ELIO Elio Motors Inc (CE)

The Evolution of the Elio : Prototypes 2-5 and Engineering Vehicle E1-A

Our manufacturing facility in Shreveport, Louisiana

Industry and Market Data

The market data and certain other statistical information used throughout this prospectus are based on independent industry publications, government publications and other published independent sources. Certain information contained in “Business” is based on studies, analyses and surveys prepared by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association. Although we believe these third-party sources are reliable as of their respective dates, neither we nor the underwriters have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of this information. Some data is also based on our good faith estimates. The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in the section entitled “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications.

Trademarks and Trade Names

From time to time, we own or have rights to various trademarks, service marks and trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business. This prospectus may also contain trademarks, service marks and trade names of third parties, which are the property of their respective owners. Our use or display of third parties’ trademarks, service marks, trade names or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and does not imply, a relationship with us or an endorsement or sponsorship by or of us. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ®, TM or SM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks, service marks and trade names.

Safety

The Elio is engineered to meet the highest automotive safety standards. Each Elio will come equipped with three airbags, a unibody frame and an anti-lock braking system. It is anticipated to operate and handle effectively in a majority of driving conditions. While the Elio is technically classified and regulated as a motorcycle and is not subject to automobile safety standards, the Elio will undergo the rigorous standard safety testing of an automobile in order to put the safest possible vehicle on the road.

Performance

We are engineering the Elio to provide performance on par with several more expensive competitors. The Elio can (i) accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 10.8 seconds, (ii) decelerate from 60 mph to 0 mph in 104 feet, and (iii) achieve 0.85 lateral g’s. This is comparable to the Toyota Yaris—9.5 seconds, 123 feet and 0.83 lateral g’s, ⁶ and the Chevy Spark—11.3 seconds, 121 feet and 0.82 lateral g’s. ⁷

Made in America

The Elio was motivated by the belief that America can engineer and build a high-quality vehicle intended for the masses. The Elio was conceived and engineered, and will be manufactured, in America. We are targeting 90% North American component content and expect to create approximately 3,000 direct manufacturing jobs (at the Shreveport facility and in the supply base) in the United States. Our made in America approach has the added benefit of eliminating current or potential tariffs or taxes that may be levied on automobile imports.

To support our American mission, we acquired for approximately $26 million the former General Motors light truck assembly and equipment facility in Shreveport, Louisiana in 2013. We have a long-term lease for approximately 31% of the 3.2 million square foot facility, which we plan to use for general assembly, body shop work and painting. Acquisition of the Shreveport facility and associated equipment greatly reduced our start-up costs, particularly when compared to the costs associated with a greenfield production facility.

Single Occupant HOV Lane Access

Elio drivers will be permitted to utilize the High Occupancy Vehicle, or HOV, lane or carpool lanes on roads and highways as a result of our unique three-wheel, two-passenger design. In addition to providing savings on fuel costs, this will offer the opportunity to reduce commuting time by allowing single occupant commuters the benefit of utilizing the HOV lane.

Our Competitive Strengths

The Elio combines features that we believe to be most significant to vehicle consumers including:

483 end parts provided by approximately 60 suppliers. For comparison purposes, a Toyota Camry has approximately 30,000 parts ⁸ and, according to Roush Industries, Toyota relies on over 1,000 suppliers. In addition, the lack of reliance on new or untested technology significantly diminishes pre-commercialization startup costs .

Our Key Growth Strategies

We have identified the following keys to our success:

Recent Developments

On May 31, 2017, we entered into a third amendment to our purchase agreement with RACER Trust pursuant to which our commitment to create 1,500 new jobs by July 1, 2017, has been extended to September 1, 2019.

On May 31, 2017 and July 1, 2017, we entered into forbearance agreements with RACER Trust pursuant to which RACER Trust has agreed to forbear on enforcing the payments due under a promissory note from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017. If we receive net proceeds of at least $25 million, in the aggregate from one or more offerings of the Company’s debt or equity securities on or before September 30, 2017, then we must pay to RACER Trust, on or before September 30, 2017, the sum of the unpaid monthly amounts due to RACER Trust under the promissory note. Default interest of 18% per annum will continue accruing until the payments are resumed on October 1, 2017. In addition, the maturity date of the promissory note has been extended from July 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018.

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

As an issuer with less than $1 billion in total annual gross revenues during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”). An emerging growth company may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements and is relieved of certain other significant requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. In particular, as an emerging growth company we:

We intend to take advantage of all of these reduced reporting requirements and exemptions, including the longer phase-in periods for the adoption of new or revised financial accounting standards under §107 of the JOBS Act. Our election to use the phase-in periods may make it difficult to compare our financial statements to those of non-emerging growth companies and other emerging growth companies that have opted out of the phase-in periods under §107 of the JOBS Act.

Under the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of the above-described reduced reporting requirements and exemptions for up to five years after our initial sale of common equity pursuant to a registration statement declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, or such earlier time that we no longer meet the definition of an emerging growth company. Note that this offering, while a public offering, is not a sale of common equity pursuant to a registration statement, since the offering is conducted pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements. In this regard, the JOBS Act provides that we would cease to be an “emerging growth company” if we have more than $1 billion in annual revenues, have more than $700 million in market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates, or issue more than $1 billion in principal amount of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.

Certain of these reduced reporting requirements and exemptions are also available to us due to the fact that we may also qualify as a “smaller reporting company” under the Commission’s rules. For instance, smaller reporting companies are not required to obtain an auditor attestation on their assessment of internal control over financial reporting; are not required to provide a compensation discussion and analysis; are not required to provide a pay-for-performance graph or CEO pay ratio disclosure; and may present only two years of audited financial statements and related MD&A disclosure.

Our Corporate Information

We were originally incorporated in Arizona in 2009. We redomesticated our state of incorporation from the State of Arizona to the State of Delaware on May 22, 2017. Our principal executive offices are located at 2942 North 24 ^th Street, Suite 114-700, Phoenix, Arizona 85016, and our telephone number is (480) 500-6800. Our website address is www.eliomotors.com. We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our website into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website a part of this prospectus.

We have a significant amount of debt, which is secured by all of our assets, including manufacturing equipment.

As of December 31, 2016, we had outstanding secured loans totaling approximately $29.97 million. Our manufacturing equipment located in our Shreveport, Louisiana, facility has been pledged as collateral to secure the repayment of these loans. If we are unable to repay any of our secured loans, a decision by the lender to foreclose on its security interest would materially and adversely affect our future.

We have a significant working capital deficiency.

At December 31, 2015, our working capital deficit was approximately $2.33 million. This deficit increased to approximately $42.14 million at December 31, 2016.

We may not be able to obtain adequate financing to continue our operations.

The design, manufacture, sale and servicing of vehicles is a capital-intensive business. Currently, we estimate that we need to raise an estimated $376.6 million from new investment (of a total budget of $531.2 million) to reach cashflow positive. This $376.6 million of new investment assumes approximately (a) $110.5 million will be obtained through additional reservation deposits, and (b) sales margin of $44.1 million from our initial customer deliveries of the Elio. To the extent that we do not continue to receive reservation deposits, the amount needed to be raised from new investment will be higher than $376.6 million.

We will need to raise additional funds through the issuance of equity, equity-related, or debt securities or through obtaining credit from government or financial institutions. This capital will be necessary to fund ongoing operations, continue research, development and design efforts, establish sales centers, improve infrastructure, and make the investments in tooling and manufacturing equipment required to launch the Elio . We cannot be certain that additional funds will be available to us on favorable terms when required, or at all. If we cannot raise additional funds when we need them, our financial condition, results of operations, business and prospects would be materially and adversely affected.

Our proposed budgets are likely to change.

It is difficult to accurately budget for all of our expenses, as we are still in the prototype build phase of development. We plan to build eighteen additional engineering prototypes to simulate manufacturing assembly of components similar to production to assure tooling clearance, integration and buildability of components. Accordingly, it is likely that certain changes will need to be made to the design of the vehicle, the components to be used, the production tooling, and/or the manufacturing process which will impact the budgeted amounts.

In addition, our budgets have been prepared based on understandings with certain suppliers which have not yet been reduced to formal agreements. As we get closer to production, we expect these understandings to be evidenced by formal agreements, but we face the risk that once formalized, these agreements may not provide all of the economic benefits we had anticipated.

If we cannot raise additional funds to meet increased budgets or if our understandings with certain suppliers do not materialize as anticipated, our business and prospects would be materially and adversely affected.

Our application for a loan through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program may not be successful.

Among the possible sources of funding is a loan through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, or ATVM, Program. We have applied for a loan of approximately $185 million, the proceeds of which would be used to partly fund the purchase and installation of equipment into the Shreveport facility prior to and after the start of production. As of January 15, 2015, the Department of Energy, or DOE, has confirmed that the Company has achieved the technical criteria for the loan. Since January 2015, due diligence has been pending upon the confirmation of our financial backing. While the DOE has acknowledged and seems to be sensitive to our requirements, it has not made any commitments regarding its ability to meet our funding milestones. If we fail to obtain these loan proceeds within the timeframe needed to support our proposed production timetable or not be funded at all, it is likely we will experience significant delays in our production timetable.

Our success is dependent upon consumers’ willingness to adopt three-wheeled, front to back seated two-passenger vehicles.

If we cannot develop sufficient market demand for three-wheeled vehicles, we will not be successful. Factors that may influence the acceptance of three-wheeled vehicles include:

Decline in industry sales volume, particularly in the United States, due to financial crisis, recession, geopolitical events, or other factors could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Because we, like other manufacturers, have a high proportion of relatively fixed structural costs, relatively small changes in industry sales volume can have a substantial effect on our cash flow and profitability. If industry vehicle sales were to decline to levels significantly below our planning assumption, particularly in the United States, due to financial crisis, recession, geopolitical events, or other factors, the decline could have a substantial adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow.

Our business may be adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, and interest rates.

As a resource-intensive manufacturing operation, we are exposed to a variety of market and asset risks, including the effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, and interest rates. We will monitor and manage these exposures as an integral part of our overall risk management program, which will recognize the unpredictability of markets and seek to reduce potentially adverse effects on our business. Nevertheless, changes in currency exchange rates, commodity prices, and interest rates cannot always be predicted or hedged. In addition, because of intense price competition and our high level of fixed costs, we may not be able to address such changes even if foreseeable. As a result, substantial unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, or interest rates could have a substantial adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our business, operating results and growth rates may be adversely affected by current or future unfavorable economic and market conditions.

Our business depends on the economic health and general willingness of our prospective end-customers to make the financial commitments necessary to purchase our products. If the conditions in the U.S. and global economies remain uncertain or continue to be volatile, or if they deteriorate, our business, operating results and financial condition may be materially adversely affected. Economic weakness, end-customer financial difficulties, limited availability of credit and constrained capital spending have at times in the past resulted, and may in the future result, in challenging and delayed sales cycles, slower adoption of new technologies and increased price competition, and could negatively affect our ability to forecast future periods, which could result in an inability to satisfy demand for our products and a loss of market share.

Economic, geopolitical, protectionist trade policies, or other events could have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

With the increasing interconnectedness of global economic and financial systems, a financial crisis, natural disaster, geopolitical crisis, or other significant event in one area of the world can have an immediate and material adverse impact on markets around the world. Concerns persist regarding the overall stability of the European Union, given the diverse economic and political circumstances of individual European currency area (“euro area”) countries. These concerns have been exacerbated by Brexit, which, among other things, has resulted in a weaker sterling versus

U.S. dollar and euro. Further, the United Kingdom may be at risk of losing access to free trade agreements for goods and services with the European Union and other countries, which may result in increased tariffs on U.K. imports and exports that could have an adverse effect on our profitability.

The economic and policy uncertainty on-going in the euro area highlights potential longer-term risks regarding its sustainability. This uncertainty could cause financial and capital markets within and outside Europe to constrict, thereby negatively impacting our ability to finance our business or, if a country within the euro area were to default on its debt or withdraw from the euro currency, or, in a more extreme circumstance, the euro currency were to be dissolved entirely, the impact on markets around the world, and on our potential global business, could be immediate and significant.

In addition, we may in the future have operations in various markets with volatile economic or political environments and pursue growth opportunities in a number of newly developed and emerging markets. These investments may expose us to heightened risks of economic, geopolitical, or other events, including governmental takeover (i.e., nationalization) of our manufacturing facility or intellectual property, restrictive exchange or import controls, disruption of operations as a result of systemic political or economic instability, outbreak of war or expansion of hostilities, and acts of terrorism, each of which could have a substantial adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Further, the U.S. government, other governments, and international organizations could impose additional sanctions that could restrict us from doing business directly or indirectly in or with certain countries or parties, which could include affiliates.

If we are unable to establish and maintain confidence about our liquidity and business prospects among consumers and within our industry, then our financial condition, operating results and business prospects may suffer.

Our vehicles are highly technical products that require maintenance and support. If we were to cease or cut back operations, even years from now, buyers of our vehicles from years earlier might have much more difficulty in maintaining their vehicles and obtaining satisfactory support. As a result, consumers may be less likely to purchase our products now if they are not convinced that our business will succeed or that our service and support and other operations will continue for many years. Similarly, suppliers and other third parties will be less likely to invest time and resources in developing business relationships with us if they are not convinced that our business will succeed. Accordingly, in order to build and maintain our business, we must maintain confidence among customers, suppliers, analysts and other parties in our liquidity and long-term business prospects. Maintaining such confidence may be particularly complicated by certain factors, such as our limited operating history, unfamiliarity with our products, competition and uncertainty regarding the future of three-wheeled vehicles or our other products and services and our quarterly production and sales performance compared with market expectations.

In contrast to some more established auto makers, we believe that, in our case, the task of maintaining such confidence may be particularly complicated by factors such as the following:

Many of these factors are largely outside our control, and any negative perceptions about our liquidity or long-term business prospects, even if exaggerated or unfounded, would likely harm our business and make it more difficult to raise additional funds when needed.

Terms of subsequent financings may adversely impact existing investments.

We will have to engage in common equity, debt, or preferred stock financings in the near future. The rights and the value of existing investments in our Common Stock could be reduced. Interest on debt securities could increase costs and negatively impact operating results. Preferred stock could be issued in series from time to time with such designation, rights, preferences, and limitations as needed to raise capital. The terms of preferred stock could be more advantageous to those investors than to the holders of Common Stock. In addition, if we need to raise more equity capital from the sale of Common Stock, institutional or other investors may negotiate terms at least as, and possibly more, favorable than the terms of existing investments. Shares of Common Stock which we sell could be sold into any market which develops, which could adversely affect the market price.

We will be almost entirely dependent upon revenue generated from one product in the near-term, and our future success will be dependent upon our ability to design and achieve market acceptance of new vehicle models.

We currently have planned only one vehicle model, which will be available in seven standard colors and two transmission options. In the near term, our revenues will be almost completely dependent on revenue generated from sales of the Elio , with some additional revenue coming from customization options and maintenance servicing. There can be no assurance that we will be able to design future models of vehicles, or develop future services, that will meet the expectations of our customers, or that our future models will become commercially viable.

In addition, historically, automobile customers have come to expect new and improved vehicle models to be introduced frequently. In order to meet these expectations, we may in the future be required to introduce on a regular basis new vehicle models as well as enhanced versions of existing vehicle models. As technologies change in the future for automobiles, we will be expected to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new models in order to continue to provide vehicles with the latest technology. We have limited experience simultaneously designing, testing, manufacturing and selling vehicles. To date, we have focused our business on the development of a low-cost and high efficiency vehicle and have targeted a relatively narrow consumer group. We will need to address additional markets and expand our customer demographic in order to further grow our business. Our failure to address additional market opportunities could materially harm our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

While we have received paid reservations for the Elio vehicle, such reservations may not result in actual sales.

As of March 31, 2017, we had reservations and related deposits for 65,255 Elio vehicles, with $26.55 million of these deposits being non-refundable, and $1.23 million being subject to cancellation upon demand by the customer up until delivery of the vehicle. These reservations secure a customer’s place in line to purchase an Elio. Holders with refundable reservations may cancel their reservations for many reasons, including the customer’s inability to fund the purchase, the customer’s decision to forego the purchase in light of the state of the economy, the customer’s lack of confidence in our long-term viability and our ability to deliver the promised vehicle, the customer’s concern over the ultimate price of the vehicle, including the price of its options, or the potentially long wait from the time a reservation is made until the time the vehicle is delivered. In addition, given the long lead times that we anticipate between current or past customer reservations and delivery on the Elio , there is a heightened risk that customers that have made reservations may not ultimately purchase their vehicles due to potential changes in customer preferences, competitive developments and other factors. If we continue to encounter delays in the introduction of the Elio , we believe that we could experience a significant decrease in reservations and the accompanying loss of funds, holders of refundable reservations requesting the return of their reservation deposits, and damage to the Elio brand. As a result, no assurance can be made that the reservations will ultimately result in the final purchase, delivery, and sale of vehicles, which would harm our financial condition, business, prospects and operating results.

We face significant barriers in our attempt to produce the Elio, and if we cannot successfully overcome those barriers the business will be negatively impacted.

