Harbinger Begins Production of Medium-Duty EV Chassis in California

Electric vehicle startup Harbinger has commenced production of its medium-duty EV platform chassis at a new facility in Garden Grove, California, and has so far manufactured more than 100 units for commercial and specialty vehicle customers, the company said on Wednesday.

The chassis, designed for use in applications such as walk-in vans, box trucks, emergency vehicles, and recreational vehicles (RVs), integrates a modular electric drivetrain, steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems, as well as a scalable battery system capable of reaching up to 800 volts DC. Harbinger said it is the only U.S. truck manufacturer currently building its own drivetrain in-house.

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“Completing production of 100 chassis is an important achievement for Harbinger,” said CEO and co-founder John Harris. “We chose to announce the start of production only after reaching this milestone to highlight that we are producing vehicles at a volume and scale that is truly impactful for our customers and the industry.”

The platform supports front gross axle weight ratings (GAWR) from 3.2 to 4.08 tonnes and rear GAWR between 4.99 and 7.9 tonnes. The system uses forged steel for the suspension and frame and includes a liquid-cooled, oil-lubricated drive unit designed to last up to 450,000 miles. It delivers 330 kW of power and up to 18,100 Nm of torque from a 14-pole motor.

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Once assembled by Harbinger, the platform chassis is delivered to third-party partners for the installation of various vehicle bodies. Customers include RV giant Thor Industries, truck dealer Bruckner’s Truck, and zero-emission fleet specialist ETHERO Truck + Energy.

“From the moment Harbinger was founded, we took a deliberate approach to building a scalable production foundation,” said Chief Production Officer Gilbert Passin. “A lot of the experience that helped shape Harbinger’s manufacturing processes came from the experience our team brought from other EV manufacturers and automotive brands. We learned what didn’t work elsewhere, and we adopted what worked best.”

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Harbinger reported an order backlog of 4,690 vehicles, valued at approximately $500 million. The company plans to ramp up volume production and expand staffing to meet demand.