Stock.  The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock that the Corporation shall have authority to issue is seven hundred fifty million (750,000,000), of which six hundred million (600,000,000) shares shall be Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), and of which one hundred fifty million (150,000,000) shares shall be Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”). The number of authorized shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock, without a vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such Preferred Stock holders is required pursuant to the provisions established by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such Preferred Stock, and if such holders of such Preferred Stock are so entitled to vote thereon, then, except as may otherwise be set forth in the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, the only stockholder approval required shall be the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock so entitled to vote, voting together as a single class.

B.            Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, as determined by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is expressly authorized to provide for the issue, in one or more series, of all or any of the remaining shares of Preferred Stock and, in the resolution or resolutions providing for such issue, to establish for each such series the number of its shares, the voting powers, full or limited, of the shares of such series, or that such shares shall have no voting powers, and the designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. The Board of Directors is also expressly authorized (unless forbidden in the resolution or resolutions providing for such issue) to increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series subsequent to the issuance of shares of that series. In case the number of shares of any such series shall be so decreased, the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status that they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series.

C.            Common Stock.

1.            Relative Rights of Preferred Stock and Common Stock. All preferences, voting powers, relative, participating, optional or other special rights and privileges, and qualifications, limitations, or restrictions of the Common Stock are expressly made subject and subordinate to those that may be fixed with respect to any shares of the Preferred Stock.

2.            Voting Rights. Except as otherwise required by law or the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, each holder of Common Stock shall have one vote in respect of each share of stock held by such holder of record on the books of the Corporation for the election of directors and on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

3.            Dividends. Subject to the preferential rights of the Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors, out of the assets of the Corporation which are by law available therefor, dividends payable either in cash, in property or in shares of capital stock.

4.            Dissolution, Liquidation or Winding Up. In the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, after distribution in full of the preferential amounts, if any, to be distributed to the holders of shares of the Preferred Stock, holders of Common Stock shall be entitled, unless otherwise provided by law or the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, to receive all of the remaining assets of the Corporation of whatever kind available for distribution to stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares of Common Stock held by them respectively.

ARTICLE V

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware:

A.            The Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation, without any action on the part of the stockholders, by the vote of at least a majority of the directors of the Corporation then in office. In addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, the bylaws may also be adopted, amended or repealed by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors, voting as one class.

B.            Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the bylaws of the Corporation shall so provide.

C.            The books of the Corporation may be kept at such place within or without the State of Delaware as the bylaws of the Corporation may provide or as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI

A.            The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by a Board of Directors. The authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall be fixed in the manner provided in the bylaws of the Corporation. Other than for those directors elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, which shall be as provided for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of Article IV, Paragraph B hereof, each director shall serve until his or her successor shall be duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation, removal from office, death or incapacity.

B.            Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall be filled solely by a majority vote of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. If there are no directors in office, then an election of directors may be held in the manner provided by statute. Directors chosen pursuant to any of the foregoing provisions shall hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the remaining directors, except as otherwise provided by law, or by the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the corporation, may exercise the powers of the full Board of Directors until the vacancy is filled.

ARTICLE VII

A.            No action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting and the power of stockholders to consent in writing, without a meeting, to the taking of any action is specifically denied.

B.            Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called by such persons as provided in the bylaws of the Corporation.

C.            Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner and to the extent provided in the bylaws of the Corporation.

D.            Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article VII, Paragraph D.

ARTICLE VIII

A.            Limitation on Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as the same exists or as may hereafter be amended (including, but not limited to Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL), a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. If the DGCL hereafter is amended to further eliminate or limit the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation, in addition to the limitation on personal liability provided herein, shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by the amended DGCL. Any repeal or modification of this paragraph by the stockholders of the Corporation shall be prospective only, and shall not adversely affect any limitation on the personal liability of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

B.            Indemnification. Each person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (including the heirs, executors, administrators or estate of such person), shall be indemnified and advanced expenses by the Corporation, in accordance with the bylaws of the Corporation, to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), or any other applicable laws as presently or hereinafter in effect. The right to indemnification and advancement of expenses hereunder shall not be exclusive of any other right that any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Corporation, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

C.            Insurance. The Corporation may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

D.            Repeal and Modification. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article VIII shall not adversely affect any right or protection existing hereunder immediately prior to such repeal or modification.

ARTICLE IX

The affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the voting power of the shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend in any respect or repeal this Article IX, Paragraph A of Article V, or Articles VI, VII or VIII.

[remainder of page intentionally left blank]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. has caused this certificate to be signed by its __________________ this ___ day of _________, 2020.

[Signature Page to Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation]

EXHIBIT D

Directors and Officers of the Surviving Corporation and VectoIQ

Surviving Corporation

Directors

Trevor Milton

Mark Russell

Officers

Mark Russel – President

Kim Brady – Chief Financial Officer

Britton Worthen – Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

VectoIQ

Directors¹

Trevor Milton

Gerrit Marx

Mike Mansuetti

Sophia Jin

DeWitt C. Thompson V.

Mark Russell

Lon Stalsberg

Jeffrey Ubben

Stephen Girsky

¹ Bylaws to provide for a classified board with three terms. It is currently contemplated that among the directors currently designated by strategic investors, Mr. Mansuetti will be nominated to serve as a Class I Director, Ms. Jin will be nominated as a Class II Director and Mr. Marx will be nominated as a Class III Director.

Exhibit D-1

Officers

Trevor Milton – Executive Chairman

Mark Russell – Chief Executive Officer

Kim Brady – Chief Financial Officer

Britton Worthen – Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Joe Pike – Chief Human Resources Officer

Exhibit D-2

SCHEDULE A

Company Knowledge Parties

Trevor Milton - CEO

Mark Russell - President

Kim Brady - CFO

Britton Worthen - CLO

Joseph Pike - CHRO

Stasy Pasterick – Corporate Controller

Schedule A

SCHEDULE B

Key Company Stockholders

M&M Residual, LLC

T&M Residual, LLC

OTW STL LLC

Thompson Nikola, LLC

Nimbus Holding LLC

Green Nikola Holdings LLC

Legend Capital Partners

Thompson Nikola II LLC

ValueAct Spring Master Fund, L.P

VA Spring NM, LLC

Iveco S.p.A

Schedule B