We face significant barriers as we attempt to produce our first mass produced vehicle. We currently have a few drivable early prototypes of the Elio , but do not have a full production intent prototype, a final design, a built-out manufacturing facility or manufacturing processes. The automobile industry has traditionally been characterized by significant barriers to entry, including large capital requirements, investment costs of designing and manufacturing vehicles, long lead times to bring vehicles to market from the concept and design stage, the need for specialized design and development expertise, regulatory requirements and establishing a brand name and image and the need

to establish sales and service locations. As a manufacturer and seller of only three-wheeled vehicles, we face a variety of added challenges to entry that a traditional automobile manufacturer would not encounter including additional costs of developing and producing a power train, suspension, chassis and other systems with comparable performance to a traditional, four-wheeled gasoline powered or hybrid vehicle in terms of range and power, inexperience with servicing vehicles, and unproven high-volume customer demand for three-wheeled vehicles. We must successfully overcome these barriers to be successful.

We may experience significant delays in the design, manufacture, launch and financing of the Elio vehicle which could harm our business and prospects.

Any delay in the financing, design, manufacture and launch of the Elio could materially damage our brand, business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. Automobile manufacturers often experience delays in the design, manufacture and commercial release of new vehicle models. We initially announced that we would begin delivering the Elio in 2014, but due to various funding delays, our anticipated delivery date for our first production vehicle has been delayed until 2019. These delays have resulted in additional costs and adverse publicity for our business. We may experience future delays in launching the Elio and any such delays could be significant.

If our vehicles fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our vehicles could be harmed.

Our production vehicles may contain defects in design and manufacture that may cause them not to perform as expected or that may require repair. While we have performed extensive internal testing, we currently do not have a frame of reference by which to evaluate the performance of the Elio in the hands of our customers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects in the vehicles prior to their sale to consumers. We may experience recalls in the future, which could adversely affect our brand in our target markets and could adversely affect our business, prospects and results of operations. Our vehicles may not perform consistent with customers’ expectations or consistent with other vehicles currently available. For example, the alternative design of our vehicles may not have the durability or longevity of more traditional current vehicles, and may not be as easy to repair as other vehicles currently on the market. Any product defects or any other failure of our vehicles to perform as expected could harm our reputation and result in adverse publicity, lost revenue, delivery delays, product recalls, product liability claims, harm to our brand and reputation, and significant warranty and other expenses, and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.

Developments and improvements in alternative technologies such as hybrid engines or full electric vehicles or in the internal combustion engine may materially and adversely affect the demand for the Elio.

Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, ethanol, fuel cells or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine, may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways that we do not currently anticipate. If alternative energy engines or low gasoline prices make existing four-wheeled vehicles with greater passenger and cargo capacities less expensive to operate, we may not be able to compete with manufacturers of such vehicles and this could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

The automotive market is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this industry. We currently face competition from established competitors with far greater resources, and expect to face competition from others in the future.

The worldwide automotive market is highly competitive today, particularly for alternative or fuel-efficient vehicles, and we expect it will become even more so in the future. As of the date of this prospectus, no other mass produced, high efficiency gas powered, fully enclosed three-wheeled vehicles were being sold in the United States. However, numerous competitors are providing other three-wheeled, fuel-efficient or low-cost vehicle options, and we expect more competitors to enter these markets within the next several years. We currently face strong competition from established automobile manufacturers such as Ford, Fiat, Nissan, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, BMW, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Honda as well as newer vehicle manufacturers such as Smart and Tesla Motors.

Most of our current and potential competitors have significantly greater financial, manufacturing, marketing and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the design, development, manufacturing, distribution, promotion, sale and support of their products. Virtually all of our competitors have more extensive customer bases and broader customer and industry relationships than we do. In addition, almost all of these companies have longer operating histories and greater name recognition than we do. Our competitors may be in a stronger position to respond quickly to new technologies and may be able to design, develop, market and sell their products more effectively.

We expect competition in our industry to intensify in the future in light of increased demand for efficient and low cost vehicles, continuing globalization and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry. Factors affecting competition include product quality and features, innovation and development time, pricing, reliability, safety, fuel economy, customer service and financing terms. Increased competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in a further downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our ability to successfully compete in our industry will be fundamental to our future success in existing and new markets and our market share. There can be no assurances that we will be able to compete successfully in our markets. If our competitors introduce new cars or services that compete with or surpass the quality, price or performance of our cars or services, we may be unable to satisfy existing customers or attract new customers at the prices and levels that would allow us to generate attractive rates of return on our investment. Increased competition could result in price reductions and revenue shortfalls, loss of customers and loss of market share, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

We face risks associated with numerous governmental standards and regulations, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

As described under “Business—Government Regulations,” the Elio will need to comply with many governmental standards and regulations relating to vehicle safety, fuel economy, emissions control, noise control, and vehicle recycling, among others. In addition, manufacturing facilities like our Shreveport, Louisiana facility will be subject to stringent standards regulating air emissions, water discharges, and the handling and disposal of hazardous substances. We may incur significant costs in order to remain in compliance with all of these requirements. Should we fail to comply with any standards and regulations, we could be subject to substantial penalties and fines, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. The automobile industry experiences significant product liability claims and we face an inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event our vehicles do not perform as expected or malfunction resulting in personal injury or death. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay a substantial monetary award. Moreover, a product liability claim could generate substantial negative publicity about our vehicles and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of other future vehicle candidates, which could have material adverse effect on our brand, business, prospects and operating results. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages either in excess of our liability coverage, or outside of our coverage, may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business and financial condition. We may not be able to secure product liability insurance coverage on commercially acceptable terms or at reasonable costs when needed, particularly if we do face liability for our products and are forced to make a claim under our policy.

We may be compelled to undertake product recalls, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any product recall in the future may result in adverse publicity, damage our brand and materially adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. Should it be necessary, we may at various times, voluntarily or involuntarily, initiate a recall if any of our vehicles or powertrain components prove to be defective. Such recalls, voluntary or involuntary, involve significant expense and diversion of management attention and other resources, which would adversely affect our brand image in our target markets and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our warranty reserves may be insufficient to cover future warranty claims, which could adversely affect our financial performance.

Once in production, we will establish warranty reserves. If our warranty reserves are inadequate to cover future warranty claims on our vehicles, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected. Because we have yet to deliver our first production Elio vehicle, we have extremely limited operating experience with our vehicles, and, therefore, little experience with warranty claims for these vehicles or with estimating warranty reserves. We could in the future become subject to a significant and unexpected warranty expense. There can be no assurances that our warranty reserves will be sufficient to cover all claims or that our limited experience with warranty claims will adequately address the needs of our customers to their satisfaction.

We may face regulatory limitations on our ability to sell vehicles directly, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to sell our vehicles.

We will sell our vehicles directly to consumers through Company-owned stores or online. We may not be able to sell our vehicles through this sales model in each state in the United States as some states have laws that may be interpreted to impose limitations on this direct-to-consumer sales model. In certain states in which we are not able to obtain dealer licenses, we plan to open galleries where the Elio may be viewed in person (similar to Tesla studios), but which are not full retail locations.

The application of these state laws to our operations is difficult to predict. Laws in some states will limit our ability to obtain dealer licenses from state motor vehicle regulators and may continue to do so in the future.

In addition, decisions by regulators permitting us to sell vehicles may be subject to challenges by dealer associations and others as to whether such decisions comply with applicable state motor vehicle industry laws. In similar circumstances, Tesla has prevailed in many of these lawsuits and such results reinforce our continuing belief that state laws were not designed to prevent our distribution model. In some states, there have also been regulatory and legislative efforts by vehicle dealer associations to propose bills and regulations that, if enacted, would prevent us from obtaining dealer licenses in their states given our current sales model. A few states have passed legislation that clarifies our ability to operate, but at the same time limits the number of dealer licenses we can obtain or stores that we can operate. Tesla has also filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan challenging the constitutionality of the state’s prohibition on direct sales as applied to its business which has a similar distribution model to our business.

Internationally, there may be laws of which we are unaware of in jurisdictions we wish to enter that may restrict our sales or other business practices. Even for those jurisdictions we have analyzed, the laws in this area can be complex, difficult to interpret and may change over time.

Our proposed distribution model is different from the distribution model currently used by most automobile manufacturers.

Our proposed distribution model is not common in the automobile industry today, particularly in the United States. We plan to sell our vehicles in Company-owned stores. This model is relatively new and unproven, especially in the United States, where Tesla is the only company to sell directly to customers. It also subjects us to substantial risk as it requires a significant expenditure to establish Company-owned stores and provides for slower expansion of our distribution and sales systems than may be possible by utilizing a more traditional dealer franchise system. State laws regulate the manufacture, distribution and sale of motor vehicles, and generally require motor vehicle manufacturers and dealers to be licensed in order to sell vehicles directly to consumers in the state. Therefore, we will need to secure dealer licenses to sell directly to consumers. This effort may be time-consuming and costly. Moreover, it will not be possible to obtain a dealer license in all 50 states since a few states presently do not permit motor vehicle manufacturers to be licensed as dealers or to act in the capacity as a dealer, or otherwise restrict a manufacturer’s ability to deliver vehicles. In states where the direct sale of vehicles is prohibited, it is anticipated that we would open and operate galleries, where customers are able to view the Elio vehicles and then would be directed to the Company’s website to complete their purchase. We expect that certain customers may in fact be deterred from purchasing exclusively online, thereby negatively impacting our sales effort. As a result, we do not know whether our Company-owned store strategy will be successful, and, if it is not, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, business prospects and operating results.

Demand in the vehicle industry is highly volatile.

Volatility of demand in the vehicle industry may materially and adversely affect our business prospects, operating results and financial condition. The markets in which we will be competing have been subject to considerable volatility in demand in recent periods. For example, according to automotive industry sources, sales of passenger vehicles in North America during the fourth quarter of 2008 were over 30% lower than those during the same period in the prior year (https://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2009/01/2008-us-auto-sales-are-worst-since-1992.html). Demand for automobile sales depends to a large extent on general, economic, political and social conditions in a given market and the introduction of new vehicles and technologies. As a new start-up manufacturer, we will have less financial resources than more established vehicle manufacturers to withstand changes in the market and disruptions in demand. In the future, demand for the Elio may also be affected by factors directly impacting automobile price or the cost of purchasing and operating automobiles such as sales and financing incentives, prices of raw materials and parts and components, cost of fuel and governmental regulations, including

tariffs, import regulation and other taxes. Volatility in demand may lead to lower sales and increased inventory, which may result in further downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. These effects may have a more pronounced impact on our business given our relatively smaller scale and financial resources compared to many incumbent automobile manufacturers.

Our financial results may vary significantly from period-to-period due to the seasonality of our business and fluctuations in our operating costs.

Our operating results may vary significantly from period-to-period due to many factors, including seasonal factors that may have an effect on the demand for our vehicles. Demand for new cars in the automobile industry in general typically decline over the winter season, while sales are generally higher as compared to the winter season during the spring and summer months. We expect sales of the Elio to fluctuate on a seasonal basis with increased sales during the spring and summer months. However, our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to estimate the exact nature or extent of the seasonality of our business. Also, any unusually severe weather conditions in some markets may impact demand for our vehicles. Our operating results could also suffer if we do not achieve revenue consistent with our expectations for this seasonal demand because many of our expenses are based on anticipated levels of annual revenue. As a result of these factors, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results will not necessarily be meaningful and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Moreover, our operating results may not meet expectations of equity research analysts or investors. If this occurs, the trading price of our Common Stock could fall substantially either suddenly or over time, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

If we are unable to attract and/or retain key employees and hire qualified personnel, our ability to compete could be harmed.

The loss of the services of any of our key employees could disrupt our operations, delay the development and introduction of our vehicles and services, and negatively impact our business, prospects and operating results. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of Paul Elio, our Chief Executive Officer. We have not obtained any “key man” insurance for Mr. Elio.

None of our key employees is bound by an employment agreement or non-compete agreement for any specific term, and we may not be able to successfully attract and retain senior leadership necessary to grow our business. Our future success depends upon our ability to attract and retain executive officers and other key technology, sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing and support personnel, and any failure to do so could adversely impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Litigation or legal proceedings could expose us to significant liabilities and damage our reputation.

We may become party to litigation claims and legal proceedings. Litigation involves significant risks, uncertainties and costs, including distraction of management’s attention away from our current business operations. We evaluate litigation claims and legal proceedings to assess the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes and to estimate, if possible, the amount of potential losses. Actual outcomes or losses may differ materially from those envisioned by our current estimates. Our policies and procedures require strict compliance by our employees and agents with all United States and local laws and regulations applicable to our business operations, including those prohibiting improper payments to government officials. Nonetheless, there can be no assurance that our policies and procedures will always ensure full compliance by our employees and agents with all applicable legal requirements. Improper conduct by our employees or agents could damage our reputation in the United States and internationally or lead to litigation or legal proceedings that could result in civil or criminal penalties, including substantial monetary fines, as well as disgorgement of profits.

Our election to not opt out of the extended accounting transition period under the JOBS Act may make our financial statements difficult to compare to other companies.

Under the JOBS Act, as an emerging growth company, we can elect to opt out of the extended transition period for any new or revised accounting standards that may be issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or the Commission. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period. This means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, are permitted to use any extended transition period for adoption that is provided in the new or

revised accounting standard having different application dates for public and private companies. This may make the comparison of our financial statements with any other public company, which is not an emerging growth company or, if an emerging growth company, has opted out of using the extended transition period, difficult or impossible as different or revised standards may be used.

If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, the accuracy and timeliness of our financial reporting may be adversely affected. In addition, because of our status as an emerging growth company, you will not be able to depend on any attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm as to our internal control over financial reporting for the foreseeable future.

When we become a reporting company, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and controls over financial reporting. In particular, as a public company, we will be required to perform system and process evaluations and testing of our internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the first fiscal year beginning after the effective date of this offering. However, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the Commission or the date we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. Accordingly, you will not be able to depend on any attestation concerning our internal control over financial reporting from our independent registered public accounting firm for the foreseeable future.

Compliance with environmental matters and worker health and safety laws could be costly, and noncompliance with these laws could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, expenses and financial condition.

It is expected that some of our manufacturing operations will use substances regulated under various federal, state, local and international laws governing the environment and worker health and safety, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the ground, air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, and the cleanup of contaminated sites. Some of our products are subject to various federal, state, local and international laws governing chemical substances in electronic products. The costs of compliance, including remediating contamination if any is found on our properties and any changes to our operations mandated by new or amended laws, may be significant. We may also face unexpected delays in obtaining permits and approvals required by such laws in connection with our manufacturing facilities, which would hinder our operation of these facilities. Such costs and delays may adversely impact our business prospects and operating results. Furthermore, any violations of these laws may result in substantial fines and penalties, remediation costs, third party damages, or a suspension or cessation of our operations.

If we are unable to manage our growth and expand our operations successfully, our business and operating results will be harmed and our reputation may be damaged.

We have expanded our operations since inception and anticipate that further significant expansion will be required to achieve our business objectives. The growth and expansion of our business and product offerings places a continuous and significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources. Any such future growth would also add complexity to and require effective coordination throughout our organization. To date, we have used the services of third-parties to perform tasks, including engineering. Our growth strategy may entail expanding our group of contractors or consultants to implement these tasks going forward. Because we rely on consultants, effectively outsourcing key functions of our business, we will need to be able to manage these consultants to ensure that they successfully carry out their contractual obligations and meet expected deadlines. However, if we are unable to effectively manage our outsourced activities or if the quality of the services provided by consultants is compromised for any reason, our ability to provide quality products in a timely manner could be harmed, which may have a material adverse effect on our business operating results and financial condition.

To manage any future growth effectively, we must continue to improve and expand our information technology and financial infrastructure, our operating and administrative systems and controls, and our ability to manage headcount, capital and processes in an efficient manner. We may not be able to successfully implement improvements to these systems and processes in a timely or efficient manner, which could result in additional operating inefficiencies and could cause our costs to increase more than planned. If we do increase our operating expenses in

anticipation of the growth of our business and this growth does not meet our expectations, our operating results may be negatively impacted. If we are unable to manage future expansion, our ability to provide high quality products could be harmed, which could damage our reputation and brand and may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our business and prospects depend on the strength of our marketing efforts and our brand. Failure to maintain and enhance our brand would harm our ability to maintain and expand our base of customers.

Maintaining and enhancing our brand is important to maintaining and expanding our base of customers who have a desire to purchase an Elio . This will depend largely on our ability to continue to communicate effectively the latest developments concerning the vehicle. While we may engage in a broader marketing campaign to further promote our brand, this effort may not succeed. Our efforts in developing our brand may be affected by the marketing efforts of our competitors. If we are unable to cost-effectively maintain and increase awareness of our brand, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be harmed. Our brand may be impaired by other factors, including development setbacks. Any inability to effectively police our trademark rights against unauthorized uses by third parties could adversely impact the value of our trademarks and our brand recognition. If we fail to maintain and enhance our brand, or if we need to incur unanticipated expenses to establish our brand in new markets, our operating results would be negatively affected from reduced sales and increased marketing expenses.

