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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarter ended March 31, 2005

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 1-15477

MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(858) 503-3300

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     YES  x     NO   ¨    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).     YES   x     NO   ¨    

The number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of April 29, 2005 was 15,768,265 shares.

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MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

INDEX TO QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

For the quarter ended March 31, 2005

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PART I - Financial Information

The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s latest annual report on Form 10-K.

In the opinion of the Company, these unaudited statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position of Maxwell Technologies, Inc. and subsidiaries as of March 31, 2005, and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the three months then ended.

The results reported in these condensed consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any subsequent period or for the entire year.

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MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1 – Description of Business

Maxwell Technologies, Inc. is a Delaware corporation and is a developer and manufacturer of innovative, cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions. Our BOOSTCAP^® ultracapacitor cells and multi-cell modules and POWERCACHE^® backup power systems provide safe and reliable power solutions for applications in consumer and industrial electronics, transportation and telecommunications. Our CONDIS^® high-voltage grading and coupling capacitors help to ensure the safety and reliability of electric utility infrastructure and other applications involving transport, distribution and measurement of high-voltage electrical energy. Our radiation-mitigated microelectronic products include power modules, memory modules and single board computers that incorporate powerful commercial silicon for superior performance and high reliability in aerospace applications.

Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “Maxwell,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Maxwell Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries; all references to “Maxwell SA” refer to our European Subsidiary, Maxwell Technologies, SA, all references to “Electronic Components Group” refer to our former subsidiary, Maxwell Electronic Components Group, Inc., which has been merged into Maxwell; all references to “I-Bus/Phoenix” refer to our subsidiary, I-Bus/Phoenix, Inc., and its subsidiaries; and all references to “PurePulse” refer to our non-operating subsidiary, PurePulse Technologies, Inc.

Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Maxwell Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and account balances are eliminated in consolidation.

In the opinion of management of the Company, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of Maxwell Technologies, Inc. for all periods presented. The results reported in these condensed consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any subsequent period or for the entire year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s latest annual report on Form 10-K. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) have been condensed or omitted.

The Company’s defense contracting business, which was sold in March 2001, and its PurePulse business, which was discontinued in September 2002, each of which was previously

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reported as a separate segment, have been classified as discontinued operations in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements (Note 5). Our Winding Equipment segment, which was sold in December 2003, and which was recorded as continuing operations through the first quarter of fiscal year 2004, has now been reclassified as discontinued operations. As a result of the reclassification of the Winding Equipment business, the Company is operating as a single reportable segment.

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. Estimates have been prepared on the basis of the most current information available. These estimates include assessing the collectability of accounts receivable, the usage and recoverability of inventories and long-lived assets, the estimation of loss contracts, the incurrence of losses on warranty costs and vacant leased facilities, and the valuation of deferred tax assets. We have net deferred tax assets before our valuation allowance, which are still available for us to use in the future to offset taxable income. The markets for most of the Company’s products are extremely competitive and are characterized by rapid technological change, new product development, product obsolescence and evolving industry standards. In addition, price competition is intense and significant price erosion generally occurs over the life of a product. As a result of these issues noted and other factors, actual results could differ from the estimates used by management.

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. The Company’s fiscal quarters end on the last day of the calendar month on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31.

Revenue Recognition

We derive substantially all of our revenue from the sale of manufactured products. Such revenue is typically recognized as products are shipped and title passes to the customer. License fee revenue is recognized when the performance requirements have been met, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collection of fees is probable. In general, we do not offer discounts and there is no right of return. We do not provide installation services or incur-post-sale obligations other than product warranty, which is accrued for at the time of sale. We also derive revenue on a percentage of completion basis for a product development contract. Those revenues, including estimated profits, are recognized as costs are incurred and include provisions for any anticipated losses.

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Computation of Net Loss per Share

Basic loss per share is computed as net loss divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted loss per share is calculated on the basis of the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect of outstanding stock options of the Company, assuming their exercise using the “treasury stock” method. The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per share (in thousands, except per share data):

For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2005 and 2004, incremental equivalent shares under common stock options of 588,345 and 660,196, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share as their impact would have been anti-dilutive.

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Stock Option Plans

The Company has adopted the disclosure only provisions of Statement No. 123 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation (“Statement No. 123”) as amended by Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (“SFAS”) No. 148, Accounting for Stock Based Compensation – Transitions and Disclosure. In accordance with the provisions of Statement No. 123, the Company applies Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25 and related interpretations in accounting for its stock option plans, and accordingly, no compensation expense has been recognized for stock options granted in the quarters ended March 31, 2005 and 2004. If the Company had elected to recognize compensation cost based on the fair value method prescribed by Statement No. 123, the Company’s net loss and net loss per share would have been adjusted to the pro forma amounts indicated below (in thousands, except per share amounts):

The pro forma adjustments shown above are not indicative of future period pro forma adjustments when the calculation will reflect all applicable stock options. The fair value of Company options at the date of grant was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with assumptions as follows:

Note 3 – Balance Sheet Details

Inventories

Inventories consisted of the following (in thousands):

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Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill

The change in the carrying amount of goodwill from December 31, 2004 to March 31, 2005 is as follows (in thousands):

Warranty Reserve

We generally provide a warranty to our customers for one to two years in the normal course of business. We accrue for the estimated warranty costs at the time of shipment. The estimated warranty liability is calculated based on historical warranty costs and the historical time frame such costs are paid within plus any known warranty exposure.

The following table sets forth an analysis of the warranty reserve activity for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 and year ended December 31, 2004, respectively (in thousands):

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Note 4 – Comprehensive Loss

The components of other comprehensive loss are as follows (in thousands):

Note 5 – Discontinued Operations

As part of a sale of the Company’s defense contracting business in 2001, the Company retained certain leases and lease obligations expiring in 2006. As of March 31, 2005, the net lease obligations are $530,000 and run through 2006, of which $484,000 has been reserved. The owner of the vacant facility is actively marketing the property for sale or lease. Additional reserves may be required if these marketing activities do not result in a sale or lease before the end of 2005.

In September 2002, the Company decided to suspend the operations of its PurePulse Technologies, Inc. subsidiary. PurePulse had been designing and developing systems that generate extremely intense, broad-spectrum, pulsed light to purify water and inactivate viruses and other pathogens that contaminate vaccines and products sourced from human or animal tissues, such as plasma derivatives, transfusion blood components and biopharmaceuticals. The Company plans to preserve its intellectual property and certain other technology assets for a possible future sale of such assets.

In December 2003, the Company’s Maxwell Technologies, SA subsidiary sold all fixed assets, substantially all inventory except work in process inventory, and all warranty and employee agreement obligations of its Metar Winding Equipment business segment located in Matran, Switzerland to Metar SA, a new company whose principal shareholder is a former CEO of Montena SA. The new Metar company completed during January through June 2004 certain work in progress related to customer orders received by Maxwell Technologies, SA before the date of sale. The Company concluded its continuing involvement in the Winding Equipment business in the second quarter of 2004 with shipment of the final Metar product order owned by the Company. In accordance with SFAS No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, the results of operations related to the Winding Equipment business, which was recorded as continuing operations through the first quarter of 2004, have been reclassified as discontinued operations for the first quarter of 2004.

