The EV charging market is characterized by rapid technological change, which requires us to continue to develop new products and product innovations. Any delays in such development could adversely affect market adoption of our products and our financial results.
Continuing technological changes in battery and other EV technologies could adversely affect adoption of current EV charging technology, continuing and increasing reliance on EV charging infrastructure and/or the use of our products and services. Our future success will depend in part upon our ability to develop and introduce a variety of new capabilities and innovations to our existing product offerings, as well as introduce a variety of new product offerings to address the changing needs of the EV charging market.
As EV technologies change, we may need to upgrade or adapt our charger technology and introduce new products and services in order to serve vehicles that have the latest technology, in particular battery technology, which could involve substantial costs. Even if we are able to keep pace with changes in technology and develop new products and services, our research and development expenses could increase, our gross margins could be adversely affected in some periods and our prior products could become obsolete more quickly than expected.
We cannot guarantee that any new products will be released in a timely manner, or at all, or achieve market acceptance. Delays in delivering new products that meet customer requirements could damage our relationships with customers and lead them to seek alternative products or services. Delays in introducing products and innovations or the failure to offer innovative products or services at competitive prices may cause existing and potential customers to use our competitors’ products or services.
If we are unable to devote adequate resources to develop products or cannot otherwise successfully develop products or services that meet customer requirements on a timely basis or that remain competitive with technological alternatives, our products and services could lose market share, our revenue will decline, we may experience higher operating losses and our business and prospects will be adversely affected.
We expect to incur research and development costs and devote significant resources to developing new products, which could significantly reduce our profitability.
Our future growth depends on penetrating new markets, adapting existing products to new applications and customer requirements, and introducing new products that achieve market acceptance. We plan to incur significant research and development costs in the future as part of our efforts to design, develop, manufacture and introduce new products and enhance existing products. Further, our research and development program may not produce successful results, and our new products may not achieve market acceptance, create additional revenue or become profitable.
We may be unable to leverage customer data in all geographic locations, and this limitation may impact research and development operations.
We rely on data collected through our mobile application. We use this data in connection with, among other things, determining the placement for our charging stations. Our inability to obtain necessary rights to use this data or freely transfer this data could result in delays or otherwise negatively impact our research and development and expansion efforts and limit our ability to derive revenues from value‑add customer products and services.
We are subject to governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy, data protection and information security and may be subject to governmental enforcement actions, litigation, fines and penalties or adverse publicity if we are unable to comply with such obligations.
We collect, process, store, and use a wide variety of data from current and prospective customers and other individuals, including personal information. Federal, state, local and foreign governments and agencies in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and in which customers operate, have adopted, are considering adopting, or may adopt laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, storage, processing, and disclosure of information regarding consumers and other individuals, which could impact our ability to offer services in certain jurisdictions. Laws and regulations relating to the collection, use, disclosure, security, and other processing of individuals’ information can vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, laws, regulations, standards, and other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and information security are significant. In addition, some companies, particularly larger enterprises, often will not contract with vendors that do not meet these rigorous standards and may impose onerous data-related obligations on vendors. Accordingly, the failure, or perceived inability, to comply with these laws, regulations, standards, and other obligations may limit the use and adoption of our products and services, reduce overall demand, lead to regulatory investigations, litigation, and significant fines, penalties, or liabilities for actual or alleged noncompliance, or slow the pace at which we close sales transactions, any of which could harm our business. Moreover, if we or any of our employees or contractors fail or are believed to fail to adhere to appropriate practices regarding customers’ data, it may damage our reputation and brand.
Additionally, existing laws, regulations, standards, and other obligations may be interpreted in new and differing manners in the future, and may be inconsistent among jurisdictions. Future laws, regulations, standards, and other obligations, and changes in the interpretation of existing laws, regulations, standards, and other obligations could result in increased regulation, increased costs of compliance and penalties for non‑compliance, and limitations on data collection, use, disclosure, and transfer for us and our customers. Further, California adopted the