Our business may be adversely affected by any disruptions caused by union activities.

It is common for employees at companies with significant manufacturing operations such as us to belong to a union, which can result in higher employee costs and increased risk of work stoppages. Moreover, regulations in some jurisdictions outside of the United States mandate employee participation in industrial collective bargaining agreements and work councils with certain consultation rights with respect to the relevant companies’ operations. Although we work diligently to provide the best possible work environment for our employees, they may still decide to join or seek recognition to form a labor union, or we may be required to become a union signatory. Furthermore, we are directly or indirectly dependent upon companies with unionized work forces, such as parts suppliers and trucking and freight companies, and work stoppages or strikes organized by such unions could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or operating results. If a work stoppage occurs, it could delay the manufacture and sale of our products and have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, operating results or financial condition.

Our products and services are subject to substantial regulations, which are evolving, and unfavorable changes or failure by us to comply with these regulations could substantially harm our business and operating results.

Motor vehicles are subject to substantial regulation under international, federal, state, and local laws. We incur, and will incur, significant costs in complying with these regulations, and may be required to incur additional costs to comply with any changes to such regulations. We are subject to laws and regulations applicable to the import, sale and service of automobiles internationally. For example, in countries outside of the United States, we are required to meet vehicle-specific safety standards that are often materially different from requirements in the United States, thus resulting in additional investment into the vehicles and systems to ensure regulatory compliance in those countries. This process may include official review and certification of our vehicles by foreign regulatory agencies prior to market entry, as well as compliance with foreign reporting and recall management systems requirements. Any failure to comply with these regulations could result in substantial fines or penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We are subject to various privacy and consumer protection laws.

Our privacy policy is posted on our website, and any failure by us or our vendors or other business partners to comply with it or with federal, state or international privacy, data protection or security laws or regulations could result in regulatory or litigation-related actions against us, legal liability, fines, damages and other costs. We may also incur substantial expenses and costs in connection with maintaining compliance with such laws, in particular data protection laws in the EU, which are currently in a state of transition. Although we take steps to protect the security of our customers’ personal information, we may be required to expend significant resources to comply with data breach requirements if third parties improperly obtain and use the personal information of our customers or we otherwise experience a data loss with respect to customers’ personal information. A major breach of our network security and systems could have negative consequences for our business and future prospects, including possible fines, penalties and damages, reduced customer demand for our vehicles, and harm to our reputation and brand.

We are currently expanding and improving our information technology systems and use security measures designed to protect our systems against breaches and cyber-attacks. If these efforts are not successful, our business and operations could be disrupted and our operating results and reputation could be harmed.

We are currently developing, expanding and improving our information technology systems, including implementing new internally developed systems, to assist us in the management of our business. In particular, our volume production of multiple vehicles will necessitate continued development, maintenance and improvement of our information technology systems in the United States and abroad, which include product data management, procurement, inventory management, production planning and execution, sales, service and logistics, dealer management, financial, tax and regulatory compliance systems. The implementation, maintenance and improvement of these systems require significant management time, support and cost. Moreover, there are inherent risks associated with developing, improving and expanding our core systems as well as implementing new systems, including the disruption of our data management, procurement, manufacturing execution, finance, supply chain and sales and service processes. These risks may affect our ability to manage our data and inventory, procure parts or supplies or manufacture, sell, deliver and service vehicles, or achieve and maintain compliance with, or realize available benefits under, tax laws and other applicable regulations. We also maintain information technology measures designed to protect us against system security risks, data breaches and cyber-attacks.

We cannot be sure that these systems or their required functionality will be effectively implemented, maintained or expanded as planned. If we do not successfully implement, maintain or expand these systems as planned, our operations may be disrupted, our ability to accurately and/or timely report our financial results could be impaired, and deficiencies may arise in our internal control over financial reporting, which may impact our ability to certify our financial results. Moreover, our proprietary information could be compromised and our reputation may be adversely affected. If these systems or their functionality do not operate as we expect them to, we may be required to expend significant resources to make corrections or find alternative sources for performing these functions.

Our insurance strategy may not be adequate to protect us from all business risks.

We may be subject, in the ordinary course of business, to losses resulting from products liability, accidents, acts of God and other claims against us, for which we may have no insurance coverage. While we currently maintain general liability, automobile, property, workers’ compensation, and directors’ and officers’ insurance policies, as a general matter, we do not maintain as much insurance coverage as many other companies do, and in some cases, we do not maintain any at all. Additionally, the policies that we do have may include significant deductibles, and we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover all future claims against us. A loss that is uninsured or which exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

Our facilities or operations could be damaged or adversely affected as a result of disasters.

Our manufacturing facility will be located in Louisiana. If major disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or other events occur, or our information system or communications network breaks down or operates improperly, our Shreveport production facility may be seriously damaged, or we may have to stop or delay production and shipment of the Elio . We may incur expenses relating to such damages, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We have partnered, through a memorandum of understanding, with Pep Boys to provide aftermarket service on the Elio, which is a vastly different service model from the one typically used in the automotive industry. If we are unable to address the service requirements of our customers our business will be materially and adversely affected.

If we are unable to either successfully address the service requirements of our customers or to otherwise convert this memorandum of understanding into a definitive long-term arrangement, our business and prospects will be materially and adversely affected. In addition, we anticipate the level and quality of the service we provide our Elio customers will have a direct impact on the success of the Elio and our future vehicles. If we are unable to satisfactorily service our Elio customers, our ability to generate customer loyalty, grow our business and sell additional vehicles could be impaired.

Our bill-of-materials cost may exceed our current targeted base price for an Elio.

Our current bill-of-materials (“BOM”) cost and desired profit margin would require a base retail price of $7,526 for the vehicle, which exceeds our current targeted base price of $7,450. Actual BOM costs can vary up or down during vehicle development as engineering changes are made and validated through testing. While we believe that

we will be able to bridge this gap through product refinement during vehicle development, supplier negotiation closer to production, and scale economies post-production, we may not be successful as certain costs may be driven by commodity price fluctuations that are beyond our control. This may cause us to increase our base price, which may in turn make purchasing an Elio less attractive. In addition, 36,435 of our reservations have received a “locked” base price of $7,300 and 21,204 have received a “locked” price of $7,000. To the extent that our actual BOM exceeds these “locked” base prices, sales to these reservation holders will likely result in a loss.

Risks Relating to Intellectual Property

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, our competitive position could be harmed or we could be required to incur significant expenses to enforce our rights.

Our ability to compete effectively is dependent in part upon our ability to protect our proprietary technology. We rely on trademarks, trade secret laws, confidentiality procedures and licensing arrangements to protect our intellectual property rights. There can be no assurance these protections will be available in all cases or will be adequate to prevent our competitors from copying, reverse engineering or otherwise obtaining and using our technology, proprietary rights or products. In order to minimize the cost of bringing the Elio to market, we have chosen not to apply for patents for any of our mechanical innovations related to our development of the Elio . This means that others could develop a vehicle with a similar design and produce a competing product, which could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. There can be no assurance that our competitors will not independently design vehicles that are substantially equivalent or superior to the Elio or design around our proprietary rights. In each case, our ability to compete could be significantly impaired. To prevent substantial unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights, it may be necessary to prosecute actions for infringement and/or misappropriation of our proprietary rights against third parties. Any such action could result in significant costs and diversion of our resources and management’s attention, and there can be no assurance we will be successful in such action. Furthermore, many of our current and potential competitors have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to enforce their intellectual property rights than we do. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

Claims by others that we infringe their intellectual property rights could harm our business

Our industry is characterized by vigorous protection and pursuit of intellectual property rights, which has resulted in protracted and expensive litigation for many companies. Third parties may in the future assert claims of infringement of intellectual property rights against us or against our customers or suppliers for which we may be liable. As the number of products and competitors in our market increases and overlaps occur, infringement claims may increase.

Intellectual property claims against us, and any resulting lawsuits, may result in our incurring significant expenses and could subject us to significant liability for damages and invalidate what we currently believe are our proprietary rights. Our involvement in any patent dispute or other intellectual property dispute or action to protect trade secrets and know-how could have a material adverse effect on our business. Adverse determinations in any litigation could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties, require us to seek licenses from third parties and prevent us from manufacturing and selling our products. Any of these situations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

These claims, regardless of their merits or outcome, would likely be time consuming and expensive to resolve and could divert management’s time and attention, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and could cause us to incur substantial costs.

Others, including our competitors, may hold or obtain patents, copyrights, trademarks or other proprietary rights that could prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop, sell or market our products and services, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, the holders of such intellectual property rights may assert their rights and urge us to take licenses, and/or may bring suits alleging infringement or misappropriation of such rights. We may consider entering into licensing agreements with respect to such rights,

although no assurance can be given that such licenses can be obtained on acceptable terms or that litigation will not occur, and such licenses could significantly increase our operating expenses. In addition, if we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to cease making, selling or incorporating certain components or intellectual property into the goods and services we offer, to pay substantial damages and/or license royalties, to redesign our products and services, and/or to establish and maintain alternative branding for our products and services. In the event that we were required to take one or more such actions, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not valid, could result in substantial costs, negative publicity and diversion of resources and management attention, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

Risks Related to the Investment in our Common Stock

The price of our Common Stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

The trading price of our Common Stock following this offering may fluctuate substantially and may be higher or lower than the public offering price. This may be especially true for companies, such as ours, with a small public float. The trading price of our Common Stock following this offering will depend on several factors, including those described in this “Risk Factors” section, many of which are beyond our control and may not be related to our operating performance. These fluctuations could cause you to lose all or part of your investment in our Common Stock since you might be unable to sell your shares at or above the price you paid in this offering. Factors that could cause fluctuations in the trading price of our Common Stock include:

In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for startup companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market and industry factors, as well as general economic, political and market conditions such as recessions or interest rate changes, may seriously affect the market price of our Common Stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. These fluctuations may be even more pronounced in the trading market for our stock shortly following this offering. If the market price of our Common Stock after this offering does not exceed the public offering price, you may not realize any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment.

In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market prices of particular companies’ securities, securities class action litigations have often been instituted against these companies. Litigation of this type, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources. Any adverse determination in any such litigation or any amounts paid to settle any such actual or threatened litigation could require that we make significant payments.

The price at which you purchase our Common Stock may not be a reliable indicator of the future market price.

We expect the public offering price to be between $    and $    per share of Common Stock. The last reported sales price of our Common Stock on the OTCQX on          , 2017 was $   . We and the underwriters considered multiple factors in considering the proposed offering price range and such considerations may prove not to be

accurate. As a result, the proposed offering price range may not be a reliable indicator of what the market price for our Common Stock may be in the future, and the market price may be less than the public offering price.

The ownership of our Common Stock is concentrated among existing executive officers and directors.

Our executive officers and directors own beneficially, in the aggregate, approximately    % of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock. As a result, they are able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation, and approval of significant corporate transactions. This control could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of Elio Motors or changes in management and will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these shareholders.

Our issuance of convertible notes, options and warrants could substantially dilute the interests of shareholders and depress the market price for our Common Stock.

Convertible notes in the amount of approximately $1.8 million as of May 31, 2017 are convertible by the holders into shares of our Common Stock at any time prior to their maturity in 2022 at a conversion price equal to $5.98 per share. In addition, we issued to designees of Network 1 Financial Securities, Inc., the placement agent for our convertible note offering, warrants to purchase up to 107,245 shares of Common Stock at $5.98 per share. These warrants are exercisable until December 2020. Warrants to purchase a total of 6,068 shares at $5.98 per share, issued to parties that provided services in connection with our 2015 Regulation A offering, can be exercised until 2019 and 2023. We entered into option agreements with Stuart Lichter that allow him to purchase 1,887,554 shares at $5.56 per share and 58,824 shares at $17.00 per share. These option agreements expire in 2025 and 2021, respectively. We issued warrants to purchase 25,000 shares at $20.00 per share, which are exercisable until November 2021. We also issued 389,000 employee stock options exercisable at $19.68 per share. These employee stock options expire in October 2023. Lastly, we have issued two series of preferred stock that may convert into a total of 531,416 shares of Common Stock. Accordingly, these future issuances of Common Stock could substantially dilute the interests of our existing shareholders and future investors.

The market price of shares of our Common Stock could decline as a result of substantial sales of our Common Stock, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and significant stockholders, a large number of shares of our Common Stock becoming available for sale or the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intend to sell their shares. After this offering, we will have outstanding shares of our Common Stock, based on the number of shares outstanding as of May 31, 2017. This includes the shares included in this offering, which may be resold in the public market immediately without restriction, unless purchased by our affiliates or existing stockholders.

If securities or industry analysts issue an adverse opinion regarding our stock or do not publish research or reports about our Company, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our Common Stock will depend in part on the research and reports that equity research analysts publish about us and our business. Currently, we do not have any analyst coverage and we may not obtain analyst coverage in the future. If we obtain analyst coverage, we would have no control over such analysts or the content and opinions in their reports. Securities analysts may elect not to provide research coverage of our Company after the closing of this offering, and such lack of research coverage may adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock. The price of our Common Stock could also decline if one or more equity research analysts downgrade our Common Stock or if those analysts issue other unfavorable commentary or cease publishing reports about us or our business. If one or more equity research analysts cease coverage of our Company, we could lose visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.

Our management will have discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use the capital in a way which increases the value of your investment.

We currently intend to use the net proceeds of the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, including sales and marketing activities, product development, and capital expenditures. Our management will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, and investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of those proceeds. Our management may spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our operating results or enhance the value of our Common Stock, and you will not have

the opportunity to influence management’s decisions on how to use the proceeds from this offering. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may also invest the net proceeds of this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. Please see “Use of Proceeds” below for more information.

Purchasers in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of their investment.

The public offering price of our Common Stock is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our Common Stock immediately after this offering. Therefore, if you purchase our Common Stock in this offering, you will incur an immediate dilution of $    in net tangible book value per share from the price you paid, based on an assumed public offering price of $    per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. In addition, new investors who purchase shares in this offering will contribute approximately    % of the total amount of equity capital raised by us through the date of this offering, but will only own approximately    % of the outstanding equity capital. The exercise of outstanding options and warrants will result in further dilution. In addition, if we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience further dilution. For a detailed description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see “Dilution.”

We have never paid cash dividends on our capital stock, and we do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, we may enter into credit agreements or other borrowing arrangements in the future that will restrict our ability to declare or pay cash dividends on our Common Stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to fund the growth of our business. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our Common Stock will be the sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

If an active, liquid trading market for our Common Stock does not develop, you may not be able to sell your shares quickly or at or above the offering price.

An active and liquid trading market for our Common Stock may not develop or be sustained following this offering. The lack of an active market may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that you consider reasonable. The lack of an active market may also reduce the fair market value of your shares. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using our shares as consideration. You may not be able to sell your shares quickly or at or above the offering price.

If our operating and financial performance in any given period does not meet the guidance that we provide to the public, our stock price may decline.

We may provide public guidance on our expected operating and financial results for future periods. Any such guidance will be comprised of forward-looking statements subject to the risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus and in our other public filings and public statements. Our actual results may not always be in line with or exceed any guidance we have provided, especially in times of economic uncertainty. If, in the future, our operating or financial results for a particular period do not meet any guidance we provide or the expectations of investment analysts or if we reduce our guidance for future periods, the market price of our Common Stock may decline as well.

We may not be able to satisfy listing requirements of the NASDAQ to maintain a listing of our Common Stock.

If our Common Stock is listed on the NASDAQ, we must meet certain financial and liquidity criteria to maintain such listing. If we fail to meet any of the NASDAQ’s listing standards, our Common Stock may be delisted. In addition, our board of directors may determine that the cost of maintaining our listing on a national securities exchange outweighs the benefits of such listing. A delisting of our Common Stock from the NASDAQ may materially impair our stockholders’ ability to buy and sell our Common Stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our Common Stock. In addition, the delisting of our Common Stock could significantly impair our ability to raise capital.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million, if we issue $1 billion or more in non-convertible debt during a three-year period, or if our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion. We would cease to be an emerging growth company on the last day of the fiscal year following the date of the fifth anniversary of our first sale of common equity securities under an effective registration statement or a fiscal year in which we have $1 billion in gross revenues (note that the offering of Common Stock pursuant to this prospectus will not result in the sale of securities under an effective registration statement). Finally, at any time we may choose to opt-out of the emerging growth company reporting requirements. If we choose to opt out, we will be unable to opt back in to being an emerging growth company. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

As an emerging growth company, our auditor is not required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls.

Our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting while we are an emerging growth company. This means that the effectiveness of our financial operations may differ from our peer companies in that they may be required to obtain independent registered public accounting firm attestations as to the effectiveness of their internal controls over financial reporting and we are not. While our management will be required to attest to internal control over financial reporting and we will be required to detail changes to our internal controls on a quarterly basis, we cannot provide assurance that the independent registered public accounting firm’s review process in assessing the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, if obtained, would not find one or more material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. Further, once we cease to be an emerging growth company we will be subject to independent registered public accounting firm attestation regarding the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Even if management finds such controls to be effective, our independent registered public accounting firm may decline to attest to the effectiveness of such internal controls and issue a qualified report.