Operating results of the discontinued operations are shown separately, net of tax, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The businesses included in discontinued operations had no sales and sales aggregating $704,000 in the quarters ended March 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. These amounts are not included in net sales in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

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Note 6 – Related Parties

We transact business with one company considered to be a related party. Our Swiss subsidiary, Maxwell SA, leases its facility from Montena SA, which owns approximately 16% of the Company’s stock. Mr. Jose Cortez is the CEO of Montena SA and is a member of the Maxwell Technologies, Inc. board of directors. The amount of lease payments paid to Montena SA during the quarters ended March 31, 2005 and 2004 were $207,000 and $199,000, respectively.

Note 7 – Legal Proceedings

We have been named as a defendant in a suit filed on March 4, 2004 in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Luis Obispo. This suit, Edmonds vs. I-Bus/Phoenix, Inc., was filed by the plaintiff on his behalf and alleges damages concerning the repurchase of I-Bus/Phoenix, Inc. shares. While the Company’s legal counsel cannot express an opinion on this matter, management believes that any liability of the Company that may arise out of or with respect to this matter will not materially adversely affect the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

Note 8 – Short-Term and Long-Term Borrowings

Maxwell SA, our European subsidiary, has a 2.0 million Swiss Francs (approximately $1.7 million as of March 31, 2005) credit agreement with a Swiss bank. Borrowings under the credit agreement bear interest at 2.52%. Borrowings under the credit agreement are secured by the assets of Maxwell SA. As of March 31, 2005, the full amount of the credit line was drawn.

In March 2005, we renewed our $3.0 million U.S. credit line on substantially the same terms as the prior credit line. This line is secured by accounts receivable and assets of the Company and bears interest at the bank’s prime plus 1.75%, but subject to a minimum interest rate of 5.75%. The agreement requires us to maintain a minimum tangible net worth of $20.5 million plus 50% of any consideration from future equity and debt transactions plus 50% of net income in each fiscal quarter after the date of the agreement. As of March 31, 2005, none of the U.S. credit line was drawn.

Maxwell SA has a term loan with a maximum draw of 1.15 million Swiss Franc (approximately $958,000 as of March 31, 2005) for financing the acquisition of specific capital equipment. Borrowings under the term loan are secured by the equipment being purchased. This credit agreement bears interest at the Swiss inter-bank borrowing rate plus 2.0%. The term loan can be borrowed in quarterly advances up to the maximum draw and repaid over one to five years. As of March 31, 2005, the full amount of the credit agreement was drawn. The interest rate on the funds borrowed at March 31, 2005 was 3.76%.

Maxwell SA requires advances from customers for certain product lines and issues bank guarantees that give the customer the right of return on their advance if the product is not delivered by a specific date. As of March 31, 2005, we had issued guarantees of approximately $54,000 related to these product arrangements, most of which we expect to ship to customers in 2005.

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Note 9 – Defined Benefit Plan

We have a retirement plan for our Swiss subsidiary that is classified as a defined benefit pension plan. The pension benefit is based on compensation, length of service and credited investment earnings. The plan guarantees both a minimum rate of return as well as minimum annuity purchase rates. The Company’s funding policy with respect to the pension plan is to contribute the amount required by Swiss law, using the required percentage applied to the employee’s compensation. There is no offset provision based on the obligation level of the fund. In addition, the employee is required to contribute an identical amount to the pension plan. This plan has a measurement date of December 31. We adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 132R, Employers’ Disclosures about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits in December 2003. Components of the net periodic benefit cost were as follows (in thousands):

Total employer contributions paid during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2005 and 2004 were $72,000 and $68,000, respectively. Additional employer contributions of approximately $217,000 are expected to be paid during the remainder of fiscal 2005.

Note 10 – Contingencies

The Company is the subject of a government audit of a business sold in 2001. A contract, not assumed by the acquirers of the Company’s former defense contract business, entered in 1990 and completed in the late 1990s is currently being audited by the Defense Department’s auditing services. The Company has submitted documentation supporting approximately $550,000 of costs charged to the contract. The Company believes that such costs were properly charged.

The Defense Department’s auditing services is auditing a contract entered into in 1995 and completed in 1999 by a company purchased by our Microelectronics group. The Company has requested a release of liability from the prime contractor. There is no assurance that such a release will be obtained and the Company will not incur some liability.

The Company enters into indemnification agreements in the ordinary course of business in which the indemnified party is held harmless and is reimbursed for losses incurred from claims by third parties. In connection with divestitures of certain assets or businesses, the Company often provides indemnities to the buyer with respect to certain matters including, for example, environmental liabilities and unidentified liabilities related to periods prior to the disposition. Due to the uncertain nature of the indemnities, the maximum liability cannot be quantified. Liabilities for obligations are recorded where appropriate and when they are probable and can be reasonably estimated. Historically, the Company has not made significant payments for these obligations.

Note 11 – Stock Activity

During the three months ended March 31, 2005, 73,634 shares were issued pursuant to the Company’s stock purchase plan and exercises of stock options.

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Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Quarterly Report”) to “Maxwell,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Maxwell Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries; all references to “Maxwell SA” refer to our European Subsidiary, Maxwell Technologies, SA, all references to “Electronic Components Group” refer to our former subsidiary, Maxwell Electronic Components Group, Inc., which has been merged into Maxwell; all references to “I-Bus/Phoenix” refer to our subsidiary, I-Bus/Phoenix, Inc., and its subsidiaries; and all references to “PurePulse” refer to our non-operating subsidiary, PurePulse Technologies, Inc.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

When used in this Quarterly Report, the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate” and similar expressions, together with other discussion of future trends or results, are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Quarterly Report. All of these forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by our management, which, although believed to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict; therefore, undue reliance should not be placed upon such statements. Actual results may differ materially and adversely from such statements due to known and unknown factors. The following important factors, among others, could cause our results of operations to be materially and adversely affected in future periods:

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Many of these factors are beyond our control. There can be no assurance that we will not incur new or additional unforeseen costs in connection with the ongoing conduct of our business. Accordingly, any forward-looking statements included herein do not purport to be predictions of future events or circumstances and may not be realized.

Executive Summary

We begin Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations with an overview of our business and strategic plan. Subsequently, we provide a summary of some of the highlights from the quarter ended March 31, 2005, followed by a discussion of the different aspects of our business. We then proceed, on page 16, to discuss our results of operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2005 compared with the quarter ended March 31, 2004. Thereafter, beginning on page 18, we provide an analysis of changes in our balance sheet and cash flows, and discuss our capital requirements and financing activities in the section entitled “Liquidity and Capital Resources.” Beginning on page 21, we discuss our critical accounting policies, the impact of inflation on our business and new accounting pronouncements.

It should be noted that the following discussion and the historical information included therein contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including estimates based on our judgment in assessing the collectability of accounts receivable, the usage and recoverability of inventories and long-lived assets, the estimation of loss contracts, the incurrence of losses on warranty costs and vacant leased facilities and the valuation of deferred tax assets. In addition, our estimation of liquidity for fiscal year 2005 may be significantly different than our actual results. Negative changes in revenues will affect our estimation in cost of sales, research and development, selling, general and administrative and other aspects of our business.

Overview

Maxwell Technologies, Inc. is a Delaware corporation originally incorporated in 1965 under the name “Maxwell Laboratories, Inc.” In 1996, we changed our name to Maxwell Technologies, Inc. Presently headquartered in San Diego, California, we are a developer and manufacturer of innovative, cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions.

