FedEx Places First Order for Harbinger EV Chassis
California Chassis Maker Raises $160 Million in Funding
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Garden Grove-basedHarbinger Motors Inc., a medium-sized EV cargo truck chassis maker, has raised $160 million to fuel the next stages of its growth with orders from new customer FedEx.
“It’s their first order with us,” said Harbinger CEOJohn Harris, in an interview Nov. 13 with theSouthern California News Group. “Among delivery vehicles in general, not just FedEx, it’s one of the largest orders.”
FedEx spokeswomanSavannah Haegersaid the order for Harbinger chassis represents the first time the shipping company has paired an order in the medium-sized EV chassis space with an investment in the EV truck maker.
Haeger said this isn’t the only buy of EV delivery trucks for FedEx in this niche. In a separate deal announced inMay 2024, FedEx made the largest purchase of medium-sized EV delivery trucks — which haul up to 26,000 pounds of cargo — fromMichigan-basedShyft Group Inc. That’s when FedEx boughtan initial order of 150 Blue Arc trucksat an undisclosed price.
Today we announced a major milestone for and the electric vehicle industry. has co-led our $155 million Series C investment round and placed an initial order of 53 electric trucks.
We are driving the next generation of medium-duty electric vehicles with a… — Harbinger (@harbingermotors)
Shyftis not connected with Harbinger chassis.
The privately held Harbinger said it received the $160 million investment from a group co-led byFedEx,Capricorn, an investment firm backing companies in electrification, and recreational vehicle makerThor IndustriesinElkhart, Ind.
The latest funding round brings to more than $358 million that Harbinger has raised from financial backers since its inception in 2021, Harris said.
READ MORE:Harbinger Introduces Electric-Gas Hybrid Model
As part of the funding announcement, FedEx placed an order for 53 electric delivery truck chassis — which look like FedEx andUPSdelivery trucks when customized — that will be delivered by the end of the year.
“Traditionally, the biggest fleets in theU.S.haven’t placed any big orders into electrification. There’s been a lot of people placing orders for two trucks, and four trucks and six trucks,” Harris said. “The nice thing about an order of two trucks is you can park them in front of the building and take a picture and talk about how you’re buying electric trucks, but it doesn’t actually make a difference.”
Harbinger CEO John Harris amid EV truck batteries at the plant in Garden Grove, Calif. (Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG/TNS)
The EV truck market has seen a shakeout this year as tax credits for buying electric-based chassis have disappeared. Harris noted he’s actually seen a pickup in interest from the transportation market to buy Harbinger’s EV chassis as rivals have pulled back.
For instance, e-commerce giant Amazon had been testing General Motors’ BrightDrop electric vans as part of its plan to bring 100,0000 electric delivery vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. But last month,GMofficially pulled the plug its electric vans.
“We don’t view the BrightDrop vehicle as a competitor to us,” Harris said. “We felt that way before they discontinued it.”
Amazon, which has owned a 16% stake inIrvine-based EV makerRiviansince 2021, began adding custom-built electric delivery vans from the startup automaker in mid-2022.
In addition to the30,000 electric delivery vans that Amazonhas placed in its fleet as part of its larger commitment to have 100,000 on the road by 2030,Rivianannounced plans last month to add50 EV vehicles to Amazon’s fleet inCanada,according toRivianspokeswomanGenevieve Grdina.
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Amazon.com Inc. ranks No. 1on theTransport Topics Top 100 list of the largest logistics companiesin North America, No. 15 on theTT Top 100 list of the largest private carriersand No. 1 on theTop 50 global freight list.
Others who have downsized their operations over the past year have included financially strugglingBrea-basedMullen Automotive Inc., andNew Jersey-basedCenntro Inc., which last year opened a large plant inOntariowhere it planned to assemble drayage trucks and cargo vans.
InJanuary 2025,Harbinger said that it wanted to build up production capacity at itsKnott Avenueplant to meet demand for a flurry of chassis orders and expand its sales and parts and service operations for the nationwide rollout of its EV chassis. At the time, Harbinger said it employed about 250 people.
In the past year, Harbinger has added another 150 workers, and now has plans both “inside and outside of California” to add more plant capacity to accommodate its growth, according to Harris. “We’ve got lots of potential expansion projects in the works.”
Harbinger, which moved its headquarters fromGardenainJuly 2024, previously received vehicle orders from buyers like bread delivery companyBimbo Bakeries USA, theNebraska-based postal service operatorMail Management Services Inc., and Thor.
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The EV truck maker was co-founded in 2021 by Harris, who previously worked atCosta Mesa-based defense technology companyAnduril Industries Inc.and EV startupsFaraday FutureofGardenaand Xos Trucks in northeastLos Angeles.
Co-founders includePhillip Weicker, who serves as Harbinger’s chief technology officer and who formerly had key roles withSan Jose-based lithium battery developerQuantumScapeandTorrance-based EV carmaker Canoo; andWill Eberts, chief operating officer who worked with Harris atFaraday Futureand with Weicker at Canoo.