Provisions of Delaware law may delay or prevent transactions that would benefit stockholders.

The Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, contains provisions that may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of the Company. Because of these provisions, persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals may be more likely to negotiate with our board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. As a result, these provisions may make it more difficult for our stockholders to benefit from transactions that are opposed by an incumbent board of directors.

We may issue shares of preferred stock that could adversely affect holders of shares of Common Stock.

Our board of directors has the power, without stockholder approval and subject to the terms of our certificate of incorporation, to set the terms of any classes or series of shares of stock that may be issued, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion features, preferences over shares of our Common Stock with respect to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the business. If we issue shares of preferred stock in the future that have a preference over shares of Common Stock with respect to the payment of dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or if we issue shares of preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of shares of Common Stock, the rights of holders of Common Stock or the trading price of our Common Stock could be adversely affected.

Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our Common Stock upon our bankruptcy or liquidation, and future issuances of preferred stock, which could rank senior to our Common Stock for the purposes of dividends and liquidating distributions, may adversely affect the level of return you may be able to achieve from an investment in our Common Stock.

In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by offering debt securities. Upon a potential bankruptcy or liquidation, holders of our debt securities, and lenders with respect to other borrowings we may make, would receive distributions of our available assets prior to any distributions being made to holders of our Common Stock. Because our decision to issue debt securities in any future offering, or borrow money from lenders, will depend in part on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any such future offerings or borrowings. Holders of our Common Stock must bear the risk that any future offerings we conduct or borrowings we make may adversely affect the level of return they may be able to achieve from an investment in our Common Stock.

If our shares of Common Stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.

The Commission has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price per share of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not obtain or retain a listing on the NASDAQ and if the price of our Common Stock is less than $5.00 per share, our Common Stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before effecting a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that, before effecting any such transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our Common Stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

FINRA sales practice requirements may limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.

In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, has adopted rules that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative, low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. The FINRA requirements may make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our Common Stock, which may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in our Common Stock. As a result, fewer broker-dealers may be willing to make a market in our Common Stock, reducing a stockholder’s ability to resell shares of our Common Stock.

If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our Common Stock may decline.

As a public company, we would be required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal control. Further, we will be required to report any changes in internal controls on a quarterly basis. In addition, we would be required to furnish a report by management on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will design, implement, and test the internal controls over financial reporting required to comply with these obligations. If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of the Common Stock could be negatively affected. We also could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which the securities are listed, the Commission, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

We may be considered a smaller reporting company and will be exempt from certain disclosure requirements, which could make our Common Stock less attractive to potential investors.

Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or Exchange Act, defines a “smaller reporting company” as an issuer that is not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent that is not a smaller reporting company and that:

As a smaller reporting company, we would not be required and may not include a Compensation Discussion and Analysis section in our proxy statements; we would provide only two years of financial statements; and we would not need to provide the table of selected financial data. We also would have other “scaled” disclosure requirements that are less comprehensive than issuers that are not smaller reporting companies which could make our Common Stock less attractive to potential investors, which could make it more difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares.

We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a listed public company and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices.

As a listed public company, and particularly if at some point in the future we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we have not incurred in the past. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of the NASDAQ and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to compliance with these requirements. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect that these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, which could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we will incur as a listed public company or the timing of such costs.

We are taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

We will pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%, and will pay state and local income tax at varying rates. Distributions will generally be taxed again as corporate dividends (to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits), and no income, gains, losses, deductions, or credits will flow through to you. In addition, changes in current state law may subject us to additional entity-level taxation by individual states. Because of state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject corporations to additional forms of taxation. We will be subject to a material amount of entity-level taxation, which will result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to our shareholders.

A non-U.S. holder of our Common Stock will be treated as having income that is “effectively connected” with a United States trade or business upon the sale or disposition of our Common Stock unless (i) our Common Stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and (ii) the non-U.S. holder owned not more than 5% of our Common Stock during the applicable testing period.

A non-U.S. holder of our Common Stock generally will incur U.S. Federal income tax on any gain realized upon a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock to the extent our Common Stock constitutes a “United States real

property interest,” or USRPI, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, or FIRPTA. A USRPI includes stock in a “United States real property holding corporation.” We are, and expect to continue to be for the foreseeable future, a “United States real property holding corporation.”

Under FIRPTA, a non-U.S. holder is taxed on any gain realized upon a sale or other disposition of a USRPI as if such gain were “effectively connected” with a United States trade or business of the non-U.S. holder. A non-U.S. holder thus will be taxed on such a gain at the same graduated rates generally applicable to U.S. persons. In addition, a non-U.S. holder would have to file a U.S. federal income tax return reporting that gain. A non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation and not entitled to treaty relief or exemption also may be subject to the 30% branch profits tax on such gain.

However, if our Common Stock becomes regularly traded on an established securities market, then gain realized upon a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock will not be treated as gain from the sale of a USRPI, as long as the non-U.S. holder did not own more than 5% of our Common Stock at any time during the five-year period preceding the sale or other disposition or, if shorter, the non-U.S. holder’s holding period for its shares of our Common Stock. At this time, we generally expect our Common Stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market, and so gain realized upon a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock will not be treated as gain from the sale of a USRPI, as long as the non-U.S. holder did not own more than 5% of our Common Stock at any time during the applicable testing period. However, in the event that our Common Stock is not regularly traded on an established securities market, then gain recognized by a non-U.S. holder upon a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock will be subject to tax under FIRPTA.

The tax treatment of corporations or an investment in our Common Stock could be subject to potential legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis.

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of corporations, including us, or an investment in our Common Stock, may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, from time to time, members of Congress and the President propose and consider substantive changes to the existing U.S. federal income tax laws that affect corporations. Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws and interpretations thereof may or may not be retroactively applied and could make it more difficult or impossible to meet our cash flow needs for operations, acquisitions or other purposes. We are unable to predict whether any of these changes or other proposals will be enacted. However, it is possible that a change in law could affect us, and any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our Common Stock.

This list of factors that may affect future performance and the accuracy of forward-looking statements is illustrative, but not exhaustive. New risk factors and uncertainties not described here or elsewhere in this prospectus, including in the sections of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” may emerge from time to time. Moreover, because we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, it is not possible for our management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. The forward-looking statements are also subject to the risks and uncertainties specific to our Company, including but not limited to the fact that we have limited operating history, have not yet begun producing or delivering our first vehicle, have no current revenue, and have limited number of management and other staff. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this prospectus may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking statements.

This prospectus contains estimates and statistical data that we obtained from industry publications and reports. These publications generally indicate that they have obtained their information from sources believed to be reliable, but do not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of their information, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. Although we believe the publications are reliable, we have not independently verified their data. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the markets in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk.

You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance and achievements may be materially different from what we expect.

Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this prospectus occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this prospectus are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or persons acting on our behalf may issue.

Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus.

The following table summarizes, on the pro forma basis described above, as of March 31, 2017 the total number of shares of Common Stock purchased from us, the total consideration paid to us, and the average price per share paid to us by existing stockholders and by new investors purchasing shares in this offering at the assumed public offering price of $    per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us:

The foregoing tables and discussion exclude:

If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option to purchase additional shares of our Common Stock in full, the percentage of shares of Common Stock held by existing stockholders will decrease to approximately    % of the total number of shares of our Common Stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares held by new investors will increase to    , or approximately    % of the total number of shares of our Common Stock outstanding after this offering.

To the extent that any of the outstanding options to purchase shares of our Common Stock are exercised, new investors will experience further dilution. If all of such outstanding options had been exercised as of March 31, 2017, the pro forma net tangible book value per share would be $    , and total dilution per share to new investors would be $    . In addition, we may issue additional shares of Common Stock, other equity securities or convertible debt securities in the future, which may cause further dilution to new investors in this offering.

If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option to purchase additional shares of our Common Stock in full:

Engineering, research and development costs decreased approximately $2.8 million, or 76%, to approximately $0.90 million from approximately $3.70 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. This decrease was primarily the result of: (1) an approximately $2.5 million decrease in engineering, design and development; and (2) an approximately $0.1 million decrease in payroll and payroll related expenses due to several employees going on furlough effective January 1, 2017

General and administrative expenses decreased approximately $0.60 million, or 45%, to approximately $0.75 million from approximately $1.35 million during the same period in 2016. The decrease was primarily the result of: (1) an approximately $0.12 million decrease in common area maintenance, insurance and property taxes associated with the terms of the Shreveport capital lease; (2) an approximately $0.40 million decrease in professional service fees as a result of a lack of available funding; and (3) an approximately $0.04 million decrease in payroll and payroll related expenses due to several employees going on furlough effective January 1, 2017.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased $1.3 million, or 72%, to approximately $0.51 million from approximately $1.82 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 as a result of: (1) an approximately $1.06 million decrease in social media, television and print advertisements; (2) an approximately $0.13 million decrease in tour related expenses; (3) an approximately $0.05 million decrease in labor due to several employees going on furlough effective January 1, 2017; and (4) an approximately $0.01 million decrease in press release fees.

Interest expense increased to $2.97 million, or 57%, during the three months ended March 31, 2017, as compared to approximately $1.89 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. This increase was primarily due to a $1.2 million increase in accrued interest on the subordinated promissory note to RACER Trust.

As a result, our net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2017 decreased 50% to approximately $4.76 million compared to approximately $9.49 million during the comparable 2016 period. Our accumulated deficit was approximately $145.91 million as of March 31, 2017.

Year Ended December 31, 2016 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2015.

Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2016 increased 208% to $40.37 million, from approximately $13.12 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Engineering, research and development costs increased approximately $18.0 million, or 863%, to approximately $20.08 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to approximately $2.08 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. This increase was primarily the result of: (1) an approximately $6.1 million increase in soft tooling and expenses related to the prototype builds for testing and validation purposes; (2) an approximately $10.6 million increase in ongoing engineering, design and development; (3) an approximately $0.50 million increase in payroll and payroll related expenses due to an increase in engineering and development staff; and (4) an approximately $0.20 million increase in engineering software charges.

General and administrative expenses increased approximately $8.2 million, or 185%, to approximately $12.68 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to approximately $4.46 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. This increase is primarily attributable to: (1) a one-time charge of $7.5 million resulting from our agreement with RACER Trust to create 1,500 new jobs by July 1, 2017; (2) an approximately $0.09 million increase in insurance expense; (3) an approximately $0.70 million increase in guarantee expense related to warrants issued to a director and stockholder as consideration for a personal guarantee to induce PayPal to release $4 million of restricted funds; (4) an approximately $0.26 million increase in payroll and payroll related expenses due to the increase in personnel; and (5) an approximately $0.84 million increase in legal and consulting fees resulting from increased financial reporting requirements and investor relations as a result of the Regulation A offering and our listing of the Common Stock on the OTCQX, offset by an approximately $1.3 million decrease in common area maintenance, insurance, and property taxes associated with the terms of the Shreveport capital lease.

Sales and marketing expenses increased $3.0 million, or 65%, to approximately $7.61 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to approximately $4.61 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. This increase was a result of: (1) an approximately $2.1 million increase in social media, television and print advertisements; (2) an approximately $0.21 million increase in press release fees; (3) an approximately $0.13 million increase in credit card processing fees; (4) an approximately $0.10 million increase in promotion related expenses; and (5) an approximately $0.28 million increase in payroll and related expenses due to an increase in sales and marketing staff.

Interest expense increased by 5% to approximately $11.51 million during the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to approximately $10.92 million for the prior year. This increase was primarily due to an approximately

$1.7 million increase in interest expense related to the amortization of deferred loan costs and the beneficial conversion feature of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Convertible Subordinated Notes, using the effective interest method; and an approximately $0.18 million increase in accrued interest on the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Convertible Subordinated Notes issued during 2015, offset by the cessation of default interest charges at 18% per annum on the subordinated promissory note to RACER Trust beginning January 1, 2016.

As a result, our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2016 increased 133% to approximately $52.72 million as compared to a net loss of approximately $22.59 million for the comparable 2015 period. Our accumulated deficit was approximately $141.14 million as of December 31, 2016.

Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2014.

Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2015 decreased to approximately $13.12 million, or 12%, from approximately $14.98 million during the year ended December 31, 2014.

Engineering, research and development costs decreased $3.4 million, or 62%, to approximately $2.09 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to approximately $5.47 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. This decrease was a result of an approximately $4.1 million decrease in ongoing engineering, design and development as a result of a lack of funding; offset by an approximately $0.71 million increase in expenses related to a prototype build.

General and administrative expenses decreased approximately $0.79 million, or 15%, to approximately $4.46 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to approximately $5.25 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. This decrease was primarily a result of: (1) an approximately $1.23 million decrease in consulting expenses related primarily to state and federal lobbying fees; and (2) an approximately $0.36 million decrease in travel expenses; offset by (1) an approximately $0.52 million increase in common area maintenance, insurance, and property taxes associated with the terms of the Shreveport capital lease; (2) an approximately $0.11 million increase in payroll and payroll related expenses due to an increase in accounting personnel; (3) an approximately $0.10 million increase in professional fees; and (4) an approximately $0.1 million increase in insurance expense.

Sales and marketing expenses increased approximately $0.35 million, or 8%, to approximately $4.61 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to approximately $4.26 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily a result of: (1) an approximately $0.16 million increase in payroll and payroll related expenses due to an increase in marketing personnel; (2) an approximately $0.10 million increase in press release fees; and (3) an approximately $0.41 million increase in travel expenses related to the Elio tour team; offset by (1) an approximately $0.15 million decrease in promotion expenses; (2) an approximately $0.10 million decrease in promotion space rental expense; (3) an approximately $0.05 million decrease in labor expenses paid to the Elio tour team; and (4) an approximately $0.02 million decrease in advertising expense.

Interest expense increased by 8% to approximately $10.92 million during the year ended December 31, 2015, as compared to approximately $10.07 million during the prior year. This increase was due to an increase in the accrued interest on the Shreveport capital lease and the issuance of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Convertible Subordinated Notes during 2015.

As a result, our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2015 decreased approximately 8% to approximately $22.59 million as compared to approximately $24.59 million for the comparable 2014 period. Our accumulated deficit was approximately $88.42 million as of December 31, 2015.

Capital Requirements and Sources of Liquidity

Background

Our engineering, development, testing, tooling and manufacturing activities will require us to make significant operating and capital expenditures. The amount and allocation of future capital expenditures will depend upon a number of factors, including our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities, and our ability to execute our engineering, testing and development program. We will periodically review our capital expenditure budget to assess changes in current and projected cash flows, engineering, testing and development activities, capital raising activities, and other factors. If we are unable to obtain funds when needed or on acceptable terms, we may not be able to finance the capital expenditures necessary to complete our engineering, development, tooling, and/or manufacturing activities.

Following the closing of this offering, we believe that the proceeds will provide us with sufficient liquidity to build and test additional prototypes and kick-off long lead production equipment and hard tooling in connection with our total budget through being cashflow positive of $531.2 million. Including the proceeds of this offering, we currently estimate we need to raise approximately $376.6 million of new investment to fund production activities. This amount is exclusive of approximately (a) $110.5 million which we assume will be obtained through additional reservation deposits and (b) sales margin of $44.1 million which we assume will result from our initial customer deliveries of the Elio . We note that as we are in the prototype build stage of development, the amount that we need to raise may change. We cannot assure you that operating and other needed capital will be available on acceptable terms or at all. In the event the amount of capital required is greater than the amount we have available for engineering, development, testing and tooling at that time, we could be required to reduce the expected level of capital expenditures and/or seek additional capital. If we require additional capital for those or other reasons, we may seek such capital through joint venture partnerships, strategic relationships, traditional borrowings, public or private offerings of debt and equity securities or other means. We cannot assure you that needed capital will be available on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain funds when needed or on acceptable terms, we may be required to curtail our planned engineering, development, testing, tooling, and/or manufacturing development, which could impede our growth plans and result in a loss of vehicle reservations and deposits.

March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2017, we had approximately $0.21 million in cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $42.72 million compared to approximately $0.12 million in cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $42.14 million at December 31, 2016. The increase in the working capital deficit was due primarily to a $1.5 million increase in the current portion of notes and related party notes payable, offset by a $1.0 million decrease in accrued interest due to the conversion of lease payments on the Shreveport Capital lease to Series D Convertible Preferred Shares in January 2017.

Through March 31, 2017, the Company received advances totaling approximately $6.48 million from directors and significant stockholders of the Company, as evidenced by Convertible Unsecured Notes. The notes were convertible into shares of our common stock at any time prior to their maturity in 2022 at a conversion price equal to $15.00 per share. Interest of 5% per annum accrued on the unpaid principal balance and all unpaid principal and interest were to be paid at maturity. Subsequent to March 31, 2017, the advances were converted to shares of common stock as discussed below in “—Subsequent Events.”