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Maxwell operates as one business segment called High Reliability, which has two manufacturing locations (San Diego, California and Rossens, Switzerland) and is comprised of three product lines:

We aim to design and manufacture our products to perform reliably for the life of the products and systems into which they are integrated. We seek to achieve high reliability through the application of proprietary technologies and rigorously controlled design, development, manufacturing and test processes. This high reliability strategy emphasizes the development and marketing of products that enable us to achieve higher profit margins than commodity electronic components and systems.

During the year ended December 31, 2004, we completed the discontinuance of our Winding Equipment product line segment, which was sold in December 2003, with the shipment of the final product order that we were obligated to fulfill. Therefore, the financial statements for the three-month period ended March 31, 2004 include the reclassification of the Winding Equipment product line segment to discontinued operations.

Highlights of the Quarter Ended March 31, 2005

We reported a net loss for the three-month period ended March 31, 2005 of approximately $2.2 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, versus a net loss of $585,000, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2004.

During the three months ended March 31, 2005, we continued to focus on developing strategic alliances, introducing new products, reducing product costs, and increasing revenue. Some of these efforts are described below:

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Results of Operations—Quarter Ended March 31, 2005 Compared with Quarter Ended March 31, 2004

Total Revenue

Total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2005 was approximately $9.8 million. Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2004 was approximately $9.9 million including the final $1 million payment of a total of $5 million in license fees received from YEC in exchange for the right to manufacture our BOOSTCAP^® ultracapacitors in China. Also included in the first quarter 2004 revenue was approximately $1.0 million from our magnetics-based Power Systems products that were phased out during 2004. Therefore, excluding the revenue from YEC and magnetics-based Power Systems, revenue from continuing product lines for the first quarter of 2004 was approximately $7.9 million. The increase in revenue from all three product lines within our High Reliability segment in 2005 compared with the same period in 2004, including the YEC license fees, was approximately $932,000 or 11%. Included in the first quarter 2005 revenue was approximately $1.1 million of revenue from two contracts recently awarded to us. One is a development program for USABC, the other is a fixed fee contract where revenue is being recognized under the percentage of completion method of accounting.

Gross Profit

For the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2004, gross profit was approximately $2.8 million and $3.0 million, which represented 29% and 30% of revenue, respectively. Gross profit excluding YEC license fees was approximately $2.0 million, or 22% of sales, for the three months ended March 31, 2004. There are numerous factors that can influence gross profit including product mix, pricing, volume, warranty costs and charges related to excess and obsolete inventory. Excluding the license fee, the gross margin improvement was primarily from our Swiss operations. We recorded reserves of approximately $572,000 and $500,000 in the first quarter of 2005 and 2004, respectively, for ultracapacitor orders received that were priced below our current product cost.

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Total Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses were approximately $5.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005, compared with approximately $4.0 million for the same period in 2004. Operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2005 were approximately 52% of revenue compared with 40% of revenue for the same period in 2004. The increase in operating expenses is explained below.

Operating Expenses—Q1 2005 vs. Q1 2004

(Dollars in Thousands)

Selling, General & Administrative (SG&A) Expense

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were approximately $3.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005, compared with $2.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004. As a percentage of revenues, SG&A expenses increased to 34% for the three months ended March 31, 2005 from 28% for the three months ended March 31, 2004. The approximately $500,000 increase is primarily related to increased costs associated with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance activities.

Research & Development (R&D) Expense

Research and development (R&D) expenses were approximately $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005 as compared with approximately $1.2 million for the same period in 2004. As a percentage of revenue, R&D expense was 18% for the three months ended March 31, 2005 compared with 12% for the same period in 2004. The increase in the R&D expense related primarily to increased costs associated with the development of a single board computer in our microelectronics product line and an increase in R&D headcount at our Swiss subsidiary.

Loss From Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes

The loss from continuing operations before income taxes increased to approximately $2.1 million, or 21% of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2005 compared with $975,000, or 10% of revenue for the same period in 2004. The increase is primarily related to the increase in certain expenses as described above.

Provision For Income Taxes

We recorded a provision for income taxes of $144,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2005 compared with no income tax provision or benefit for the three months ended March 31, 2004. The tax provision for the first quarter of 2005 is the result of our Swiss subsidiary having profitable operations.

Unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries have been included in the consolidated financial statements without giving effect to the United States taxes that may be payable on distribution to the United States because it is not anticipated such earnings will be remitted to the United States. If remitted, the additional United States taxes paid would not be material.

Discontinued Operations

In December 2003, Maxwell SA (our Swiss subsidiary formerly known as Montena Components Ltd.) sold all of the fixed assets, substantially all inventory, and all warranty and employee agreement obligations of its Winding Equipment business, located in Matran,

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Switzerland, to Metar SA, a new company formed by the former CEO of Montena Components Ltd and a Metar SA employee. The business was sold for $324,000, and we recognized a loss on disposal, net of tax, of $529,000. The new Metar company completed during January through June 2004 certain work in progress related to customer orders received by Maxwell SA before the date of sale. We concluded our continuing involvement in the Winding Equipment business in the second quarter of 2004 with the shipment of the final Metar product order that we were obligated to fulfill. The results of operations related to the Winding Equipment business which was recorded as continuing operations through the first quarter of 2004 have been reclassified as discontinued operations for the first quarter of 2004. The Winding Equipment business had sales of $592,000 and cost of sales of $152,000 during the first quarter of 2004, which is reflected in income from discontinued operations.

In March 2001, we sold our Government Systems business for $20.7 million and recorded a gain of $1.1 million, net of a $2.7 million provision mainly related to ongoing lease obligations. As of March 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004, the remaining lease obligation, which expires in April 2006, is $530,000, with a reserve provision of $484,000, and $650,000, with a reserve portion of $608,000, respectively.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Changes in Cash Flow

During the three months ended March 31, 2005, we used $170,000 of cash in operating activities that included the receipt of a mispayment from a customer of approximately $1.7 million, as compared with approximately $1.8 million of cash used in operating activities during the same period in 2004. The reduction in the cash used in operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2005 compared with the same period of the prior year is a result of: an increase in the loss from continuing operations of approximately $1.2 million; reduced by an increase in non-cash items such as depreciation and amortization and provision for losses on accounts receivable; and reduced by an improvement in the net changes in operating assets and liabilities. The improvement in changes in operating assets and liabilities was largely a result of the approximately $1.7 million mispayment from a customer. The $1.7 million customer mispayment will have a negative effect in the period in which it is repaid.

Investments in marketable securities increased to approximately $3.1 million at March 31, 2005 from approximately $2.1 million at December 31, 2004 as a result of the investment of approximately $1.3 million of existing cash and cash equivalents into marketable securities offset by redemptions of approximately $252,000.

Net accounts receivable decreased to approximately $6.4 million at March 31, 2005 from approximately $6.9 million at December 31, 2004 due primarily to improved collections in the first quarter of 2005.

Prepaid expenses and other current assets were approximately $1.2 million compared with $921,000 at December 31, 2004. The increase was primarily due to annual insurance premiums that were paid in the first quarter of 2005.

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Goodwill decreased by approximately $1.0 million from approximately $21.1 million at December 31, 2004 to approximately $20.1 million at March 31, 2005 as a result of the foreign currency translation adjustment.

Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities were approximately $8.2 million at March 31, 2005 compared with approximately $7.3 million at December 31, 2004. The increase is primarily due to an approximately $1.7 million mispayment from a customer received in the first quarter of 2005 as discussed above which was partially offset by a reduction of approximately $800,000 of other current liabilities.

Liquidity

The restructuring plan that we started in 1999 was completed in early 2004. We began realizing the benefit of our restructuring effort during 2004. All indicators such as productivity, lower product cost and new product introductions have increased. The reduction of overhead and increased productivity should continue to improve our gross margins in 2005. In March 2005, we renewed our $3.0 million line of credit from a U.S. bank that is available for working capital needs; the line has not been used to date. We also have a line of credit for 2.0 million Swiss Francs (approximately $1.7 million at March 31, 2005) from a Swiss bank for working capital in Switzerland. The line was fully used as of March 31, 2005. We had $9.5 million in cash, which included an approximate $1.7 million mispayment from a customer, and $3.1 million in investments in marketable securities as of March 31, 2005. We also have a 1.15 million Swiss Francs (approximately $958,000 as of March 31, 2005) term loan from a Swiss bank for capital equipment purchases, all of which was utilized as of March 31, 2005. We have a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We raised approximately $10.1 million, net of offering expenses, in November 2004 from the sale of shares of common stock that were registered pursuant to the shelf registration statement. At this time, approximately $5.5 million of the shelf registration statement remains available to us for raising capital. We believe the liquidity provided by the existing cash and cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities, borrowings available under our lines of credit and availability on Form S-3, will provide sufficient capital to fund our capital equipment and working capital requirements and potential operating losses for more than the next 12 months. Failure to achieve expected cash flows from operating activities or to obtain additional debt or equity investments, if necessary and if available, would have a material adverse effect on us and our projected liquidity.

Short-term and Long-term Borrowings

Short-term Borrowings

Maxwell SA, our European subsidiary, has a 2.0 million Swiss Francs (approximately $1.7 million as of March 31, 2005) credit agreement with a Swiss bank. Borrowings under the credit agreement bear interest at 2.52%. Borrowings under the credit agreement are secured by the assets of Maxwell SA. As of March 31, 2005, the full amount of the credit line was drawn.

Maxwell SA requires advances from customers for certain product lines and issues bank guarantees that give the customer the right of return on their advance if the product is not

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delivered by a specific date. As of March 31, 2005, we had issued guarantees of approximately $54,000 related to these product arrangements, most of which we expect to ship to customers in 2005.

In March 2005, we renewed our $3.0 million U.S. credit line on substantially the same terms as the prior credit line. This line is secured by accounts receivable and assets of the Company and bears interest at the bank’s prime plus 1.75%, but subject to a minimum interest rate of 5.75%. The agreement requires us to maintain a minimum tangible net worth of $20.5 million plus 50% of any consideration from future equity and debt transactions plus 50% of net income in each fiscal quarter after the date of the agreement. As of March 31, 2005, none of the U.S. credit line was drawn.

Long-term Borrowings

Maxwell SA has a term loan with a maximum draw of 1.15 million Swiss Francs (approximately $958,000 as of March 31, 2005) for financing the acquisition of specific capital equipment. Borrowings under the term loan are secured by the equipment being purchased. This credit agreement bears interest at the Swiss inter-bank borrowing rate plus 2.0%. The term loan has been drawn to the maximum amount and is being repaid in annual installments over five years. The interest rate on the funds borrowed at March 31, 2005 was 3.76%.

Contractual Obligations

The following table identifies significant contractual obligations outstanding as of March 31, 2005 (in thousands):

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of March 31, 2005, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of SEC Regulation S-K.

Critical Accounting Policies

This discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which we refer to as U.S. GAAP. We have used certain assumptions and judgments in the preparation of these financial statements, which assumptions and estimates may potentially affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingencies as well as reported amounts of revenues and expenses. The following may involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity and, as such, management assumptions and conclusions in these areas may significantly impact the results of operations of the Company.

Revenue Recognition

We derive substantially all of our revenue from the sale of manufactured products. Such revenue is typically recognized as products are shipped and title passes to the customer. License fee revenue is recognized when the performance requirements have been met, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collection of fees is probable. In general, we do not offer discounts and there is no right of return. We do not provide installation services or incur-post-sale obligations other than product warranty, which is accrued for at the time of sale. We also derive revenue on a percentage of completion basis for a product development contract. Those revenues, including estimated profits, are recognized as costs are incurred and include provisions for any anticipated losses.

Production Costs

In anticipation of an increase in production capacity, expected efficiencies from economies of scale, and a new production line expected to reduce future costs, we have accepted ultracapacitor orders that were priced below our current production costs. These orders are scheduled for shipments at various times through the fourth quarter of 2005. We have estimated production costs for each quarter of 2005 in order to determine the estimated loss to fulfill these commitments at March 31, 2005. These estimates include taking into account the installation, commencing in 2005, of a new ultracapicitor production line in our facility located in Rossens, Switzerland. The new production line will create production efficiencies, thereby reducing production costs. Production efficiencies will be gained as each process of the line is implemented and as production volume increases. Actual production costs during 2005 may differ from our estimates of these efficiencies and could result in an adverse impact on our results of operations and the recording of additional losses.

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Accounts Receivable

We establish and maintain customer credit limits based on references, financial information, credit-worthiness and payment history. Accounts receivable consist primarily of amounts due to us from our normal business activities. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts to reflect anticipated bad debts based on past collection history and any specific risks identified in the portfolio. We determine our bad debt reserve based on an analysis we make to measure our reserve requirements and we establish specific reserves when we recognize the inability of our customer to pay its obligation. If we become aware of increasing negative changes in the financial condition of our customers, or if economic conditions change adversely, we may have to increase the allowance. An increase in such allowances would adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Remaining Lease Obligation from Discontinued Operations

We have provided an estimate of the liability of PurePulse associated with a remaining lease obligation, which has been recorded in discontinued operations. In making this estimate, we considered factors such as the commercial real estate market, including our estimate as to how and when we will be able to sub-lease, terminate or buy out the remaining lease obligation. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to conclude this lease obligation for the amount that we have accrued, which could require additional charges.

Excess and Obsolete Inventory

We value inventories at the lower of cost or market. In assessing the ultimate realization of inventories, we make judgments as to future demand requirements and compare that with current and committed inventory levels. The markets for the Company’s products are extremely competitive and are characterized by rapid technological change, new product development, product obsolescence and evolving industry standards. In addition, price competition is intense and significant price erosion generally occurs over the life of a product. We have recorded significant charges for reserves in recent periods to reflect changes in market conditions. We believe that future events are subject to change and revisions in estimates may have a significant adverse impact on our balance sheet and statement of operations.

Warranty

We generally provide a warranty to our customers for one to two years in the normal course of business. We accrue for the estimated warranty at the time of sale based on historical warranty costs and the historical time frame such costs are paid plus any known warranty exposure. We have limited historical experience with some of our products in evaluating the potential liability that could be created by claims under our warranty. If the claims made under such warranty exceed expected levels against which we have reserved, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

Long-Lived Assets and Other Intangible Assets

Long-lived assets such as property and equipment and other intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events and changes in business circumstances indicate that

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the carrying value of the long-lived asset may not be recoverable in accordance with SFAS No. 144, Accounting for Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. The most significant assumptions in the analysis of impairment involve estimates of future undiscounted cash flows. We use cash flow assumptions that are consistent with our business plans and consider other relevant information. If we determine that the carrying value of the long-lived asset may not be recoverable, a permanent impairment charge is recorded for the amount by which the carrying value of the long-lived assets exceeds its fair market value. If there are changes in business circumstances or in the key assumptions used in estimating undiscounted cash flows, we may be required to recognize an impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of our long-lived assets.

