Are you planning to buy or sell a used electric vehicle? Ever aims to answer this question with its own platform, positioned as an AI-native full-service auto dealer for electric vehicles. The platform has already attracted thousands of customers who conduct transactions through the service.
The company announced a Series A round of $31 million led by Eclipse. Co-investors included Ibex Investors, Lifeline Ventures, and JIMCO – the investment arm of the Saudi Jameel family, which had previously invested in Rivian.
Over the past decade, Carvana and CarMax have made the digital car-buying experience commonplace. Today, many startups are trying to improve this process with artificial intelligence: voice assistants, smarter planning. Jiten Behl of Eclipse believes this is the wrong path to real modernization of auto retail.
«These bolt-on AI tools are simply first-aid aids, not true transformation.»
How Ever Approaches Auto Retail with AI
The company’s core technology is the orchestration layer or an “operating system” that can handle various workflow processes across a transaction: from gathering data from a potential buyer or seller to managing inventory.
“During valuation, documentation and titling everything is deterministic: what steps should come next,” explained Nyberg. He added that there are numerous “one-line” tools currently used by retailers, but their integration is inefficient, and it is agent AI that allows creating a single experience for the customer and eliminating micro-efforts.
«There are hundreds or thousands of different actions that a seller and buyer must perform to complete the transaction; both sides face major difficulties.»
Ever applies this approach to both its online platform and its physical locations. A combination of online appraisals with the ability to see the car live offline is considered important for many buyers, especially those considering EVs for the first time.
Initial feedback on Ever’s product was mixed. Some users noted the advantages of a streamlined EV-purchasing process, others pointed to difficulties communicating with the startup team. Nyberg noted that this was a learning curve, and the team is working to ensure the system is flexible enough to achieve its goals.
Behl noted that the US EV market generally experiences cooling demand. He does not rule out the possibility of eventually expanding to used internal-combustion-engine vehicles, but for now the focus is on EVs due to the lack of a single specialized retailer for these cars.
«I wish Rivian would do this.»
According to Behl, big players in the market, such as Carvana, still hold a modest share of the car retail market. This is what allows Ever to see significant growth potential through a more “digital” car buying and selling experience that removes most barriers for both sides.
Behl sums up: customers will increasingly choose a better car-buying experience – a digital customer journey that reduces the high barriers to buying and selling cars.
