[8-K] Phoenix Motor Inc. Reports Material Event

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

On August 11, 2025, Phoenix Motor Inc. appointed John Walsh as the company’s President, effective immediately, and named him Chief Executive Officer of PhoenixEV, the company’s U.S.-based subsidiary and commercial EV brand focused on light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles built in America for the American market.

Mr. Walsh, age 59, brings over 35 years of leadership in transit and electric mobility, including service as President of EO Charging Americas from 1989 to 2025 and as Chief Commercial Officer of Proterra Inc. from March 2023 to August 2025; he has also held senior roles at Davey Coach, REV Bus Group and MV-1/VPG. The filing also discloses that trading of the company’s common stock on Nasdaq was suspended on April 15, 2025 and the shares are quoted on the OTC Pink under the symbol PEVMD.

Positive

• Appointment of John Walsh as President and CEO of PhoenixEV, bringing over 35 years of industry experience
• Direct leadership focus on the U.S. commercial EV market across light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles

Negative

• Nasdaq trading suspended on April 15, 2025; common stock is quoted on the OTC Pink under symbol "PEVMD"
• No terms disclosed for Mr. Walsh’s employment or compensation in the filing, limiting investor assessment of incentives

Insights

Financial Analyst

TL;DR: Experienced industry executive appointed to lead PhoenixEV; operational benefits hinge on execution and further strategic disclosure.

John Walsh’s appointment brings deep sector experience, notably long tenure at EO Charging Americas and recent commercial leadership at Proterra. That background aligns with PhoenixEV’s focus on commercial fleet electrification and could accelerate commercial go-to-market execution and fleet partnerships. The filing provides no financial or performance targets tied to the appointment, so near-term market impact will depend on subsequent execution details, operating updates, or material contracts that quantify potential revenue or margin implications.

Corporate Governance Expert

TL;DR: The appointment is a material leadership change but governance assessment is limited by missing contractual and compensation disclosures.

The 8-K properly discloses the appointment and Mr. Walsh’s prior roles, which is material information for investors. However, the filing does not include terms of employment, compensation, change-in-control provisions, or whether any related party or board changes accompany the appointment. Those omissions limit shareholders’ ability to evaluate alignment of incentives and potential governance implications until additional disclosures are made.

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 8-K

Current Report

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 11, 2025

Phoenix Motor Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware		001-41414		85-4319789
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1500 Lakeview Loop Anaheim, CA		92807
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (909) 987-0815

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0004 per share		PEVMD		The Nasdaq Stock Capital Market LLC*

*Trading of the registrant’s common stock on Nasdaq was suspended on April 15, 2025. The registrant’s common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Pink Limited Market under the symbol “PEVMD”.

☒	Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
☐	If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On August 11, 2025, Phoenix Motor Inc. (the “Company”) appointed John Walsh as the Company’s President, effective immediately. Mr. Walsh was also appointed as Chief Executive Officer of PhoenixEV, the Company’s U.S.-based subsidiary and commercial EV brand focused on light, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles built in America for the American market.

John Walsh, age 59, is a seasoned executive with over 35 years of leadership in the transit and electric mobility industries. From 1989 to 2025, Mr. Walsh served as President of EO Charging Americas, where he led commercial fleet electrification efforts across North America. From March 2023 to August 2025, Mr. Walsh served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Proterra Inc., where he led the Transit, Powered, and Energy business units. Mr. Walsh also served as President and COO of Davey Coach from January 2018 to January 2019, President of REV Bus Group from June 2015 to November 2018, overseeing nine business units including ENC and Collins School Bus, and CEO of MV-1/VPG, a specialty OEM serving the paratransit market.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: August 14, 2025	PHOENIX MOTOR INC.
	By:	/s/ Xiaofeng Denton Peng
	Name:	Xiaofeng Denton Peng
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board

FAQ

Who was appointed in the Phoenix Motor 8-K (PEV)?

The filing states that John Walsh was appointed President of Phoenix Motor Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of PhoenixEV, effective August 11, 2025.

When did John Walsh’s appointment become effective?

The appointment was effective immediately on August 11, 2025, according to the filing.

What experience does John Walsh have as disclosed in the filing?

The filing discloses Mr. Walsh is 59 years old with over 35 years in transit and electric mobility, including President of EO Charging Americas (1989–2025) and Chief Commercial Officer of Proterra Inc. (March 2023–August 2025).

Does the 8-K disclose Mr. Walsh’s compensation or employment terms?

No. The filing does not disclose any compensation, employment agreement details, or related contractual terms for Mr. Walsh.

Where is Phoenix Motor’s common stock traded per the filing?

The filing notes that trading on Nasdaq was suspended on April 15, 2025 and the common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Pink under the symbol PEVMD.