PROPOSAL TWO: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Change in Our Certifying Accountants in 2021
On April 5, 2021, our audit committee approved the engagement of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), subject to completion of PwC’s standard client acceptance procedures and execution of an engagement letter, as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit our consolidated financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2021. PwC replaced Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”), our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. Deloitte was notified of the dismissal on April 5, 2021.
Deloitte’s report on our consolidated financial statements for each of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, did not contain any adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles, with the exception that Deloitte’s report as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2019, dated August 7, 2020, contained the following paragraph: “The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations. The Company has stated that substantial doubt exists about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s evaluation of the events and conditions and management’s plans regarding these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.”
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the subsequent interim period through April 5, 2021, there were no disagreements with Deloitte on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Deloitte, would have caused it to make a reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with its report covering such years. As of December 31, 2019, we identified material weaknesses as of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 in internal control over financial reporting, which related to: (a) our risk assessment process, including as it relates to fraud risks; (b) general segregation of duties, including the review and approval of journal entries; and (c) precision level to ensure accruals were recorded in the correct period. These material weaknesses were remediated as of December 31, 2020. In addition, there were no “reportable events,” as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the subsequent interim period through April 5, 2021, other than the material weaknesses described herein.
We provided Deloitte with a copy of the disclosures we made pursuant to Item 4.01 in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 9, 2021, and requested that Deloitte furnish a letter addressed to the SEC, which is filed as Exhibit 16.1 to such Current Report on Form 8-K, stating whether it agrees with such disclosures, and, if not, stating the respects in which it does not agree.
Decision to Engage PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
In reaching the decision to select and appoint PwC, the audit committee performed an extensive review process, including consideration of the firm’s extensive electric car industry experience, expansive global network and understanding of our business and ability to enable a seamless transition.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the subsequent interim period through April 5, 2021, neither we nor anyone on our behalf consulted with PwC regarding (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed; or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on our consolidated financial statements, and no written report or oral advice was provided to us by PwC that PwC concluded was an important factor considered by us in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or (ii) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement, as that term is described in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K, or a reportable event, as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Our audit committee has selected PwC as our independent registered public accounting firm to perform the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 and recommends that our stockholders vote for the ratification of such selection. The ratification of the selection of PwC as our independent