EV Startup Harbinger Snags $400M in Commercial Vehicle Chassis Orders

Among companies ordering electric vehicle chassis from Harbinger is Bimbo Bakeries USA, the U.S. business unit of Grupo Bimbo BMBOY, the world's largest baking company. Harbinger also received an order from Thor Industries THO, one of the world's largest recreational vehicle manufacturers, the company said.

"While other new entrants struggle to fill their order pipelines, we have extensive pre-orders and backed-up demand for our medium-duty electric vehicles" John Harris, Harbinger's CEO, said in a news release. "We are laser focused on the medium-duty vehicle segment, where there is a huge variety of vehicles built on chassis like ours including walk-in vans, box trucks, recreational vehicles, delivery vans, school buses, emergency and disaster response vehicles and more."

Harbinger also announced it had closed an additional $13 million in Series A funds in the fourth quarter of 2023 from venture and strategic investors, including additional funding from the Coca-Cola System Sustainability Fund, managed by Greycroft.

Previously, Harbinger announced it had raised $60 million in Series A funds, bringing the Series A total to $73 million. The electric chassis maker will use the additional funds to continue expanding its manufacturing capacity and launch commercial production by the end of the year.

Harbinger, founded in 2021, aims to disrupt and electrify the medium-duty commercial vehicle market in the Class 4 to 6 range.

The company has its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Garden Grove, California, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. Harbinger currently employs 120 people.

Harbinger assembles its electric vehicle stripped chassis, then sells them to a dealer or specialty upfitter, or directly to customers. From there, the dealer or customer works with a third party to upfit the chassis with a commercial or specialty body.

Harbinger's electric chassis includes an 800-volt liquid-cooled battery system, with capacity scalable in 35-kilowatt-hour increments up to 200 miles of range. The battery packs are designed for one-hour direct current fast-charging capability.

The majority of the vehicles in Harbinger's 4,000-unit order, including those for Bimbo Bakeries USA, are intended for upfit into walk-in vans.

"Partnering with Harbinger to expand our robust fleet of alternatively fueled vehicles is an important step in reducing our carbon emissions and dependencies on fossil fuels" Christopher Wolfe, Bimbo Bakeries USA's senior director of sustainability, said in a statement.

Thor Industries and Bimbo Bakeries USA are not disclosing the number of chassis they have ordered, but "Bimbo has placed a substantial multi-year order" a spokesperson for Harbinger said.

Other firms making orders include Doggett Equipment Services Group (500 units); Campbell Supply (125 units); GATR Truck Center (500 units); Ethero Truck + Energy (200 units); Electric Commercial Vehicles (ECV), an affiliate of Smyrna Truck (50 units); and postal service operator Mail Management Services (40 units). 

Officials for Campbell Supply said they have a backlog of orders for medium-duty vehicles. Iowa Falls, Iowa-based Campbell Supply is a commercial and emergency vehicle dealership serving the northeastern U.S. The company is one of Freightliner's largest dealers.

"Demand outstrips supply for the entire medium-duty category as we have a multi-year backlog for electric, diesel and gasoline vehicles" Scott Campbell, owner of Campbell Supply, said in a statement. "Electric vehicles have a big place in the market and that segment is only going to continue to grow."

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