December 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2016, we had approximately $0.12 million in cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $42.14 million compared to approximately $6.87 million in cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $2.33 million at December 31, 2015. The increase in the working capital deficit was due primarily to the decrease in cash and restricted cash as a result of the increased operating expenses incurred during 2016 and principal payments made on the note payable due to a related party. As of December 31, 2016, current liabilities increased approximately $23.5 million as a result of the note and interest payable to RACER Trust becoming due in July 2017, and the accrual of a onetime charge of $7.5 million as a result of our agreement with RACER Trust to create 1,500 new jobs by July 1, 2017. In May 2017, we amended our agreement with RACER Trust pursuant to which our commitment to create 1,500 jobs by July 1, 2017 has been extended to September 1, 2019. We will make the appropriate adjustment to our balance sheet to remove the liability in our interim financial statements for quarter ended June 30, 2017. In addition, the maturity date of the promissory note has been extended from July 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Subsequent Events” for additional information regarding the extension.

The Company received advances totaling approximately $5.97 million from directors and significant stockholders of the Company, as evidenced by Convertible Unsecured Notes. The notes were convertible into shares of our Common Stock at any time prior to their maturity in 2022 at a conversion price equal to $15.00 per share. Interest of 5% per annum accrued on the unpaid principal balance and all unpaid principal and interest were to be paid at maturity. Subsequent to year end, the advances were converted to shares of Common Stock as discussed in Note 14 to the financial statements.

We obtained an extension agreement until July 31, 2018 with respect to a loan for approximately $4.77 million due July 31, 2016, secured by a first position in equipment in the Shreveport, Louisiana manufacturing facility. The lender, CH Capital Lending, is an affiliate of Stuart Lichter, one of our directors and significant stockholders. We have three additional loans from Mr. Lichter totaling approximately $1.9 million which are now due January 31, 2019.

We also have a capital sublease obligation with Shreveport Business Park, LLC, an affiliate of Stuart Lichter, one of our directors and significant stockholders. On November 17, 2016, we entered into a second capital sublease amendment, which converted sublease payments, common area maintenance charges, property taxes, insurance, and late fees and interest into 435,036 shares of the Company’s Series C Convertible Preferred Stock and a warrant to purchase 25,000 shares of Common Stock. On January 1, 2017, approximately $3.00 million in sublease payments, and approximately $0.60 million in projected lease charges also converted into 96,380 shares of the Company’s Series D Convertible Preferred Stock.

We also have a long-term loan of $23.00 million from the RACER Trust which was incurred in March 2013 in connection with the purchase of the equipment at the Shreveport facility. This loan was to be repaid in monthly installments of $173,500 beginning on November 1, 2013, with the entire remaining balance due September 1, 2016. We were delinquent on the first payment, which triggered default interest to be charged on the loan at 18% per annum. Payments made in 2014 were applied to this interest. In March 2015, we entered into an amendment to the promissory note which deferred the installment payments until January 1, 2016 and extended the maturity date to July 1, 2017. We were late on the September and October 2016 payments, which triggered default interest to be charged on the loan at 18% per annum. On March 1, 2017, a forbearance agreement was signed with RACER Trust that extended the payments until May 31, 2017, with payments commencing June 1, 2017. On May 31, 2017 and July 1, 2017, we entered into additional agreements with RACER Trust that further extended the payments until September 30, 2017, with monthly installments resuming on October 1, 2017 and extended the maturity date of the note to July 31, 2018. Default interest of 18% per annum will continue accruing until the payments are resumed on October 1, 2017. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Subsequent Events” for additional information.

In August 2015, we filed an offering statement pursuant to Regulation A of the Securities Act, which was qualified by the Commission on November 20, 2015. We offered a minimum of 1,050,000 shares of Common Stock and a maximum of 2,090,000 shares of Common Stock on a “best efforts” basis, at a price of $12.00 per share. On February 16, 2016, we closed the Regulation A offering, after issuing 1,410,048 shares of Common Stock for proceeds of approximately $15.82 million net of offering expenses. During 2016, we issued an additional 63,000 shares in connection with a private placement for proceeds of approximately $1.07 million.

In addition to the agreements made with our lenders to defer cash outlays, advances received from directors and significant stockholders, and the Regulation A offering, we have funded our operations during the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily through the receipt of customer reservations of approximately $6.60 million, and the release of restricted cash held in customer deposits.

Payments due by period included accrued interest through the date that the obligation will be settled.

Subsequent to March 31, 2017, we converted a significant portion of the convertible notes payable into shares of Common Stock. The conversions reduce the principal balance and accrued interest obligation to approximately $2.55 million. We believe that the remaining balance will be converted before the convertible notes mature.

As of December 31, 2016

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at December 31, 2016:

Payments due by period included accrued interest through the date that the obligation will be settled.

Subsequent to year-end we converted a significant portion of the convertible notes payable into shares of Common Stock. The conversions reduce the principal balance and accrued interest obligation to approximately $2.55 million. We believe that the remaining balance will be converted before the convertible notes mature.

Plan of Operations and Related Sources of Liquidity

With much of the vehicle engineering completed, our engineering simulations suggest that the important vehicle performance milestones can be achieved. As of March 31, 2017, $62 million has been invested in vehicle engineering and development, of which $26.3 million was in the form of shares of common stock granted and the assumption of liabilities of Elio Engineering, Inc. dba ESG Engineering. Our prior Reg A+ offering raised funds of approximately $16.0 million which were used to further design and build initial engineering prototypes. At this point, including the proceeds of this offering, we currently estimate we need to raise approximately $376.6 million of new investment (of a total budget of $531.2 million) to fund production activities through cashflow positive. This amount is exclusive of (a) $110.5 million which we assume will be obtained through additional reservation deposits, (b) sales margin of $44.1 million which we assume will result from our initial customer deliveries of the Elio . We note that as we are in the prototype build stage of development, the amount that we need to raise may change.

We have refined our production plans with suppliers to start commercial production on a 76-week schedule, to commence with funding of at least $33 million to build 18 prototypes. The key timelines are in the chart below:

The anticipated budget required to achieve the milestones above is provided in the table below (amounts in millions):

Several major suppliers have committed to our project and will share in the additional cost of engineering and equipment, as discussed below. If we are unable to obtain or utilize these supplier commitments when needed or on acceptable terms, we may not be able to finance the capital expenditures necessary to complete our engineering, development, tooling, and/or manufacturing activities. Alternatively, we will need to replace this capital from a combination of more traditional sources, such as venture capital, credit facilities, capital leasing of equipment, and the capital markets.

Customer Reservations

Customer reservations have provided significant funding for us in the past and we expect reservations to be a significant source of short-term liquidity in the future. With each progressive step in our development, we have experienced a surge in reservations. In addition, as we achieve subsequent milestones in the development of the Elio , customer confidence increases. Accordingly, we expect to see surges in reservations as the following milestones are achieved and announced: completion of prototypes, testing results, confirmation of mileage and hiring at the manufacturing facility. Our current development budget assumes $110.5 million in additional customer reservations.

Through March 31, 2017, we have approximately $27.8 million in reservations, an average of approximately $0.545 million per month. Of this amount, approximately $0.84 million was held at March 31, 2017 by credit card processing companies as a percentage of non-refundable reservations.

Sale of Excess Equipment

We identified equipment in the Shreveport plant that will not be used in production of the Elio and made the equipment available for sale. Through March 31, 2017, sales of excess equipment have yielded approximately $5.43 million, which has been applied to the principal balance on the CH Capital Lending, LLC note. As of March 31, 2017, an additional $1.2 million in equipment was available for sale, which we believe will be sold prior to the commencement of production.

Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program

In 2007, the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Program was established by Congress to support the production of fuel-efficient, advanced technology vehicles and components in the United States. To date, the program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, has made over

$8 billion in loans, including loans to Ford ($5.9 billion), Nissan ($1.45 billion) and Tesla ($465 million). This loan program provides direct loans to automotive or component manufacturers for re-equipping, expanding, or establishing manufacturing facilities in the United States that produce fuel-efficient advanced technology vehicles (ATVs) or qualifying components, or for engineering integration performed in the U.S. for ATVs or qualifying components. The ATVM loans are made attractive to applicants due to their low interest rates (set at U.S. Treasury rates (approximately 2% to 4%), minimal fees (no application fees or interest rate spread and only a closing fee of 0.1% of loan principal amount), and long loan term life of up to 25 years (set at the assets’ useful life). In order to qualify, auto manufacturers must be able to deliver “light duty vehicles” having 25% greater fuel economy than comparable models produced in 2005 or “ultra-efficient vehicles” that achieve at least 75 miles per gallon. In addition, ATVM borrowers must remain financially viable over the life of the loan without the receipt of additional federal funding associated with the proposed project.

The ATVM application process is comprised of 4 stages:

In August 2014 we completed the first stage by submitting an application for a loan of approximately $185 million, the proceeds of which would be used to partly fund the purchase and installation of equipment into the Shreveport facility prior to and after the start of production. As of January 15, 2015, the DOE has confirmed that we achieved the technical criteria for the loan. Due diligence has been pending upon the confirmation of our financial backing. We shared our production timing plans with the DOE, including the financing milestones to be achieved to kickoff production tooling in order to meet our start of production date. While the DOE has acknowledged and seems to be sensitive to our requirements, it has not made any commitments regarding its ability to meet these funding milestones. The specific terms and conditions of the ATVM loan will be negotiated with each applicant during the conditional commitment stage. There can be no assurances that we will be successful in obtaining an ATVM loan. If we are unable to obtain a loan under the ATVM Program, we will rely on funding through the issuance debt and/or equity securities, customer reservations, and possibly CAFE credits. On May 23, 2017, President Trump delivered his proposed budget for 2018 to Congress. As currently drafted, the proposed budget for 2018 would affect our ability to obtain a loan under the ATVM Program, as it eliminates the ATVM Program and allocates these funds to other programs. We cannot predict which of the President’s budget proposals will become effective. We will continue our efforts in obtaining approval of the ATVM loan through the current budget, working towards approval before the October 2017 deadline when a new budget would take effect.

Factors Affecting the Comparability of Our Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Our historical financial condition and results of operations for the periods presented may not be comparable to our financial condition and results of operations for future periods, for the following reasons:

Public Company Expenses

Upon completion of this offering, we expect to incur direct, incremental general and administrative expenses as a result of being a publicly traded company, including, but not limited to, increased scope of our operations and costs associated with hiring new personnel, implementation of compensation programs that are competitive with our public company peer group, annual and quarterly reports to shareholders, tax return preparation, independent registered public accounting firm fees, investor relations activities, registrar and transfer agent fees, incremental director and officer liability insurance costs and independent director compensation. These direct, incremental general and administrative expenses are not included in our historical results of operations.

Internal Controls and Procedures

We are not currently required to comply with the Commission’s rules implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, and are therefore not required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. Upon becoming a fully reporting company under the Exchange Act, we will be required to comply with the Commission’s rules implementing Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of

2002, which will require our management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We will not be required to make our first assessment of our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 until our first annual report subsequent to our ceasing to be an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Securities Act.

Inflation

Inflation in the United States has been relatively low in recent years. Although the impact of inflation has been insignificant in recent years, it is still a factor in the United States economy and we may experience inflationary pressure on the cost of manufacturing equipment, labor, and other supply inputs.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Currently, we do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Going Concern

Our financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which implies the Company will continue to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has not generated operating revenues since inception and has never paid any dividends. The continuation of the Company as a going concern is dependent upon the continued financial support from its shareholders, and the ability of the Company to obtain necessary equity and debt financing to continue. These financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

We have experienced recurring net losses from operations, which losses have caused an accumulated deficit of approximately $145.91 million as of March 31, 2017. In addition, we have a working capital deficit of approximately $42.72 million as of March 31, 2017. We had net losses of approximately $4.76 million, $52.72 million and $22.59 million for three months ended March 31, 2017 and years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We have experienced recurring net losses from operations, which losses have caused an accumulated deficit of approximately $141.14 million as of December 31, 2016. In addition, we have a working capital deficit of approximately $42.14 million as of December 31, 2016. These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue to obtain financing to meet our working capital requirements, we may have to curtail our business sharply or cease operations altogether. Our continuation as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations on a timely basis to retain our current financing, to obtain additional financing, and, ultimately, to attain profitability. Should any of these events not occur, we will be adversely affected and we may have to cease operations.

The ongoing execution of our business plan is expected to result in operating losses over the next twelve months. Management believes it will need to raise capital through loans or stock issuances in order to have enough cash to maintain its operations for the next twelve months. There are no assurances that we will be successful in achieving our goals of obtaining cash through loans, stock issuances, or increasing revenues and reaching profitability.

In view of these conditions, our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to meet our financing requirements, and ultimately to achieve profitable operations. Management believes that its current and future plans provide an opportunity to continue as a going concern. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded assets, or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may be necessary in the event we cannot continue as a going concern. See Note 2 – Going Concern in the Notes to the Financial Statements in this prospectus.

Subsequent Events

On May 31, 2017, we entered into a third amendment to our purchase agreement with RACER Trust pursuant to which our commitment to create 1,500 new jobs by July 1, 2017, has been extended to September 1, 2019.

On May 31, 2017 and July 1, 2017, we entered into forbearance agreements with RACER Trust pursuant to which RACER Trust has agreed to forbear on enforcing the payments due under the promissory note from October 1, 2016 to September, 2017. If we receive net proceeds of at least $25 million, in the aggregate from one or more offerings of the Company’s debt or equity securities on or before September 30, 2017, then we must pay to RACER

Trust, on or before September 30, 2017, the sum of the unpaid monthly amounts due to RACER Trust under the promissory note. Default interest of 18% per annum will continue accruing until the payments are resumed on October 1, 2017. In addition, the maturity date of the promissory note was extended from July 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018.

From April 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017, we issued 66,890 shares of common stock in a private placement offering to Stuart Lichter, a director and shareholder of the Company at $5.98 per share.

From April 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017, we converted approximately $2.0 million of principal and approximately $0.17 million of accrued interest from our Tier 1 Convertible Subordinated Notes into 356,036 shares of our Common Stock at a conversion price of $5.98 per share. This amount was converted by Stuart Lichter. As of May 31, 2017 there was approximately $1.71 million outstanding of the Tier 1 and approximately $0.09 million outstanding of the Tier 2 Convertible Subordinated Secured Notes. We have also converted approximately $6.48 million of principal and approximately $0.17 million of accrued interest from our Convertible Unsecured Notes into 1,111,910 shares of Common Stock at a conversion price of $5.98 per share. This amount was converted by directors of the Company. As of the date of this prospectus, we have no Convertible Unsecured Notes outstanding.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Critical accounting policies are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties and that could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. Accounting policies are considered to be critical if (1) the nature of the estimates and assumptions is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the susceptibility of such matters to change, and (2) the impact of the estimates and assumptions on financial condition or operating performance is material. See Note 3 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to the Financial Statements in this prospectus.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider all cash and highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. We maintain cash in bank accounts, which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. We have not experienced any losses in such accounts, and periodically evaluate the creditworthiness of the financial institutions. We have determined the credit exposure to be negligible.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash held in escrow as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, includes approximately $0.21 million and approximately $0.19, respectively, deposited in escrow accounts with financial institutions for future payment of property taxes and principal payments on notes payable from the sale of machinery and equipment. As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately $3.81 million deposited in escrow accounts. Of this amount, approximately $2.71 million was deposited in escrow accounts with financial institutions from the issuance of common shares under the Company’s Regulation A offering, and approximately $1.10 million was for future payment of property taxes and principal payments on notes payable from the sale of machinery and equipment.

In addition, we have recorded approximately $2.07 million as restricted cash held for customer deposits as of March 31, 2017. We have recorded approximately $2.01 million and approximately $5.82 million as restricted cash held for customer deposits as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. These amounts include amounts held as restricted that relate to refundable customer deposits, as well as amounts held as reserves by credit card processors. At December 31, 2015, $4.00 million of these funds were classified as current assets because they were released in May 2016.

Other Current Assets

As of March 31, 2017, we had recorded no other current assets, and as of December 31, 2016, we had recorded approximately $0.30 million as other current assets. This amount represents assets held for sale near year-end and the

proceeds were received in the escrow account January 2017. As of December 31, 2015, we had recorded approximately $0.34 million as other current assets. This amount represented advances made to the President and CEO. The advances incurred interest at the Federal Funds rate per annum, was due on demand, and repaid on May 3, 2016.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Property and equipment held for sale is recorded at the lower of cost or fair value less cost to sell. Major improvements are capitalized while expenditures for maintenance, repairs and minor improvements are charged to expense. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the assets and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are eliminated from the accounts, and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in operations. Property and equipment held for use are depreciated and amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets once placed in service.

The estimated useful lives for property and equipment are as follows:

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Subtopic 360-10, Property, Plant, and Equipment – Impairment or Disposal of Long Lived Assets , property and equipment and identifiable intangible assets with estimable useful lives are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. We recognized no impairment charge for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and the year ended December 31, 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recognized an impairment charge of approximately $1.96 million.

Assets Held For Sale

In connection with a strategy to reduce debt, we decided to sell machinery and equipment held at our Shreveport, Louisiana facility that will not be used during production. The carrying value of the machinery and equipment held for sale is stated at its lower of cost or fair value less cost to sell of $329,793 and $400,000, which is shown as “Assets held for sale” at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, in the accompanying balance sheets in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment.