Goodwill

We account for goodwill in accordance with SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. This standard requires that goodwill no longer be amortized but be subject to an annual impairment test and when an event occurs or circumstances change such that it is reasonably possible that an impairment may exist. The first step consists of estimating the fair value of each reporting unit and comparing those estimated fair values with the carrying values of the reporting unit, which includes the allocated goodwill. If the fair value is less than the carrying value, a second step is performed to compute the amount of the impairment by determining an implied fair value of goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is the residual fair value derived by deducting the fair value of a reporting unit’s assets and liabilities from its estimated fair value, which was calculated in step one. The impairment charge represents the excess of the carrying amount of the reporting units’ goodwill over the implied fair value of their goodwill.

In assessing the implied fair value of goodwill, we have made assumptions regarding estimates of future cash flows and other operating factors. The most significant assumptions in the analysis of impairment involve estimates of revenue and expense forecasts of the reporting unit. If there are changes in business circumstances in the key assumptions used in estimating the fair value of the reporting unit, we may be required to recognize an impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of our goodwill. We cannot state with certainty that we may not incur charges for impairment of goodwill in the future if the fair value of Maxwell Technologies and Maxwell SA decrease due to market conditions or other unanticipated circumstances. Any additional impairment charges will adversely affect our results of operations.

Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets

A valuation allowance is provided for deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that these items will either expire before we are able to realize their benefit, or that future deductibility is uncertain. In general, companies that have had a recent history of operating losses are faced with a difficult burden of proof as to their ability to generate sufficient future income in order to realize the benefit of the deferred tax assets. We determined that it was appropriate to record a valuation allowance as of March 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004 against our deferred tax assets based on the recent history of losses to amounts that are expected to be more likely than not realizable. The deferred tax assets are still available for us to use in the future to offset taxable income, which would result in the recognition of a tax benefit and a reduction to our effective tax rate.

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Impact of Inflation

We believe that inflation has not had a material impact on our results of operations for the quarters ended March 31, 2005 and 2004. However, there can be no assurance that future inflation would not have an adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition.

New Accounting Pronouncement

In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based payment, or SFAS 123R, which is a revision of SFAS 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, or SFAS 123. SFAS 123R requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the financial statements based on their fair values and does not allow the previously permitted pro forma disclosure as an alternative to financial statement recognition. SFAS 123R supercedes Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, or APB 25, and related interpretations and amends SFAS No. 95, Statement of Cash Flows. SFAS 123R is scheduled to be effective beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2006. SFAS 123R allows for either prospective recognition of compensation expense or retroactive recognition, which may date back to the original issuance of SFAS 123 or only to interim periods in the year of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating these transition methods.

The impact of adoption of SFAS 123R cannot be predicted at this time because that will depend on the method of adoption elected, the fair value and number of share-based payments granted in the future. However, had the Company adopted SFAS 123R in prior periods, the magnitude of the impact of that standard would have approximated the impact of SFAS 123 assuming the application of the Black-Scholes model as described in the disclosure of pro forma net loss and pro forma loss per share in the notes to our consolidated financial statements. SFAS 123R also requires the benefits of tax deductions in excess of recognized compensation cost to be reported as a financing cash flow, rather than as an operating cash flow as required under current literature. This requirement will reduce net operating cash flows and increase net financing cash flows in periods after adoption.

Risk Factors

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be seriously harmed if potentially adverse developments, some of which are described below, materialize and cannot be resolved successfully. In any such case, the market price of our common stock could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment in our common stock.

The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial, may also result in decreased revenues, increased expenses or other adverse impacts that could result in a decline in the price of our common stock. You should also refer to the other information set forth in this Quarterly Report and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, including our financial statements and the related notes.

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We have a history of losses and we may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future, which may decrease the market value of our common stock.

We have incurred net losses in our last six fiscal years. We cannot assure you that we will become profitable in the foreseeable future, if ever. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may experience significant fluctuations in our revenues and we may incur net losses from period to period as a result of a number of factors, including but not limited to the following:

In addition, we incur significant costs developing and marketing products based on new technologies and, in order to increase our market share, we may sell our products at profit margins below those we ultimately expect to achieve and/or we may significantly reduce the prices of our products and services in a particular quarter or quarters. Presently, we have made a strategic decision to accept certain orders to sell products to a limited number of customers at prices below our manufacturing costs. The impact of the foregoing may cause our operating results to be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors, which may result in a decrease in the market value of our common stock.

Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly and are not a good indicator of future performance.

Our quarterly operating results have fluctuated significantly in the past and may vary significantly in the future as a result of a number of factors, many of which are out of our control. These factors include:

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As a result of these and other factors, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our historical results of operations are not a good predictor of our future performance. If our future operating results are below the expectations of stock market securities analysts or investors, our stock price will likely decline.

We may not be able to continue development of our products or market our products successfully, and thus may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability in the future.

Historically, we relied in part upon government contracts relating to our defense contracting business to fund our research and development, and we have derived a significant portion of our revenues from the government sector. In March 2001, we sold our defense contracting business and we now generate the majority of our revenue from developing, manufacturing and marketing commercial products, many of which have been developed since 2000. If we are unable to continue to develop or to market our products successfully, we may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future.

We have introduced in recent years many of our products into commercial markets and, upon such introductions, we also must demonstrate our capabilities as a reliable supplier of these products. Some of our products are alternatives to established products or provide capabilities that do not presently exist in the marketplace. Our products are sold in highly competitive and rapidly changing markets. The success of our products is significantly affected by their cost, technology standards, performance and reliability and end-user preferences. In addition, the success of our products depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:

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We may not be able to obtain sufficient capital to meet potential customer demand or corporate needs, which could require us to change our business strategy and result in decreased profitability and a loss of customers.

We believe that in the future we will need a substantial amount of additional capital for a number of purposes, including the following:

There can be no assurance that any necessary additional financing will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If adequate funds are not available, we may be required to change or delay our planned growth, which could result in decreased revenues, profits and a loss of customers.

We have a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. At this time approximately $5.5 million of it remains available to us for raising

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capital. If additional shares are issued under the shelf registration statement immediate dilution of our current stockholders may occur.

We may experience difficulty manufacturing our products, which would prevent us from achieving increased sales and market share.

We may experience difficulty in manufacturing our products in increased quantities, outsourcing the manufacturing of our products and improving our manufacturing processes. If we are unable to manufacture our products in increased quantities, or if we are unable to outsource the manufacturing of our products or improve our manufacturing processes, we may be unable to increase sales and market share for our products and could also lose existing customers. We have limited experience in manufacturing our products in high volume and, therefore, it may be difficult for us to achieve the following results:

It may also be difficult for us to solve management, technological, engineering and other problems which may arise in connection with our manufacturing processes. These problems may include production volumes and yields, quality assurance, adequate and timely supply of high quality materials and components and shortages of qualified management and other personnel. In addition, we may elect to have some of our products manufactured by third parties. If we outsource the manufacture of our products, we will face risks with respect to quality assurance, cost and the absence of close engineering support.

