With AI-powered logistics and national expansion plans, the startup is gaining traction with Fortune 500s and hitting key industry benchmarks
Achieving the EV Trucking Holy Grail
Nevoya, a Los Angeles-based startup, has closed a $9.3 million seed round after proving it can operate an all-electric trucking fleet at cost parity with diesel — a milestone few in the industry have reached.
- The company now delivers freight for 10 Fortune 500 firms in California.
- Its electric trucks match diesel costs without subsidies, even amid a politically turbulent climate for green tech.
- The key? A hyper-efficient business model powered by artificial intelligence.
How Nevoya Works
Instead of building trucks, Nevoya purchases electric trucks and leases them to customers or uses them as a carrier itself.
Founder Sami Khan says the startup is operating “a faster, leaner, and better carrier business” than traditional players by leveraging AI at nearly every layer:
- Route optimization and load balancing for maximum efficiency
- Battery management and charging schedule automation
- Semi-automated dispatch operations, reducing human error and accelerating decision-making
“We came to the conclusion that 90% of what was going on could be automated or semi-automated,” Khan said of their early analysis of trucking operations.
From Conservative Funding to Oversubscribed Round
Nevoya initially considered a modest internal raise — until Lowercarbon Capital’s Shawn Xu stepped in. Xu had been following the company closely and decided to lead the round after watching Nevoya prove its core thesis.
- Other backers include Floating Point, LMNT Ventures, and existing investors like Third Sphere and Stepchange.
- Qasar Younis, CEO of Applied Intuition, also joined as an angel investor — a nod to Nevoya’s long-term alignment with autonomous logistics.
Xu, once skeptical, became convinced after seeing Nevoya achieve cost parity in California:
“They’re getting lower cost per mile. They’re getting lower maintenance costs. The AI orchestration is starting to bear fruit.”
Expanding Into Texas
With new capital in hand, Nevoya is expanding into Texas, already running routes in Houston and Dallas.
Challenges remain:
- Less EV charging infrastructure in Texas means Nevoya must be creative — using overnight school bus depots or passenger EV stations as interim solutions.
- Long-term plans include dedicated infrastructure builds, but the current workaround keeps capital costs low and momentum high.
To scale efficiently, Nevoya is adopting a general manager model, similar to Uber’s early playbook. Each region is run like a startup-within-a-startup, driving local innovation and accountability.
What’s Next
This raise will allow Nevoya to:
- Grow its national footprint beyond California and Texas
- Deepen its AI capabilities across routing, fleet health, and battery usage
- Move closer to future integration with autonomous tech ecosystems
Most critically, the company is proving to major brands that sustainability doesn’t require a cost premium.
“A business like this must exist,” Xu said. “And now we’re off to the races.”