The estimated value is based on negotiations with potential buyers. The amount that the Company will ultimately realize could differ materially from the amount recorded in the financial statements. The Company anticipates disposing of all assets held for sale within one year.

Accounting for Debt/Proceeds Allocation

We accounted for the issuance of debt with detachable warrants under FASB ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Option s (“ASC 470-20”). Pursuant to ASC 470-20, the warrants issued in connection with the related party debt are accounted for as equity due to the stock settlement available to the holder. We used the Black-Scholes option pricing model as the valuation model to estimate the fair value of the warrants. These warrants were fair valued on the issuance date and recorded at the relative fair value of the warrants and underlying related party promissory notes. The warrants are not subsequently revalued. See Note 7 - Long-Term Debt in the Notes to the Financial Statements in this prospectus.

Debt Issuance Costs

Deferred financing costs are legal and other costs incurred in connection with obtaining new financing. During 2015, FASB Accounting Standards Update 2015-03, Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) (“ASU 2015-03”) was issued. ASU 2015-03 simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs and requires that debt

issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the accompanying balance sheets as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. At the close of the Convertible Subordinated Note offering, the Tier 1 notes had a beneficial conversion feature and debt issuance costs in excess of the note amount. As a result, the debt issuance costs were recorded as a deferred loan cost. As of March 31, 2017, the current and long-term portions of deferred loan costs were $130,049 and $580,279, respectively. As of December 31, 2016, the current and long-term portions of deferred loan costs were $136,852 and $650,048, respectively. As of December 31, 2015, the current and long-term portions of deferred loan costs were $170,628 and $981,103, respectively.

ASU 2015-03 does not change the accounting for amortization of the debt issuance costs. We amortize the debt issuance costs to interest expense over the term of the respective note payable using the effective yield method. Deferred financing costs amortized to interest expense amounted to $90,216 for the three months ended March 31, 2017. Deferred financing costs amortized to interest expense amounted to $539,936 and $202,987 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Beneficial Conversion Feature

From time to time, we may issue convertible notes that may have conversion prices that create an embedded beneficial conversion feature pursuant to FASB ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options . A beneficial conversion feature exists on the date a convertible note is issued when the fair value of the underlying Common Stock to which the note is convertible is in excess of the conversion price. In accordance with this guidance, the intrinsic value of the beneficial conversion feature is recorded as a debt discount with a corresponding amount to Common Stock. The debt discount is amortized to interest expense over the life of the note using the effective interest method.

Warrants

We account for warrants with anti-dilution (“down-round”) provisions under the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), which requires such warrants to be recorded as a liability and adjusted to fair value at each reporting period.

We used the Monte Carlo method to calculate fair value and account for the issuance of Common Stock purchase warrants issued in connection with capital financing transactions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 815. Based upon the provisions of ASC 815, we classify as equity any contracts that (i) require physical settlement or net-share settlement or (ii) give us a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in its own shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement). We classify as assets or liabilities any contracts that (i) require net-cash settlement (including a requirement to net-cash settle the contract if an event occurs and if that event is outside our control) or (ii) gives the counterparty a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement).

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue from products sold when there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the sales price is determinable and collection is reasonably assured. Deposits collected in advance of the period in which the product is delivered are recorded as a liability under refundable and nonrefundable deposits. Nonrefundable deposits are not considered revenue because we have not fulfilled our obligation to the customer as production is not expected to begin until the fourth quarter of 2019. See Note 5 – Customer Deposits in the Notes to the Financial Statements in this prospectus.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Such costs, which amounted to $513,006 for the three months ended March 31, 2017, are included in sales and marketing expenses in the accompanying statements of operations. Such costs amounted to approximately $7.61 million and approximately $4.61 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Research and Development Costs

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 730, Research and Development (“ASC 730”), research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses consist of purchased technology, purchased research and development rights and outside services for research and development activities associated with product

development. In accordance with ASC 730, the cost to purchase such technology and research and development rights are required to be charged to expense if there is currently no alternative future use for this technology and, therefore, no separate economic value. Research and development costs amounted to approximately $0.90 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017. Research and development costs amounted to approximately $20.08 million and approximately $2.09 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Loss per Common Share

We compute loss per common share in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share, which requires dual presentation of basic and diluted earnings per share. Basic income or loss per common share is computed by dividing net income or loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income or loss per common share is computed by dividing net income or loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, plus the issuance of common shares, if dilutive, that could result from the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants.

These potentially dilutive securities were not included in the calculation of loss per common share for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, or 2014 because their effect would be anti-dilutive. The outstanding securities consist of the following:

Income Taxes

We are taxed as a C corporation in the United States of America. We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date. The realizability of deferred tax assets is assessed throughout the year and a valuation allowance is established as necessary.

We follow the requirements of ASC 740, which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in a company’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold of more likely than not and a measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. In making this assessment, we must determine whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, based solely on the technical merits of the position. We believe that we have taken no uncertain tax positions as of March 31, 2017 and as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and therefore no accruals have been made in the financial statements related to uncertain tax positions.

Stock-based Compensation

We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), which establishes accounting for equity instruments exchanged for employee services. Under such provisions, stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on the calculated fair value of the award, and is recognized as an expense, under the straight-line method, over the employee’s requisite service period (generally the vesting period of the equity grant).

We account for equity instruments, including restricted stock or stock options, issued to non-employees in accordance with authoritative guidance for equity based payments to non-employees. Stock options issued to non-employees are accounted for at their calculated fair value of the award.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12 (“ASU 2014-12”), “Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period,” which requires a performance target that affects vesting, and that could be achieved after the requisite service period, be treated as a performance condition. ASU 2014-12 states that the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant date fair value of the award. ASU 2014-12 clarifies that compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the periods for which the requisite service has already been rendered. The new standard was effective for us on January 1, 2016. The Company does not currently expect adoption of ASU 2014-12 to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15 (“ASU 2014-15”), “Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern.” ASU 2014-15 provides GAAP guidance on management’s responsibility in evaluating whether there is substantial doubt about a company’s ability to continue as a going concern and about related footnote disclosures. For each reporting period, management will be required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about a company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year from the date the financial statements are issued. The new standard is effective for us on January 1, 2017. The Company has applied the guidance from ASU 2014-15 to the accompanying financial statements.

In November 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-16 (“ASU 2014-16”), “Derivative and Hedging (Topic 815).” ASU 2014-16 addresses whether the host contract in a hybrid financial instrument issued in the form of share should be accounted for as debt or equity. ASU 2014-16 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-16 to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03 (“ASU 2015-03”), “Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.” ASU 2015-03 requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability, consistent with debt discounts, instead of being presented as an asset. ASU 2015-03 was effective for us on January 1, 2016. Once adopted, entities are required to apply the new guidance retrospectively to all prior periods presented. The retrospective application represents a change in accounting principle. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company elected the early application of ASU 2015-03 and the impact is currently reflected in the accompanying financial statements.

In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-07 (“2015-07”), “Fair Value Measurement.” ASU 2015-07 removes the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient. The amendments also remove the requirement to make certain disclosures for all investments that are eligible to be measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient. ASU 2015-07 was effective for us on January 1, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2015-07 to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16 (“ASU 2015-16”), “Business Combinations (Topic 805), Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments”. The update requires that the acquirer in a business combination recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined (not retrospectively as with prior guidance). Additionally, the acquirer must record in the same period’s financial statements the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization or other income effects as a result of the change to the provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the time of acquisition. The acquiring entity is required to disclose, on the face of the financial statements or in the footnotes to the financial statements, the portion of the amount recorded in current period earnings, by financial statement line item, that would have been recorded in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date. ASU 2015-16 was effective for us on January 1, 2016. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB has issued an update to ASU No. 2015-17 (“ASU 2015-17”) “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes.” The update requires a company to classify all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent. The update of ASU 2015-17 is effective for us on January 1, 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of the update of ASU 2015-17 to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01 (“ASU 2016-01”), “Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10)”. ASU 2016-01 updates certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. The new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-01 to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 (“ASU 2016-02), “Leases (Topic 842).” ASU 2016-02 requires a lessee to recognize a lease liability for the obligation to make lease payments and a right-to-use asset for the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. ASU 2016-02 is effective for us on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on its financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-06 (“ASU 2016-06”), “Contingent Put and Call Option in Debt Instruments”. ASU 2016-06 is intended to simplify the analysis of embedded derivatives for debt instruments that contain contingent put or call options. The amendments in ASU 2016-06 clarify that an entity is required to assess the embedded call or put options solely in accordance with the four-step decision sequence. Consequently, when a call (put) option is contingently exercisable, an entity does not have to initially assess whether the event that triggers the ability to exercise a call (put) option is related to interest rates or credit risks. The amendments in ASU 2016-06 take effect for public business entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-01 to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18 (“ASU 2016-18”), Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash. ASU 2016-18 requires the Statement of Cash Flows to explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, restricted cash or cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when recording the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts on the Statement of Cash Flows. ASU 2016-18 will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2018 and is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

JOBS Act

As an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, we can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption and, as a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of issuers who are required to comply with the effective dates for new or revised accounting standards that are applicable to public companies. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that we can elect to opt out of the extended transition period at any time, which election is irrevocable.

We are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements under the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions, as an emerging growth company, we intend to rely on certain of these exemptions, including without limitation (i) reduced financial statement reporting periods, (ii) providing an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and (iii) complying with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements, known as the auditor discussion and analysis. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (a) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more; (b) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of this offering; (c) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; and (d) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC.

Target vehicle specifications for the Elio are as follows:

The Elio’s expected range is 672 miles, based upon an 8 gallon tank and 84 mpg highway, and greatly exceeds that of electric vehicles (typically 100 to 300 miles) and that of most other vehicles of its size (typically 300 to 400 miles) ⁹ . Configured in a three-wheel format, it is conceived with tandem seating for two passengers to travel in a front-to-back layout. With a targeted retail price of $7,450 ¹⁰ per vehicle, we believe that the Elio provides the

efficiency and environmentally friendly benefits without the price premium, driving range anxiety or safety risks of electric or hybrid vehicles. Based on the current prototype and sources for components, the bill-of-materials, or BOM, cost has been developed, which is the largest component of the retail price for the Elio vehicle. At present, the current BOM and our desired profit margin would require a sales price of $7,526. However, during the prototype phase of any automotive vehicle program it is quite customary to have a gap between the design BOM and the cost target. The cost targets for the Elio have been set based on the management team’s collective past experience in sourcing hundreds of automotive components. Actual BOM costs can vary up or down during vehicle development as engineering changes are made and validated through testing. Through continuous product refinement during vehicle development, supplier negotiation closer to production and scale economies post-production, this cost gap is typically bridged. While design-decision driven costs are within our control, the commodity price fluctuations driven by energy prices are beyond our control.

The tandem seating design is a key component to the achievement of the Elio’s fuel efficiency; it reduces vehicle body ¹¹ width by half that of the typical side-by-side seated two to four passenger compact car (68.8 inches wide on average), ¹² minimizing the wind drag on the vehicle by a corresponding one-half. Drivers will further benefit from the vehicle’s three-wheel, two-passenger format as it permits them to utilize the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) or carpool lanes on roads and highways. By employing the three-wheel design, the vehicle qualifies as a motorcycle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines a motorcycle as “a motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.” This three-wheel design lowers the degree of federal and state compliance requirements, as compared to vehicles with four wheels or more, and drastically reduces the cost of development and launch of the vehicle. While technically classified as a motorcycle, we have designed the Elio to meet the more stringent safety standards of cars.

Features and Options. The vehicle is designed to have the same standard comfort and functional features customers have come to expect in modern automobiles: air conditioning, heat, AM/FM stereo, power windows and door locks, airbags, auxiliary port(s), anti-lock brakes, and traction control. An automatic manual transmission (AMT) is an option. Other optional luxury features will be available as well, such as leather seats, power seats and various exterior body aesthetic add-ons. It will also have newer generation options, such as rear view/backup camera, remote engine ignition, GPS-mapping, navigation, web radio and custom body wrapping.

Customers will be able to select from seven different body color options: Rocket Silver, Sour Apple, Creamsicle, Red Hot, True Blue, Licorice and Marshmallow.

Vehicle Development and Existing Technologies Used. While the Elio is unique from what exists in the current market, many of its planned components and technologies are already in use and accessible in today’s automotive production market, thus reducing the need, costs and execution risks of vehicle development. Many components utilized in the construction of the vehicle’s interior, chassis, powertrain and body are either available off-the-shelf or can be modified from off-the-shelf items for use in production of the vehicle. “Off-the-shelf” means the components are in current production in other automaker vehicles and the component suppliers either own the production tooling and/or designs to these components or have the permission to sell these components to Elio Motors. The benefits of using off-the-shelf components are proven, durable performance and lowered costs due to economies of scale. We have already established letters of intent with industry-leading suppliers to provide the Elio’s systems and components, such as Linamar Corporation for the engine, Aisin for the transmission, and Hyundai Dymos, an affiliate of Hyundai Motors Group, for the seats.

Automakers generally outsource a significant portion of the vehicle components to third-party suppliers, just as we expect to do. According to the international management consulting firm, Oliver Wyman, in order to meet the evolving consumer demands and to remain competitive, suppliers’ share of the value creation in vehicle development was 77.3% in 2012 and is projected to increase to 81.1% by 2025. ¹³ In addition, automakers single source components for a given vehicle platform, but use multiple suppliers for their portfolio of vehicle platforms in order to have pricing leverage over suppliers. Although we are single sourcing any given automotive component, our purchasing group has a reserve of two or three capable suppliers to protect against pricing or other supply risks. In fact, we have successfully switched suppliers for a few components already.

Unibody and Body Panel Design. The Elio has gone through design and engineering improvements throughout its development, and we have adopted a unibody design. The unibody provides a reduction in weight, improved manufacturability at high volume and improved safety by elimination of fumes during the MIG (metal inert gas) welding process. A unibody design also helps with the fit and finish of the vehicle by providing tighter manufacturing tolerances. This change also allows for the use of steel panels for the outer body. The combination of unibody design and steel outer panels will improve the fit and finish and provide lower fixed and variable costs than composite panels. With the new metals for the outer body, we are able to lower the piece price of the components, lower tooling costs, improve cycle time, design to tighter manufacturing tolerances, improve crashworthiness and have a better overall product. This change also reduces the use of adhesives in the plant, which are volatile and a safety concern.

Engine/Powertrain. Perhaps the most critical aspect to the vehicle’s performance is the engine. The Elio engine is an inline 0.9 liter, 55 horsepower three-cylinder combustion engine, which has been custom-developed for us by IAV. Like the rest of the vehicle, it is designed to take advantage of off-the-shelf, proven components and is a great execution of current automotive technology. To achieve the Elio’s fuel efficiency and power requirements, our engine includes existing technologies found in production automobiles today, such as variable valve lift and exhaust gas recirculation.

Newly Tooled Parts and Components. While much of the vehicle’s construction involves readily available, off-the-shelf components and existing technologies, some parts are unique to the vehicle and will require new tooling to fabricate parts for production. As described above, the engine powertrain for the vehicle will involve a new engine with off-the-shelf parts where possible and unique parts where beneficial, such as the engine block, which is being manufactured by current market leaders in the space. The engine system, along with other powertrain, interior, chassis and body components will also require new parts production to accommodate the performance, styling and features of the vehicle.

Engineering and Development, to Date; Prototype Build and Design Validation. Our development process of the Elio comprises five stages: Concept Design, Engineering Analysis, Detailed Design, Prototype Build and Validation Testing. As of the date of this prospectus, we have made considerable progress through the first three stages of the vehicle’s development. We are currently in the prototype build stage. Through this process, the vehicle safety characteristics, the gasoline efficiency and the cost of manufacturing the vehicle will be confirmed.

We are using Technosports Creative (“Technosports”), a Livonia, Michigan-based prototype maker, to build Elio prototypes and certain other manufactured parts used in the engineering and safety testing process. To date, we have built five marketing (P1-P5) and three engineering (E1A, E1B, E1C) prototypes, with each newer model using the latest engineering design and improved components. Using the proceeds from the offering, Technosports will create eighteen engineering prototypes (second generation build, E1-2 series) using a combination of fabricated, soft-tooled and off-the-shelf components provided by the Elio suppliers, to validate the final design . The prototypes will be used for testing and design evaluation, initial structural performance correlation, and long lead system development. During the prototype build process, issues will be tracked and reported back to the vehicle engineering teams to be addressed.

A series of tests are planned for the prototypes, with some vehicles to be used for multiple tests. In certain instances, the prototype will actually be destroyed or severely damaged by the testing protocol. These tests will, among other things, cover the following systems or vehicle attributes (a) chassis and brake development (3 E1-2 vehicles), (b) ongoing marketing (1 E1-2 vehicle), (c) powertrain development (4 E1-2 vehicles), (d) safety structural impact testing (5 E1-2 vehicles), (e) durability load acquisition and early evaluation (2 E1-2 vehicles), (f) manufacturing development (1 E1-2 vehicle), (g) electrical development (1 E1-2 vehicle), and body and interior development (1 E1-2 vehicle). The specific number of vehicles used for particular tests may vary depending on the outcome of the actual tests. The number of E1-2 vehicle prototypes being used for a particular set of tests are based upon the currently planned testing protocols as of the date of this prospectus.