Our large cell ultracapacitors designed for transportation and industrial applications may not gain widespread commercial acceptance, which will adversely impact our revenues and growth opportunities, and our overall business prospects.

We have designed our large cell ultracapacitor products primarily for use in transportation and industrial applications. Currently, most of the major automotive companies are pursuing initiatives to develop alternative power sources for cars and trucks for hybrid drive train power and to augment the current 12-volt electrical system. We believe our ultracapacitors provide an innovative alternative power solution for both of these applications, and we are currently in discussions with several major automotive companies and their suppliers with regard to designing our ultracapacitors into their future products. However, the historic per unit cost of ultracapacitors has prevented ultracapacitors from gaining widespread commercial acceptance. In addition, there are other competing technologies such as advanced batteries, compressed gas and hydrolytic fluids and competing ultracapacitors. We believe that the long-term success of our ultracapacitors will be determined by our ability to reduce the cost of production, outperform the competing technologies and to have our ultracapacitors widely designed into the next generation of the power drive trains in hybrid powered cars and trucks and the first generation of up rated 12 and 42-volt electrical systems. If our ultracapacitors fail to achieve widespread commercial acceptance in this next generation of automotive products, our revenues and growth

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opportunities will be adversely impacted in future periods and our overall business prospects will be significantly impaired.

We may be unable to produce our large cell ultracapacitors in commercial quantities or reduce the cost of production enough to be commercially viable for widespread application, which will adversely impact our revenues and growth opportunities, and our overall business prospects.

If we are not able to produce large quantities of our large cell ultracapacitors in the near future at the currently projected per unit cost, our large cell ultracapacitors may not be a commercially viable alternative to traditional or other alternative energy storage and power delivery devices. Although we have been selling a BOOSTCAP^® large cell ultracapacitor designed for transportation and industrial applications, we have only produced this ultracapacitor in limited quantities and at a relatively high cost as compared with traditional energy storage and power delivery devices. We are currently investing significant resources in improving the cell design for higher performance at lower cost and in automating and scaling up our manufacturing capacity to permit us to produce ultracapacitors in commercial quantities sufficient to meet the needs of our potential customers. Furthermore, we believe, based on discussions with potential customers in the automotive and transportation industry, that our ultracapacitors will not provide a commercially viable solution for our customers’ needs unless we are able to reduce the per unit cost dramatically below our current per unit cost. If we are not successful in the near future in reducing our cost of production and establishing the capability to produce large quantities of ultracapacitors at a reduced cost, we may not be able to generate commercial acceptance of, and sufficient revenue from, this product to recover our significant investment in the development and manufacturing scale-up of this product and our overall business prospects will be significantly impaired.

Our product lines may be subject to increased or intense competition, and this may adversely affect our ability to maintain our gross margins. If our competitors develop and commercialize products faster than we do, or commercialize products that are superior to our products, our commercial opportunities will be reduced or eliminated.

The extent to which any of our products achieve market acceptance will depend on competitive factors, many of which are beyond our control. Competition in our markets is intense and has been accentuated by the rapid pace of technological development. Our competitors include large fully-integrated electronics companies. We may not be able to develop, fund or invest in one or more of our product lines to the same degree as our competitors do, or we may not be able to do so in a timely manner or at all. Many of these entities have substantially greater research and development capabilities and financial, manufacturing, technological, marketing and sales resources than we do, as well as more experience in research and development, product testing, manufacturing, marketing and sales. These organizations also compete with us to:

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Our competitors may succeed in developing and commercializing products earlier than we do. Our competitors may also develop products or technologies that are superior to those we are developing, and render our product candidates or technology obsolete or non-competitive. If we cannot successfully compete with new or existing products, our sales and revenue would suffer and we may not ever become profitable.

If our OEM customers fail to purchase our components or to sell sufficient quantities of their products incorporating our components, or if our OEM customers’ sales timing and volume fluctuates, it could prevent us from achieving our sales and market share goals.

Sales to a relatively small number of OEM customers, as opposed to direct retail sales to customers, make up a large portion of our revenues. For example, one customer, ABB Ltd., provided 24% and 21% of our revenue in the first quarter of 2005 and 2004, respectively. Our ability to make sales to OEM customers depends on our ability to compete effectively, primarily on price, delivery and quality. The timing and volume of these sales depend upon the sales levels and shipping schedules for the products of our OEM customers. Thus, even if we develop a successful component, our sales will not increase unless the product into which our component is incorporated is successful. If our OEM customers fail to sell a sufficient quantity of products incorporating our components, or if the OEM customers’ sales timing and volume fluctuate, it could prevent us from achieving our sales targets and negatively impact our market share. Our OEM customers typically require a long development and engineering process before incorporating our products and services into their systems and products. This period of time is in addition to the time we spend on basic research and product development. As a result, we are vulnerable to changes in technology or end user preferences.

Our opportunity to sell our products to our OEM customers typically occurs at infrequent intervals, depending on when the OEM customer designs a new product or enhances an existing one. If we are not aware of an OEM’s product development schedule, or if we cannot provide components or technologies when they develop their products, we may miss a sales opportunity that may not reappear for some time.

We might be faced with product liability or warranty claims, either directly or indirectly through our customers, and we have limited historical experience with some of our products as to our potential liability.

We offer our customers a warranty for our products. Any defects that may occur in our products could, in turn, lead to defects in our customers’ products that incorporate our products. The occurrence of defects in our products could give rise to warranty claims against us or to liability for damages caused by such defects to our customers or to the customers of our customers. Such defects could also lead to liability for consequential damages, or product liability claims. Defects in our products could, moreover, impair the market’s acceptance of our products. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. We have limited historical experience with some of our products in evaluating the potential liability that could be created by claims under our warranty. If the claims made under such warranty exceed expected levels against which we have reserved, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

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Unfavorable economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad may adversely affect our OEM customers and prevent us from achieving sales growth.

Many of our new products are components designed to be integrated into new products and systems to be introduced to the marketplace by our OEM customers. Unfavorable economic conditions in 2003 and 2004, for example, slowed capital spending on U.S. electric utility infrastructure and delayed the introduction of certain new products by our OEM customers. A repeat of such unfavorable economic conditions may adversely affect our ability to market and sell our new products in the future.

A prolonged economic downturn could materially harm our business.

Any negative trends in the general economy, including trends resulting from actual or threatened military action by the United States and threats of terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad, could cause a decrease in capital spending in many of the markets we serve. In particular, a downward cycle affecting the technology, automotive and industrial, and military and aerospace markets would likely result in a reduction in demand for our products. In addition, if our customers’ own markets and financial performance decline, we may not be able to collect outstanding amounts due to us. Any of these circumstances could harm our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property adequately, we could lose our competitive advantage in the industry segments in which we do business.

Our success depends on establishing and protecting our intellectual property rights. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property adequately, we could lose our competitive advantage in the industry segments in which we do business. Although we try to protect our intellectual property rights through patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other measures, these steps may not prevent infringement, misappropriation or other misuse by third parties. We have taken steps to protect our intellectual property rights under the laws of certain foreign countries, but our efforts may not be effective to the extent that foreign laws are not as protective as the laws of the U.S. In addition, we face the possibility that third parties might “reverse engineer” our products to discover how they work and introduce competing products, or that third parties might independently develop products and intellectual property similar to ours.

