Release Date: March 19, 2025
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Aeva Technologies Inc (AEVA, Financial) achieved significant commercial momentum in 2024, including a major production program award from Daimler Truck.
- The company secured a joint development program with a global top 10 passenger OEM, opening new market opportunities.
- Aeva's Atlas Ultra product offers 3x the resolution and a wider field of view in a slimmer package, enhancing integration options.
- The company is expanding into industrial robotics and factory automation, with partnerships like Sick AG for high-precision sensor solutions.
- Aeva plans to achieve record revenues in 2025, targeting a 70% to 100% year-over-year growth, while reducing operating expenses by 10% to 20%.
Negative Points
- Aeva Technologies Inc (AEVA) reported a full-year non-GAAP operating loss of $123.2 million for 2024.
- The company's revenue for 2024 was only $9.1 million, indicating a need for significant growth to meet future targets.
- Aeva's cash use in 2024 was $112 million, raising concerns about liquidity despite having $237 million in total available liquidity.
- The company faces challenges in scaling manufacturing capacity to meet the anticipated demand for its products.
- There is uncertainty regarding the timeline and success of transitioning development programs into large-scale production awards.
Q & A Highlights
Q: With the industrial applications clearly being sizable, can you talk about initial targets outside of metrology and the cycle time for design wins and revenue realization? Also, provide an update on manufacturing progress.
A: Soroush Dardashti, CEO: Beyond automotive, we are excited about opportunities in robotics and factory automation. Our products, built on core technology components like our silicon chips, are ready for commercial deployment. The industrial sector presents a $10 billion-plus market opportunity. Sick AG, a leader in sensor solutions, is transitioning its portfolio to our FMCW-based sensors. We aim to increase industrial sensor shipments by 1,000% this year. Regarding manufacturing, we are focused on increasing capacity to meet demand, targeting a production line with a capacity of 100,000 units per year.
Q: Considering your comments about reducing OpEx, does this apply to large programs like the Daimler Truck program? What is the effort left for 2025 compared to 2024?
A: Soroush Dardashti, CEO: We have substantially completed significant efforts for our Atlas product. This year, we aim to release the final C sample, a key milestone for commercial deployment. We are pulling forward the installation of our manufacturing line to 2025 due to growing demand. We have delivered on all Daimler Truck milestones on time or ahead of schedule. With reduced engineering costs, we expect to achieve record revenues with 70% to 100% year-over-year growth while reducing spend.
Q: Regarding the OEM program and the 2027 start of production, is it an L3 car program? When will revenue contributions begin?
A: Soroush Dardashti, CEO: The OEM has significant experience with Time of Flight LiDAR and is transitioning to FMCW technology. We have secured a development agreement to fine-tune our Atlas Ultra product for their global production vehicle platform. We also have a letter of intent for a large-scale production program award. The target for Atlas Ultra SOP is 2027, with production ramp and market entry to follow.
Q: How do you feel about the current level of cash given additional wins and engagements? Will you need to draw on the facility before scaling?
A: Saurabh Sinha, CFO: We have $237 million in total liquidity, including $112 million in cash and $125 million in an undrawn facility. We feel confident about our liquidity, providing a multiyear runway to production. With increasing revenues and decreasing costs, we are well-positioned to execute our plan without needing to draw on the facility immediately.
Q: What is the general area of the top 10 OEM's headquarters, and in which geographies are they operating? Can you describe the size of this opportunity?
A: Soroush Dardashti, CEO: The OEM is a well-known global brand with significant business worldwide. They produce millions of vehicles annually and are leaders in introducing new technology. The opportunity is massive, potentially similar to the $1 billion-plus revenue opportunity with Daimler Truck. We expect the production program to cover multiple vehicle model lines, with LiDAR as a standard feature for key models.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
