Executive resignations

On April 19, 2018, Stephen Clarke resigned as president and chief executive officer and as a member of the Board. Dr. Clarke’s resignation as an officer of the Company was treated as a termination without cause under his employment agreement with the Company. Pursuant to his employment agreement, Dr. Clarke was entitled to one-time severance benefits that includes severance and benefits continuation expense of approximately $0.9 million paid out over a 2-year period in consideration of his execution of a customary release and separation agreement. Additionally, Dr. Clarke was granted an extension of the exercise period of his stock options upon termination from 90 days to 2 years. The expense related to the modification of these stock option awards was approximately $15,000.

On December 3, 2018, Selwyn Mould resigned as chief operating officer. Mr. Mould’s resignation as an officer the Company was treated as a termination without cause under his employment agreement with the Company. Pursuant to his employment agreement, Mr. Mould was entitled to one-time severance benefits that includes severance and benefits continuation expense of approximately $0.9 million paid out over a 2-year period in consideration of his execution of a customary release and separation agreement. Pursuant to a Separation Agreement and Release between the Company and Mr. Mould, Mr. Mould has agreed to receive, in lieu of two years of salary, a cash severance payment of $100,000 payable in six equal installments in accordance with the Company's regular payroll practices, plus an award of restricted stock units that will entitle him to receive, for each of the 21 consecutive months commencing on March 1, 2019, $33,333 of the Company's common shares based on the volume-weighted average price over the 20 trading days preceding the first business day of the respective month. The Company has reserved the right, at its option, to pay Mr. Mould $33,333 of cash in lieu of any of the 21 monthly share issuances. The Separation Agreement and Release includes customary indemnification, confidentiality, non-disparagement and non-solicitation covenants and agreements of the parties.

Lease commitments

As discussed in Note 12, on August 7, 2015, the Company signed a lease for 21,697 square feet of mixed office and manufacturing space in Alameda, California. The Company entered into a sublease agreement dated February 4, 2019 for the Alameda facility. The term of the sublease commenced on February 4, 2019, and ends on May 31, 2022. Total base rent payable by the sublessee through the end of the term of the sublease is approximately $1.5 million.

In July 2018, the Company signed a lease for 14,016 square feet of mixed office and warehouse space in McCarran, Nevada.

The future minimum payments related to these leases are as follows as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands):

During both of the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company incurred total rent expense of $0.6 million.

Interstate Battery Agreement commitment

On June 24, 2018, the Company entered into a series of agreements with Interstate Battery, including an amendment to the Investor Rights Agreement. Pursuant to the amendment to the Investor Rights Agreement, Interstate Battery agreed to waive all payments under the key-man provisions of the Investor Rights Agreement with respect to the resignation of the Company’s former chief executive officer, Stephen Clarke. In addition, the parties agreed that the Company, at its option, can elect to eliminate the key-man event and all related key-man payments associated with Mr. Mould by (i) paying Interstate Battery a one-time fee of $0.5 million, payable in cash and (ii) agreeing to pay Interstate Battery $2.0 million, payable at the Company’s election in cash or shares of its common stock, should the Company’s current president, Stephen Cotton, no longer serve as president of the Company during the period ending May 18, 2019.

The Company paid Interstate Battery a one-time fee of $0.5 million on February 20, 2019 related to the key-man provision associated with Mr. Mould's resignation.

Clarios (successor of Johnson Controls) Agreement Commitment

Pursuant to the Clarios Investor Rights Agreement, the Company had agreed to compensate Clarios should either Stephen Clarke, the Company’s then current chief executive officer, or Selwyn Mould, the Company’s then current chief operating officer, no longer hold such positions or no longer devote substantially all of their business time and attention to the Company, whether as a result of resignation, death, disability or otherwise (such an event referred to as a “key-man event”). The Company has agreed to pay Clarios $1.0 million per occurrence, if either officer is subject to a key-man event during the 18 months following February 7, 2017. The Company also agreed to pay Clarios $1.0 million if either or both key-man events occur after 18 months and prior to 30 months following February 7, 2017. Pursuant to the agreement, if Clarios, in its sole and absolute discretion, agrees with the Company on mutually acceptable replacements for Dr. Clarke and/or Mr. Mould, as the case may be, the key-man penalties shall be deemed waived by Clarios. In connection with the resignations by Dr. Clarke and Mr. Mould described above, Clarios has submitted to the Company its claim for payment of the key-man penalties in the total amount of $2.0 million. We agreed to settle the Clarios Key-man penalty claim through our issuance of 807,436 shares of our common stock, which we issued in June 2019.

Legal proceedings

See Item 3. Legal Proceedings