We have increased our emphasis on protecting our technologies and products through patents. Our success depends on maintaining our patents, adding to them where appropriate, and developing products and applications without infringing the patent and proprietary rights of others. The following risks, among others, are involved in protecting our patents:

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If our patents are invalidated or if it is determined that we, or the licensor of the patent, do not hold sole rights to the patent, we could lose our competitive advantage in the industry segments in which we do business.

Competing research and patent activity in our product areas is substantial. Conflicting patent and other proprietary rights claims may result in disputes or litigation. Although we do not believe that our products or proprietary rights infringe on third party rights, infringement claims could be asserted against us in the future. Also, we may not be able to stop a third party product from infringing on our proprietary rights without litigation. If we are subject to such claims, or if we are forced to bring such claims, we could face time-consuming, costly litigation that may result in product shipment delays and possible damage payments or injunctions that could prevent us from making, using or selling infringing products. We may also be required to enter into royalty or licensing agreements on unfavorable terms as part of a judgment or settlement which could have a negative impact on the amount of revenue derived from our products or proprietary rights.

We may have difficulty in protecting our intellectual property rights in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

YEC is licensed to use our patented ultracapacitor technology to manufacture and market unltracapacitor products in the PRC. Patent and other intellectual property rights receive substantially less protections in the PRC than is available in the United States. We cannot assure you that we will be able to protect our proprietary rights in the PRC or elsewhere. The unauthorized use of our technology by others, particularly in the PRC where labor costs are low, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.

Our ability to adequately license our technology may affect our success.

Our growth and success will be dependent to a substantial extent on our reputation. Since we anticipate licensing our technology to others, our reputation may be affected by the performance of the companies to which we license our technology. Our licenses may grant exclusivity with respect to certain uses or geographic areas. For example, we granted an exclusive license to YEC to manufacture and sell our BOOSTCAP^® products in China and to sell to other mutually agreed customers elsewhere in Asia. As a result, we will be wholly dependent on the success of the licensee for success with respect to any exclusive use or geographical area. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in granting our licenses to those who are likely to succeed. In addition, license agreements with foreign companies may be subject to additional risks, such as exchange rate fluctuations, political instability or weaknesses in the local economy. Certain provisions of the license agreements that benefit us may be subject to restrictions in foreign laws that limit our ability to enforce those contractual provisions. In addition, it may be more difficult to register and protect our proprietary rights in certain foreign countries. Our failure to obtain suitable licensees of our technology or the failure of our licensees to achieve our manufacturing or quality control standards or otherwise meet our expectations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our ability to enter into successful alliances or other strategic arrangements may affect our success.

Our alliance with YEC is with a foreign partner and we anticipate that future alliances may be with foreign partners or entities. As a result, such future alliances may be subject to the political climate and economies of the foreign countries where such partners reside and operate. We cannot assure you that our alliance partners or other partners will provide us with the support we anticipate, that any of the alliances or other relationships will be successful in developing our technology for use with their intended products, or that any of the alliances or other relationships will be successful in manufacturing and marketing their technologies for such products once developed. Any of our international operations will also be subject to certain external business risks such as exchange rate fluctuations, political instability and a significant weakening of a local economy in which a foreign entity with which we have an affiliation operates or is located. Certain provisions of the alliance agreements that are for our benefit may be subject to restrictions in foreign laws that limit our ability to enforce those contractual provisions. Failure of these alliances to be successful could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.

We face risks associated with the marketing, distribution and sale of our products internationally and, if we are unable to manage these risks effectively, it could impair our ability to increase sales.

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from sales to customers located outside the U.S. We expect our international sales to continue to represent a significant and increasing portion of our future revenues. As a result, our business will continue to be subject to certain risks, such as foreign government regulations, export controls, changes in tax laws, tax treaties, tariffs and freight rates. If we are unable to manage these risks effectively, it could impair our ability to increase international sales.

We have substantial operations in Switzerland. Since we are relatively inexperienced in managing our international operations, we may be unable to effectively operate and expand our worldwide business and to manage cultural, language and legal differences inherent in international operations. In addition, to the extent we are unable to respond to political, economic and other conditions in these countries effectively, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Moreover, changes in the mix of income from our foreign subsidiaries, expiration of tax holidays and changes in tax laws and regulations could increase our tax rates.

International currency fluctuations could affect future reported product sales and operating expenses and harm or impact our ability to collect receivables or pay debts.

As a result of our international operations and related revenue generated outside of the U.S., the dollar amount of our revenue, expenses and debt may be materially affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

Assets or liabilities of our consolidated subsidiary that are not denominated in its functional currency are subject to effects of currency fluctuations, which may affect our reported earnings.

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A government audit of one of our businesses sold in 2001 could result in charges to our earnings and have a negative effect on our cash position. Further, a government audit of a contract entered into in 1995 by our Microelectronics business is in progress. We are unable to determine if additional audits of our current operating segments, divested businesses or discontinued operations will occur.

A contract, not assumed by the acquirers of our former defense contract business, entered into in 1990 and completed in the late 1990s is currently being audited by the Defense Department’s auditing services. We have submitted documentation supporting approximately $550,000 of costs charged to the contract. We believe that such costs were properly charged.

There can be no assurance that the Defense Department’s auditing services will accept the documentation submitted and that the matters will be resolved in our favor.

The Defense Department’s auditing service is auditing a contract entered into in 1995 and completed in 1999 by a company purchased by our Microelectronics group. The Company has requested a release of liability from the prime contractor. There is no assurance that such a release will be obtained and that the Company will not incur some liability.

Our credit agreements contain various restrictions and covenants that limit management’s discretion in the operation of our business and could limit our ability to grow and compete.

The credit agreements governing our bank credit facilities contain various provisions that limit our ability to:

These provisions restrict management’s ability to operate our business in accordance with management’s discretion and could limit our ability to grow and compete. Our credit agreements also require us to maintain our compliance with certain financial covenants and ratios. If we fail to comply with any of such financial covenants or ratios, or otherwise default under our credit agreements, the lenders under such agreements could:

In the event that amounts due under our credit agreements are declared immediately payable, we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make such accelerated payments.

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If we are unable to retain key personnel, we could lose our technological and competitive advantage in some product areas and business segments.

Since many of our products employ emerging technologies, our success depends upon the continued service of our key technical and senior management personnel. Some of our engineers are the key developers of our products and technologies and are recognized as leaders in their area of expertise. The loss of such engineers to our competitors could threaten our technological and competitive advantage in some product areas and business segments.

Our performance also depends on our ability to identify, hire, train, retain and motivate qualified personnel, especially key operations executives and highly skilled engineers. The industries in which we compete are characterized by a high level of employee mobility and aggressive recruiting of skilled personnel in a highly competitive employment market. Our employees may terminate their employment with us at any time.

Our ability to increase market share and sales depends on our ability to hire, train and retain qualified marketing and sales personnel.