Since the Elio is classified as a motorcycle under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations, the Elio does not have to meet any destructive safety tests. The crash safety testing for the Elio will be done purely as a due care measure and not because of any regulatory requirement. On the other hand, in order to be eligible for the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan, the Elio has to qualify as an “ultra-efficient

vehicle” that achieves at least 75 miles per gallon ¹⁴ while operating on diesel or gasoline. The Department of Energy (DOE) has informed us that Elio Motors has met the technical eligibility criteria for the ATVM loan based on preliminary analysis. However, it is possible that DOE may require physical testing of the Elio for validation of miles per gallon prior to disbursement of the ATVM loan. Please read “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Plan of Operations and Related Sources of Liquidity” for more details on the ATVM loan program and our other sources of liquidity.

Cost Estimates Developed with Vendors. We have also made considerable progress towards identifying and procuring component and parts supply partners who will provide the setup for and future production of components in the vehicle at the start of production. To date, we have obtained cost estimates from 91% of our potential parts and components supply partners, with detailed estimates from each supplier for the pre-production equipment tooling and the per part costs (based on vehicle production volumes).

Our Competitive Strengths

Using American ingenuity, the Elio combines features that we believe to be most significant to vehicle consumers:

Our Key Growth Strategies

We have identified the following keys to our success:

Market Considerations

We will initially be selling into the U.S. automobile market, which is highly competitive. We have examined various considerations with regard to the Elio’s market impact, including driving cost analyses, the Elio’s unique profile, cost comparisons to existing vehicles in the market, market testing and target consumer markets.

Driving Cost Analyses . We expect the total cost of operating an Elio to be substantially below that of any available vehicle due largely to its anticipated fuel efficiency.

Unique profile . We have carefully assessed whether a two-passenger vehicle profile will be an impediment to broad market acceptance. According to a survey of 150,000 households completed by the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration in 2009 (the “2009 National Household Travel Survey”), the average vehicle occupancy across all types of trips (work, shopping, family errands, and social and recreational) totaled 1.67. When traveling to and from work, the average vehicle occupancy declined to just 1.13, suggesting that almost all work commutes by automobile are made with the driver as the sole vehicle occupant. Only social and recreational trips averaged more than two occupants, measuring at 2.2.

Cost comparisons to existing vehicles . When compared to internal combustion engine vehicles (i.e., those powered by gasoline or diesel oil), the Elio is substantially more attractive on the basis of purchase cost, operating costs and efficiency. When compared to electric vehicle alternatives, the Elio still represents a significantly better value proposition on the basis of purchase cost and convenience. Electric vehicles range in purchase cost from $23,000 (Mitsubishi i-MiEV) to $90,000 (Tesla Model X), and the lack of available charging stations limits the driving range of many of the models, making them less convenient and impractical for longer trips.

Market testing . Since May 2013, we have been touring a prototype Elio across the United States to build awareness, gather feedback and refine the offering. The vehicle has been well received at more than 150 events nationwide. We have been taking reservations through our website for future production models of the Elio , which require deposits of $100 to $1,000, with the average deposit received per reservation of $429, with 95% of the reservation dollar amounts being non-refundable. In August 2016, an offer was circulated that until the Company reached 65,000 total reservations, non-refundable reservation holders will receive a locked price of $7,300, exclusive of destination/delivery charges, taxes, title, registration, and options/installation. As a special incentive if non-refundable reservation holders made a binding purchase commitment, the locked price is reduced to $7,000. As of March 31, 2017, the Company had received 65,255 total reservations, of which 36,435 had received the locked price of $7,300 and 21,204 had made a binding purchase commitment and had received the locked price of $7,000.

Validation from Global Suppliers – One of the reasons we have been able to attract key players from the global supply base is they also seem to believe that the Elio will be a high volume vehicle. Generally, that insight comes from comments by executives of these organizations about Elio. However, there is one global supplier that did its own market analysis before committing to partner with Elio. That market analysis predicts annual U.S. demand for the Elio in excess of 315,000 vehicles.

Target markets . We have surveyed consumers several times to understand the groups most likely to purchase an Elio. The results of these surveys indicate that the demographics of an Elio purchaser will evolve, as the initial purchasers, or “early adopters,” will have a slightly different demographic profile than the broader group of purchasers anticipated in future years. Based on our analyses, we are targeting the Used Car market, the Clunker Replacement market, and the Third Vehicle market.

households will be able to affordably purchase a cost-effective Elio as a convenient option to supplement their current car(s). Instead of replacing an existing vehicle, consumers could retain their existing minivan or SUV for family outings but use the fuel efficient and HOV eligible Elio for commuting to work – as an “And” vehicle.

Reservations for an Elio

Since 2013, we have been accepting reservation deposits ranging from $100 to $1,000 for purposes of securing vehicle production slots. We offer reservations on a non-refundable and refundable basis at the following levels: $1,000, $500, $250 and $100. Those holding non-refundable reservations have priority over those holding refundable reservations and within each group, those with higher deposits have greater preference over those with lower deposits. Non-refundable deposit customers also receive a sales discount of up to 50% of the non-refundable deposit, up to $500 per deposit. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, future committed sales discounts offered amounted to approximately $12.15 million, $12.12 million and $10.34 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, we received refundable deposits of approximately $1.23 million, $1.25 million and $1.09 million, respectively, which are included as current liabilities on our balance sheets. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, we received nonrefundable deposits of approximately $26.55 million, $26.04 million and $19.59 million, respectively, which are included as long-term liabilities on our balance sheets.

Sales and Service Model

Sales Model. The sales model for our vehicle is based on the establishment and operation of our own retail store network, as opposed to the conventional model utilizing factory-authorized dealer franchises. Our distribution model is designed to enable customers to choose specific options for their vehicles at the point-of-sale. Since they will be purchasing directly from the manufacturer, customers would be able to obtain their desired mix of options and features, rather than choosing from pre-set option packages. With seven color choices and the choice of either a manual or automatic transmission, there will be 14 vehicle combinations available. Customers can then select from an extensive list of add-ons to fully customize their vehicles beyond these 14 base models.

We envision situating our stores as small, stand-alone locations in highly visible community shopping centers of major cities, in which three full-size Elio vehicles can be displayed – one inside the store and two (a standard and an automatic) outside the store to accommodate test drives. Customers would access four to six interactive kiosks placed in-store to assist in their vehicle and vehicle options choices, providing such information as option/accessory menus, pricing, warranty information, service locations and financing options. With only three vehicles being displayed, our retail stores are expected to comprise approximately 4,000 square feet of space.

Fulfillment and Delivery. Once a customer has finalized his/her vehicle and option selections, the order would be transmitted to one of several Elio marshaling/configuration centers, positioned within nine hours of an Elio retail store. These marshaling centers would maintain a stock of base vehicles, provide parts installation of customers’ selected option add-ons to the vehicles, and facilitate the delivery of the vehicle to the retail location of purchase. We expect vehicle orders to be transmitted real time throughout the day, then building out and customizing a base vehicle according to the customer’s specifications. To provide the marshaling services, we have entered into a memorandum of understanding with ADESA, a large national provider of vehicle remarketing services to automotive manufacturers, financial institutions, vehicle rental companies, and fleet management companies.

Service . Since our retail stores are planned only as sales and distribution locations, we have identified an outsourced service partner - The Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack, a publicly-traded, national provider and retailer of automotive aftermarket service and parts. We believe that with an existing base of approximately 800 service centers in 36 states located in 90% of the markets in which we will operate, Pep Boys has the right combination of brand recognition and customer focus for its desired factory authorized service provider. We entered into a preliminary memorandum of understanding as a first step towards securing this working relationship.

Production Plan

Manufacturing Facility. See “—Properties” for a description of the manufacturing facility.

Sourcing . We intend to sole-source components initially from major component suppliers under multi-year supply agreements and develop dual sources of certain components as quickly as practical.

Production Plan. We have developed the facility layout and production plan, based on the significant automotive experience of our manufacturing team. The facility layout has been developed to utilize the existing infrastructure and flexible design of the buildings at the Shreveport facility. Our present launch plan covers a 76-week timetable, which includes a build of 158 pre-production (S-1) prototypes. These prototypes will be utilized solely for the testing of the vehicles. We will test the integration of the components provided off of production tooling. Through numerous tests, validation, durability and crashworthiness verification, we will obtain certification of the vehicles for compliance with government requirements. This phase of testing is categorized as Production Verification. These prototypes will be built using hard tooling with the majority assembled in Shreveport at our production facility. The additional timeline is also required for the integration of the body shop, paint line and powertrain assembly lines in Shreveport, based on current vendor estimates.

Management is committed to making this vehicle available to the public as soon as possible. However, in order to move into production, we require a significant cash inflow to kick-off long lead time production equipment and tooling. Currently, we must raise an estimated $376.6 million in new investment (of a total budget of $531.2 million) to fund production through going cashflow positive. This amount is exclusive of approximately (a) $110.5 million which we assume will be obtained through additional reservation deposits, and (b) sales margin of $44.1 million which we assume will result from our initial customer deliveries of the Elio . We note that as we are in the prototype build stage of development, the amount that we need to raise may change. Our anticipated production timetable is dependent upon receiving such funding in a timely manner, and delays in obtaining additional funding will delay our production timetable. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Plan of Operations and Related Sources of Liquidity” for a more detailed discussion of our liquidity sources.

Intellectual Property

Patents . In order to minimize the cost of bringing the Elio to market, we have chosen not to apply for patents for any of our mechanical innovations related to our development of the Elio . This means that others could develop a vehicle with a similar design and produce a competing product, which would adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. If we are able to successfully launch the Elio, we expect that other companies – whether they are traditional auto companies, motorcycle companies, or other startups – would attempt to begin producing their own three-wheeled vehicles. However, we believe Elio Motors would be well-positioned due to the following:

Trademark and Trade Name. We have registered the following with the United States Patent and Trademark Office:

Government Regulation

Many governmental standards and regulations relating to safety, fuel economy, emissions control, noise control, vehicle recycling, substances of concern, vehicle damage, and theft prevention are applicable to new motor vehicles, engines, and equipment manufactured for sale in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. In addition,

manufacturing and other automotive assembly facilities in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere are subject to stringent standards regulating air emissions, water discharges, and the handling and disposal of hazardous substances. The most significant of the standards and regulations affecting us are discussed below:

Mobile Source Emissions Control. The federal Clean Air Act imposes stringent limits on the amount of regulated pollutants that lawfully may be emitted by new vehicles and engines produced for sale in the United States. The current (“Tier 2”) emissions regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, set standards for motorcycles. Tier 2 emissions standards also establish durability requirements for emissions components to 5 years or 30,000 kilometers.

California has received a waiver from the EPA to establish its own unique emissions control standards for certain regulated pollutants. New vehicles and engines sold in California must be certified by the California Air Resources Board, or CARB. CARB’s emissions standards for motorcycles are in line with those of the EPA. We currently expect that the Elio will meet and exceed both the EPA’s and CARB’s standards.

Motor Vehicle Safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, defines a motorcycle as “a motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.” In order for a manufacturer to sell motorcycles in the U.S., the manufacturer has to self-certify to meet a certain set of regulatory requirements promulgated by the NHTSA in its Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, or FMVSS.

Our FMVSS strategy is designed to meet motorcycle requirements and conform as much as possible to automotive FMVSS requirements while not violating the motorcycle requirements that we must meet.

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, or Safety Act, regulates vehicles and vehicle equipment in two primary ways. First, the Safety Act prohibits the sale in the United States of any new vehicle or equipment that does not conform to applicable vehicle safety standards established by NHTSA. Meeting or exceeding many safety standards is costly, in part because the standards tend to conflict with the need to reduce vehicle weight in order to meet emissions and fuel economy standards. Second, the Safety Act requires that defects related to motor vehicle safety be remedied through safety recall campaigns. A manufacturer is obligated to recall vehicles if it determines the vehicles do not comply with a safety standard. If we or NHTSA determine that either a safety defect or noncompliance exists with respect to any of our vehicles, the cost of such recall campaigns could be substantial.

Operator’s License and Helmet Requirements . Since the Elio is a motorcycle by NHTSA definition, laws and regulations pertaining to the operation of a motorcycle and wearing a helmet apply to us. We have worked with state legislatures to seek an exemption from the application of these requirements. As of this date, two states require the use of helmets while operating an enclosed three-wheel vehicle if the operator is under a specified age (generally under 18). ¹⁸

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), which is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization developing model programs in motor vehicle administration, law enforcement and highway safety, and which represents the state and provincial officials in the United States and Canada who administer and enforce motor vehicle laws, issued a report in October 2013, titled “Best Practices for the Regulation of Three-Wheel Vehicles.” In that report, the AAMVA distinguishes a traditional three-wheel motorcycle from what it calls an “autocycle” – a three-wheel motorcycle that has a steering wheel and seating that does not require the operator to straddle or sit astride it. In addition, the AAMVA issued the following recommendations for autocycles:

As of this date, 31 states recognize the definition of autocycle (in most cases, with the added provision that it must be an enclosed or partially enclosed motorcycle).

Pollution Control Costs. We are required to comply with stationary source air and water pollution and hazardous waste control standards that are now in effect or are scheduled to come into effect with respect to our manufacturing operations. We do not yet have an estimate of the cost of compliance.

Motor Vehicle Manufacturer and Dealer Regulation. State laws regulate the manufacture, distribution, and sale of motor vehicles, and generally require motor vehicle manufacturers and dealers to be licensed in order to sell vehicles directly to consumers in the state. As described above in “—Sales and Service Model,” establishing and operating our own retail store network means that we will need to secure dealer licenses in order to do so. It will not be possible to obtain a dealer license in all 50 states since a few states presently do not permit motor vehicle manufacturers to be licensed as dealers or to act in the capacity as a dealer, or otherwise restrict a manufacturer’s ability to deliver vehicles. Where we are unable to obtain a dealer license, we may have to conduct sales out of the state using our website, phone or mail. We do not yet have an estimate of the cost of compliance with motor vehicle manufacturer and dealer regulations.

The Company will need to initiate a 50-state survey of the regulatory landscape surrounding the direct sales of motorcycles or autocycles. Once the survey is complete, we intend to pursue a legislative approach to amend current laws, which would permit autocycle manufacturers such as Elio Motors to sell autocycles directly to consumers. In those states that would ban direct sales even after all legislative efforts have been exhausted, we plan to open and operate galleries, where customers would be able to view the Elio vehicles and then would be directed to the Company’s website to complete their purchase. We expect that certain customers may in fact be deterred from purchasing exclusively online.

CAFE Credits

In 1975 in response to the Arab oil embargo, the U.S. Congress enacted Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in an effort to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and save on fuel costs through the improvement of U.S. automobile fuel efficiencies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for administering the CAFE program, which was amended in 2007 to establish a trading credit program to incentivize auto manufacturers to further improve vehicle fuel efficiencies. Auto manufacturers may earn CAFE credits (or be penalized) by exceeding (or failing to meet) increasingly more ambitious compliance standards for the model year of each passenger car or light duty truck produced. Accumulated CAFE credits are transferable and saleable to other auto manufacturers and can be carried forward up to five years. Credits (or penalties) are totaled for the manufacturer’s entire production fleet for a particular model year, and are applied at a rate of $55 per 1 mpg above (or below) the standard. The CAFE standard has been amended to increase mpg for cars and light trucks from 48.7 to 49.7 mpg by 2025. Currently, we do not qualify for participation in the CAFE program, since the Elio is not an automobile. We have been working with members of Congress and with the former acting head of the NHTSA to permit participation in the program by autocycles.

If we are successful in our efforts to have the Elio qualify for CAFE credits, according to the estimated fuel economy of the Elio , we could be well-positioned to earn a substantial number of credits (potentially worth over $200 million annually), from which we could generate extensive future revenues through the sale and transfer of these credits to other auto industry manufacturers. We have received indications from auto industry manufacturers that they would purchase our credits upon confirmation that we can participate in the CAFE program. There can be no assurance that our efforts in Congress will be successful and that we will qualify for participation in the CAFE program at any point in the future. Further, there can be no assurance that there will be a market for our CAFE credits, even if we can participate in the program.

extensive customer bases and broader customer and industry relationships than we do. In addition, almost all of these companies have longer operating histories and greater name recognition than we do. Our competitors may be in a stronger position to respond quickly to new technologies and may be able to design, develop, market and sell their products more effectively.

Furthermore, certain large manufacturers offer financing and leasing options on their vehicles and also have the ability to market vehicles at a substantial discount, provided that the vehicles are financed through their affiliated financing company. We do not currently offer any form of direct financing on our vehicles. The lack of our direct financing options and the absence of customary vehicle discounts could put us at a competitive disadvantage.

