**Nevoya Takes Aim at the EV Truck Adoption Logjam in Los Angeles**

In the glitzy sprawl of Los Angeles, where dreams of electric vehicles clash with the gritty reality of pollution-spewing diesel trucks, a new startup is poised to shake things up. Meet Nevoya, a company that’s betting big on the electric truck market, claiming it’s the “best place in the country” for such a venture. Founder Sami Khan, in a recent chat with TechCrunch, waxed lyrical about the “strongest incentives” and the “huge market” in the area. Who could argue with that kind of enthusiasm?

Khan’s optimism isn’t unfounded; Nevoya is already rolling out electric trucks to carry goods for Fortune 500 companies—names he conveniently declined to mention, perhaps to keep us guessing. They’ve just raised $3 million in a seed round led by Third Sphere and RedBlue Capital, with a gaggle of other investors like Necessary Ventures and Ciri Ventures tagging along. Not too shabby for a startup that’s still getting its wheels on the ground.

So what’s the secret sauce? Nevoya is branding itself as the “first zero-emissions technology and trucking platform” in the U.S. That’s right, they’re not just dipping a toe into the electric truck waters; they’re diving in headfirst with a fleet of Freightliner eCascadias. And to keep their prices lower than diesel (because who doesn’t love a bargain?), they’re leveraging AI to optimize everything from usage to routing to charging. Because, you know, why not throw some fancy tech into the mix?

Khan isn’t flying solo in this venture. He’s joined by co-founders john Verdon, a former business development wizard at Waymo, and tom Atwood, who previously built a predictive analytics startup that was snapped up by supply chain company Project44. With such a power trio at the helm, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of hope for Nevoya’s future.

The funding they just secured will go toward expanding operations, but don’t expect them to buy trucks outright. Khan’s strategy involves financing those purchases with debt—an approach he’s apparently quite comfortable with thanks to his private equity background. He believes this tactic makes Nevoya a more enticing investment in a climate where hard tech is still considered a bit risky.

After kissing what he described as “a lot of frogs” in search of investors, Khan and his team finally struck gold with RedBlue, helmed by Olaf Sakkers, who, fun fact, is a former partner at the transportation startup fund Maniv Mobility. Talk about finding the right match!

So, as Los Angeles grapples with its diesel-drenched logistics, Nevoya’s entry into the electric trucking arena could signal a shift. Will they be the catalyst that finally breaks the adoption logjam? Only time will tell, but for now, they’re definitely driving the conversation forward—one electric mile at a time.
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Sindujaa D N

22/10/2024 06:19 AM