Because many of our products are new, we have limited experience marketing and selling them. To sell our products, our marketing and sales personnel must demonstrate the advantages of our products over the products offered by our competitors, and we must be able to demonstrate the value of new technology in order to sell new products to existing and new customers. The highly technical nature of the products we offer requires that we attract and retain qualified marketing and sales personnel, and we may have difficulty doing that in a highly competitive employment market. Also, as part of our sales and marketing strategy, we enter into arrangements with distributors and sales representatives and depend upon their efforts to sell our products. Our arrangements with outside distributors and sales representatives may not be successful.

If we are unable to secure qualified and adequate sources for our materials, components and sub-assemblies, we may not be able to make our products at competitive costs and we may have difficulty meeting customer demand, which could damage our relationships with our customers.

Our ability to manufacture products depends in part on our ability to secure qualified and adequate sources of materials, components and sub-assemblies at prices that enable us to make our products at competitive costs. Some of our suppliers are currently the sole source of one or more items that we need to manufacture our products. Although we seek to reduce our dependence on sole and limited source suppliers, the partial or complete loss of these sources could have at least a temporary adverse effect on our business and results of operations, and damage customer relationships. Upon occasion, we have experienced difficulty in obtaining timely delivery of supplies from outside suppliers, which has adversely affected our delivery time to our customers. There can be no assurance that such supply problems will not recur.

Our backlog is limited and may not reflect future business activity.

Our order backlog for prior years includes businesses that were divested and therefore year-to-year comparisons are difficult to make. Additionally, our current backlog primarily represents orders for the next three months but does include some future orders and as a result, is not an indicator of future business activity. Due to the possibility of customer changes in delivery schedules, potential delays in product shipments, difficulties in obtaining parts from suppliers,

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production limitations and the possible inability to recognize revenue under accounting requirements, our backlog at any point in time may not be representative of sales in any future period.

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of system failures.

Despite the implementation of security measures, redundancy and backup our internal information technology networking systems are vulnerable to damages from computer viruses, unauthorized access, energy blackouts, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication failures. Additionally, from time to time, we install new or upgraded business management systems. To the extent such systems fail or are not properly implemented, we may experience material disruption to our business including our ability to report operating results on a timely basis.

Changes in financial accounting standards related to stock option expenses are expected to have a significant adverse effect on our reported results.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued a revised standard that requires that we record compensation expense in our statement of operations for employee stock options using the fair value method. The adoption of the new standard is expected to have a significant adverse effect on our reported earnings, although it will not affect our cash flows, and may adversely impact our ability in the future to provide accurate guidance on future financial results due to the variability of the factors used to establish the value of stock options.

Future changes in financial accounting standards or practices may cause adverse unexpected revenue or expense fluctuations and affect our reported results of operations.

A change in accounting standards or practices can have a significant effect on our reported results and may even affect our reporting of transactions completed before the change is effective. New accounting pronouncements and varying interpretations of accounting pronouncements have occurred and may occur in the future. Changes to existing rules or the questioning of current practices may adversely affect our reported financial results or the way we conduct business.

Compliance with changing regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure may result in additional expenses.

Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, new SEC regulations and NASDAQ National Market rules, are creating significant additional expenses and uncertainty for public companies. We are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and public disclosure. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, significantly increased general and administrative expenses and diversion of management time to such compliance activities. Our recent efforts to comply with section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the related regulations have required a significant effort of the company and its available resources, and resulted in significant cost to us.

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Anti-takeover provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could prevent certain transactions and could make a takeover more difficult.

Some provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of Maxwell, even if such change in control would be beneficial to our stockholders. We have a staggered board of directors, which means that our directors are divided into three classes. The directors in each class are elected to serve three-year terms. Since the three-year terms of each class overlap the terms of the other classes of directors, the entire board of directors cannot be replaced in any one year. Furthermore, our certificate of incorporation contains a “fair price provision” which may require a potential acquirer to obtain the consent of our board to any business combination involving Maxwell.

We have adopted a program under which our stockholders have rights to purchase our stock directly from us at a below-market price if a company or person attempts to buy us without negotiating with the board. This program is intended to encourage a buyer to negotiate with us, but may have the effect of discouraging offers from possible buyers.

The provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could delay, deter or prevent a merger, tender offer, or other business combination or change in control involving us that some, or a majority, of our stockholders might consider to be in their best interests. This includes offers or attempted takeovers that could result in our stockholders receiving a premium over the market price for their shares of our common stock.

Our common stock experiences limited trading volume and our stock price has been volatile.

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market. The trading volume of our common stock each day is relatively low. This means that sales or purchases of relatively small blocks of stock can have a significant impact on the price at which our stock is traded. We believe that factors such as quarterly fluctuations in financial results, announcements of new technologies impacting our products, announcements by competitors or changes in securities analysts’ recommendations could cause the price of our stock to fluctuate substantially. These fluctuations, as well as general economic conditions such as recessions or higher interest rates, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

We face exposure to financial market risks, including adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates and changes in interest rates. These exposures may change over time and could have a material adverse impact on our financial results. We have not entered into or invested in any instruments that are subject to market risk, except as follows:

Foreign Currency Risk

Our primary foreign currency exposure is related to our subsidiary in Switzerland. Maxwell SA has Euro and local currency (Swiss Franc) revenue and operating expenses as well

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as loans. Changes in these currency exchange rates impact the U.S. dollar amount of revenue, expenses and debt. We do not hedge our currency exposures.

Interest Rate Risk

At March 31, 2005, we had approximately $2.6 million or 3.15 million Swiss Franc denominated term debt, of which approximately $1.9 million is classified as long-term debt. The carrying value of these borrowings approximates fair value due to the short maturity dates of these instruments. We do not anticipate significant interest rate swings in the near future; however, the exchange loss or gain may significantly affect our balance sheet or statement of operations. A 10% increase in the interest rate on our debt would not have a material effect on our related interest expense.

We invest excess cash in debt instruments of the U.S. Government and its agencies, high-quality corporate issuers and money market accounts. The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve principal while maximizing yields without significantly increasing risk. Current policies do not allow the use of interest rate derivative instruments to manage exposure to interest rate changes. As of March 31, 2005, third parties manage approximately $8.0 million of the investment portfolio under guidelines approved by the Company’s Board of Directors. The balance of our cash is invested in money market accounts with banks. A 10% increase in the interest rate on our marketable securities would not have a material effect on our related interest income.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management, including Richard D. Balanson, our Chief Executive Officer, and David H. Russian, our Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report (the “Evaluation Date”). Based on this evaluation, they believe that:

Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

As discussed above, we have implemented improvements to our internal controls over financial reporting by increasing our internal accounting staff in both of our locations (San

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Diego, California and Rossens, Switzerland). There has not been any other change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our quarterly period ended March 31, 2005 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

The Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Controls can also be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is based in part on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with policies or procedures. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

From time to time we are involved in litigation arising out of our operations. We maintain liability insurance, including product liability coverage, in amounts we believe to be adequate. The Company’s subsidiary I-Bus/Phoenix, Inc. has been named as a defendant in a suit filed on March 4, 2004 in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Luis Obispo. This suit, Edmonds vs. I-Bus/Phoenix, Inc., was filed by the plaintiff on his behalf and alleges damages concerning the repurchase of I-Bus/Phoenix, Inc. shares. While the Company’s legal counsel cannot express an opinion on this matter, management believes that any liability of the Company that may arise out of or with respect to this matter will have no significant adverse effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

None.

None.

No matter was submitted to stockholders during the first quarter of 2005.

None.

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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 thereunto duly authorized.

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