We expect competition in our industry to intensify in the future in light of increased demand for alternative fuel vehicles, continuing globalization and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry. Factors affecting competition include product quality and features, innovation and development time, pricing, reliability, safety, fuel economy, customer service and financing terms. Increased competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in a further downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. Our ability to successfully compete in our industry will be fundamental to our future success in existing and new markets and our market share. There can be no assurances that we will be able to compete successfully in our markets. If our competitors introduce new cars or services that compete with or surpass the quality, price or performance of our vehicles or services, we may be unable to satisfy existing customers or attract new customers at the prices and levels that would allow us to generate attractive rates of return on our investment. Increased competition could result in price reductions and revenue shortfalls, loss of customers and loss of market share, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Research and Development

During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, we spent approximately $20.08 million, $2.09 million, and $5.47 million, respectively, on engineering, research and development activities. The 2016 increase in engineering was driven by our successful Regulation A offering.

manufacturing equipment in place, for $3 million in cash and a $23 million promissory note. The real property was purchased by an affiliate of Industrial Realty Group, LLC (“IRG”), the Shreveport Business Park, LLC, for $7.5 million. IRG and Shreveport Business Park, LLC are entities owned and controlled by Stuart Lichter, one of our directors and significant stockholders.

A portion of the purchased machinery and equipment secures a promissory note due to CH Capital Lending, LLC in the original principal amount of $9.85 million. Interest accrues on the note at 10% per annum, which was due on July 31, 2015. We entered into an extension agreement with CH Capital Lending, LLC in which CH Capital Lending, LLC has agreed to extend the maturity date of the note to July 31, 2018. CH Capital Lending, LLC is an affiliate of Stuart Lichter, and Mr. Lichter has guaranteed the repayment of this note. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the unpaid principal balance of the note was approximately $4.77 million and $6.66 million, respectively. See Note 7 “Long-Term Debt” of the Notes to Financial Statements for more information regarding this debt obligation.

The note to RACER Trust is secured by a lien subordinated to the lien of CH Capital Lending on certain machinery and equipment and is non-interest bearing, but has default interest of 18% per annum. The note, as amended, extended the monthly principal payment of $173,500 until September 30, 2017, with the remaining outstanding principal due on July 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the outstanding principal balance was approximately $21.13 million, respectively. See Note 7 Long-Term Debt of the Notes to Financial Statements for more information regarding this debt obligation.

GM invested approximately $1.5 billion in the years prior to the plant’s closing in 2012. As a result, it is one of the most modern automobile manufacturing facilities in North America, with fully integrated chassis conveyors, and moving workstations for engine, interior, body, and glass installation and fluid filling. ¹⁹ We believe that the use of this facility by us greatly lowers start-up production risks of the project. Prospectively, prior to the start of production, this saves us as much as $350 million in facility and equipment costs.

The facility is located on approximately 437 acres in Caddo Parish, in an industrial park southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana. There are three main structures on the property, excluding the wastewater treatment and power generation facilities. The three structures include the general assembly building (to be used by us), the former metal stamping and body manufacturing building (not to be used by us) and the original manufacturing building and paint shop (to be partially used by us). Of the approximately 3.2 million square feet of manufacturing space, we will utilize less than one-third.

The facility is located 2 miles from Interstate 20 and approximately 12 miles from downtown Shreveport. It is serviced by 7 active rail spurs, utilized for delivery of raw material and component supplies to the factory floor, as well as for the loading and rail transport of finished vehicles in the marshaling and shipping yard (to be used by us) at the northern end of the property.

In December 2013, we entered into an agreement with Shreveport Business Park, LLC to lease 997,375 rentable square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space for a 25-year term, which provides for a rent-free period until the earlier of four months after the start of production or August 1, 2015, after which the base rent will be $249,344 per month. We have two options to extend the term of the lease for 25 additional years each, as well as an option to expand into additional space. Since December 2013, we have been obligated to pay taxes, insurance expenses and common expenses with respect to this space. On November 17, 2016, we entered into an amendment to the lease which converted the accrued and projected payments and common area maintence, insurance and tax charges, to Series C Preferred Stock and a warrant to purchase an additional 25,000 shares of our Common Stock, as discussed in Note 8 “Capital Sublease Obligation” of the Notes to Financial Statements. The agreement converted payments through December 31, 2017 and payments will commence on January 1, 2018.

Among the terms of our purchase agreement with RACER Trust was our agreement to use and develop the property so as to create at least 1,500 new jobs. We agreed that if we had not created 1,500 new jobs by February 28, 2016, we would pay RACER Trust $5,000 for each full-time, permanent direct job that fell below the required number. This commitment was extended until July 1, 2017. In May 2017, we amended our agreement with RACER Trust pursuant to which our commitment to create 1,500 jobs by July 1, 2017 has been extended to September 1, 2019. We previously recorded a current liability of $7.5 million as of December 31, 2016, but we will make the appropriate adjustment to our balance sheet to reflect the liability. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Subsequent Events” for additional information.

August 2012 to November 2016, Mr. Schembri was the CEO of the Active Aero Group, of Belleville, Michigan, a supply-chain solutions provider focused on transportation logistics for customers with sensitive or time-critical freight, principally in the United States and Mexico. From February 2010 to August 2012, he was the CEO of Vehicle Production Group, a company based in Allen Park, Michigan, that made vans for the disabled. From July 2006 to January 2010, Mr. Schembri was the President of Smart USA, a Penske Automotive Group company. He was responsible for the successful launch of Smart USA (a division of Mercedes-Benz), which included establishing and maintaining a sales and service retail network, customer relations, logistics, advertising, marketing, PR, government relations, and a parts distribution network. Much of his career was spent in various executive positions at Mercedes-Benz (1994 to 2005) and Volkswagen (1979 to 1993). He attended the University of Detroit, where he earned both his Bachelor’s degree and his MBA.

Kenneth L. Way, Director.    Mr. Way served as the Chief Executive Officer of Lear Corporation from 1988 to September 2000 and Chairman of the Board from 1988 to December 2002. Mr. Way served with Lear Corporation and its predecessor companies for 37 years in various engineering, manufacturing and general management capacities. During his career he has served as a director for several organizations. At present, he is a director of CMS Energy of Jackson, Mississippi, and of Cooper Standard Auto, of Novi, Michigan, positions he has held since 1997 and 2004, respectively.

Hari Iyer, Director.    In addition to serving as a director, Mr. Iyer was the Chief Operating Officer of Elio Motors from January 2014 to May 2016. He left the Company to start a new business, YoYo, an on-demand, pay-per-mile car subscription service as an alternative to buying or leasing automobiles. He brings nearly 25 years of product development, business strategy and operations expertise in the automotive industry. From January 2011 to August 2013, Mr. Iyer was Executive Vice President at Envia Systems, a Silicon Valley battery manufacturer, where he led all aspects of business strategy and product commercialization. From October 2009 to November 2010 (and as a full-time consultant from ESG Engineering from October 2006 to September 2009), he served as Vice President of Engineering at Next Autoworks Company. At Next Autoworks, Mr. Iyer developed the original vehicle architecture, led the selection of vehicle technologies and suppliers and was responsible for all module engineering teams. From June 1999 to September 2009, Mr. Iyer was co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at ESG Engineering, a product development firm specializing in the automotive and cleantech space. Mr. Iyer held various positions at Johnson Controls, Automotive Systems Group from January 1989 to August 1997. He received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and his M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Board Composition and Election of Directors

Director Independence

Our board of directors consists of six members. Our board of directors has determined that there are three independent directors in accordance with the listing requirements of the NASDAQ. Under the applicable NASDAQ rules, we are permitted to phase in our compliance with the majority independent board requirement of the NASDAQ within one year of our listing on the NASDAQ. The NASDAQ independence definition includes a series of objective tests, including that the director is not, and has not been for at least three years, one of our employees and that neither the director nor any of his family members has engaged in various types of business dealings with us. In addition, as required by NASDAQ rules, our board of directors has made a subjective determination as to each independent director that no relationships exist, which, in the opinion of our board of directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In making these determinations, our board of directors reviewed and discussed information provided by the directors and us with regard to each director’s business and personal activities and relationships as they may relate to us and our management. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

Board Leadership Structure

Our board of directors is currently led by our chairman and chief executive officer, Paul Elio. While our board of directors recognizes that it is important to determine an optimal board leadership structure to ensure the independent oversight of management as the Company continues to grow, it has determined that the Company must reach the production stage before it can separate the roles of chief executive officer and chairman of the board.

Our board of directors has concluded that our current leadership structure is appropriate at this time. However, our board of directors will continue to periodically review our leadership structure and may make such changes in the future as it deems appropriate.

Role of Board in Risk Oversight Process

Our board of directors has responsibility for the oversight of the Company’s risk management processes and, either as a whole or through its committees, regularly discusses with management our major risk exposures, their potential impact on our business and the steps we take to manage them. The risk oversight process includes receiving regular reports from board committees and members of senior management to enable our board to understand the Company’s risk identification, risk management and risk mitigation strategies with respect to areas of potential material risk, including operations, finance, legal, regulatory, strategic and reputational risk.

The audit committee reviews information regarding liquidity and operations, and oversees our management of financial risks. Periodically, the audit committee reviews our policies with respect to risk assessment, risk management, loss prevention and regulatory compliance. Oversight by the audit committee includes direct communication with our external auditors, and discussions with management regarding significant risk exposures and the actions management has taken to limit, monitor or control such exposures. The compensation committee is responsible for assessing whether any of our compensation policies or programs has the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire board is regularly informed through committee reports about such risks. Matters of significant strategic risk are considered by our board as a whole.

Board Committees and Independence

Our board has established three standing committees—audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance – each of which operates under a charter that has been approved by our board. Upon completion of this offering, each committee’s charter will be available under the Corporate Governance section of our website at www.eliomotors.com. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained at or available through our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus.

Audit Committee

The audit committee’s main function is to oversee our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of our financial statements. This committee’s responsibilities include, among other things:

The members of our audit committee are James Holden, David Schembri and Kenneth Way. Mr. Schembri serves as the chairperson of the committee. All members of our audit committee meet the requirements for independence and financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and the NASDAQ. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Schembri is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by applicable Commission rules and has the requisite financial sophistication as defined under the applicable NASDAQ rules and regulations. The audit committee operates under a written charter that satisfies the applicable standards of the Commission and the NASDAQ.

Compensation Committee

Our compensation committee approves policies relating to compensation and benefits of our officers and employees. The compensation committee approves corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers, evaluates the performance of these officers in light of those goals and objectives and approves the compensation of these officers based on such evaluations. The compensation committee also approves the issuance of stock options and other awards under our equity plan. The compensation committee will review and evaluate, at least annually, the performance of the compensation committee and its members, including compliance by the compensation committee with its charter.

The members of our compensation committee are James Holden and Kenneth Way, and Mr. Holden serves as the chairperson of the committee. Our Board has determined that each of Messrs. Holden and Way is independent under the applicable rules and regulations of the NASDAQ, is a “non-employee director” as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act and is an “outside director” as that term is defined in Section 162(m) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or Section 162(m). The compensation committee operates under a written charter, which the compensation committee will review and evaluate at least annually.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for assisting our board of directors in discharging the board’s responsibilities regarding the identification of qualified candidates to become board members, the selection of nominees for election as directors at our annual meetings of stockholders (or special meetings of stockholders at which directors are to be elected), and the selection of candidates to fill any vacancies on our board of directors and any committees thereof. In addition, the nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for overseeing our corporate governance policies, reporting and making recommendations to our board of directors concerning governance matters and oversight of the evaluation of our board of directors. The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee are David Schembri and Kenneth Way, and Mr. Way serves as the chairman of the committee. Our board has determined that each of Messrs. Schembri and Way is independent under the applicable rules and regulations of the NASDAQ relating to nominating and corporate governance committee independence. The nominating and corporate governance committee operates under a written charter, which the nominating and corporate governance committee will review and evaluate at least annually.

Narrative Disclosure to Compensation Tables

Compensation to Paul Elio for 2016 remains at the same rate. Connie Grennan’s salary was increased to $175,000 on January 1, 2016.

Salaries of our named executive officers are generally reviewed annually and are based on the scope of an executive officer’s responsibilities, individual contribution, prior experience and sustained performance. Other factors that may influence salaries of our named executive officers include the size and activity of the Company, the stage of the Company’s development and the salaries of executive officers within the industry.

We have not entered into employment agreements with any our executive officers.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-end

The options vest equally over three years beginning October 2017, and options granted to employees may not be exercised until production commences.

2016 Stock Option Plan. In May 2016, our shareholders adopted the 2016 Incentive and Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan (the “2016 Stock Option Plan”), the principal terms of which are summarized below. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the 2016 Stock Option Plan, which is an exhibit to the annual report filed with the Commission on May 1, 2017.

The 2016 Stock Option Plan is intended to (i) encourage ownership of shares by our employees and directors and certain consultants to the Company; (ii) induce them to work for the benefit of the Company; and (iii) provide additional incentive for such persons to promote the success of the Company.

Our Compensation Committee administers the 2016 Stock Option Plan, which permits the granting of options to purchase up to 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock.

Persons eligible to receive awards under the 2016 Stock Option Plan include employees, officers and directors of the Company, and certain consultants and advisors to the Company.

The Board of Directors or committee may amend, suspend or discontinue the 2016 Stock Option Plan at any time or from time to time; provided that no action of the Board shall adversely affect any rights under stock options already granted. No amendment to the 2016 Stock Option Plan can be made to the extent shareholder approval of such amendment is required by applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, the rules of any applicable stock exchange, or applicable provisions of federal securities laws or state corporate and securities laws.

The 2016 Stock Option Plan contains provisions for proportionate adjustment of the number of shares for outstanding options and the option price per share in the event of stock dividends, recapitalizations, stock splits or combinations.

Each option granted under the 2016 Stock Option Plan is evidenced by a written option agreement between us and the optionee. The option price of any incentive stock option or any non-qualified stock option may be not less than 100% of the fair market value per share on the date of grant of the option; provided, however, that any incentive stock option granted to a person owning more than 10% of the total combined voting power of the Common Stock will have an option price of not less than 110% of the fair market value per share on the date of grant. “Fair Market Value” per share as of a particular date is defined in the 2016 Stock Option Plan as the closing sales price of our Common Stock (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported), as reported on a national securities exchange or

automated quotation system. If none, the Fair Market Value shall be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Common Stock. In the absence of an established market for the Common Stock, the value shall be determined by the Board or committee in its discretion in good faith.

The exercise period of incentive stock options or non-qualified options granted under the 2016 Stock Option Plan may not exceed ten years from the date of grant thereof. Incentive stock options granted to a person owning more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of our Common Stock will be for no more than five years.

The Board or committee has the authority to determine the provisions, terms and conditions of each option, including, but not limited to, a vesting schedule, repurchase provisions, rights of first refusal, forfeiture provisions, form of payment, payment contingencies and satisfaction of any performance criteria.

To exercise an option, the optionee must pay the full exercise price in cash, by check or such other legal consideration as may be approved by the Board or committee. Such other consideration may consist of shares of Common Stock having a fair market value equal to the option price, cashless exercise, a personal recourse note, or in a combination of cash, shares, cashless exercise and a note, subject to approval of the Board or committee.

Options granted under the 2016 Stock Option Plan generally are not transferable by the recipient other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and are generally exercisable, during the recipient’s lifetime, only by the recipient. An option may not be exercised unless the optionee then is an employee, consultant, officer, or director of our Company or its subsidiaries, and unless the optionee has remained continuously as an employee, consultant, officer, or director of our Company since the date of grant of the option. An option may be exercised after the termination of an optionee’s continuous service only to the extent provided in the optionee’s option agreement.

Options Granted. In October 2016, the Compensation Committee granted a total of 510,380 stock options, which are exercisable at $19.68 per share and expire in October 2023. The options vest equally over three years beginning October 2017, and options granted to employees may not be exercised until production of the Elio commences. As of December 31, 2016, 121,380 options were forfeited.

Employee Benefits and Perquisites. Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in our health and welfare plans. We do not provide our named executive officers with any other perquisites or other personal benefits.

We currently do not pay directors’ fees for attendance at meetings. We reimburse our officers and directors for reasonable expenses incurred during the course of their performance.

In October 2016, Messrs. Holden, Schembri and Way were granted options to purchase 24,000, 12,000 and 24,000 shares, respectively. The options vest equally over three years beginning October 2017, expire in October 2023, and are exercisable at $19.68 per share.

Limitations of Liability and Indemnification Matters

Our certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, which prohibits our certificate of incorporation from limiting the liability of our directors for the following:

Our certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that if Delaware law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as so amended. This limitation of liability does not apply to liabilities arising under the federal securities laws and does not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission.

Our certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that we shall have the power to indemnify our employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by law. Our amended and restated bylaws also permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee or other agent for any liability arising out of his or her actions in this capacity, regardless of whether our amended and restated bylaws would permit indemnification. We have obtained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, in addition to indemnification provided for in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. These agreements, among other things, provide for indemnification of our directors and executive officers for expenses, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by this person in any action or proceeding arising out of this person’s services as a director or executive officer or at our request. We believe that these provisions in our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and executive officers.

The above description of the indemnification provisions of our certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and our indemnification agreements is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to these documents, each of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. A stockholder’s investment may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable. There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is being sought, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.