Electric truck company Harbinger has announced details from its order book, which includes $400 million in customer vehicle orders for its electric medium-duty truck chassis, from Bimbo Bakeries USA, RV manufacturer THOR Industries, and more.

Harbinger made the announcement at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo.

What's in Harbinger's Order Book

Among the 4,000 binding vehicle pre-orders from customers is a multi-year order from Bimbo Bakeries USA, the U.S. business of Grupo Bimbo, the world’s largest baking company, and producer of brands including Sara Lee Bread, Thomas’ Bread, Entenmann's, and more.

Harbinger also received orders from THOR Industries, the world’s largest RV manufacturer, which includes companies like Airstream, Jayco, Tiffin and Thor Motor Coach.

Additionally, commercial vehicle dealers have placed orders. Those include two of Freightliner’s largest dealers: Doggett Equipment Services Group with 500 units, and Campbell Supply with 125 units.

Other dealers include:

• GATR Truck Center, 500 units

• ETHERO Truck + Energy, 200 units

• Electric Commercial Vehicles (ECV) — an affiliate of Smyrna Truck, 50 units

Postal service operator Mail Management Services has also placed an order for 40 units, among others. 

What the Chassis Will Be Used For

The majority of the vehicles in Harbinger's 4,000-unit order, including those for Bimbo Bakeries USA, are intended for upfit into step vans and are the typical large package delivery trucks seen on roads today, the company noted in a news release.

The others will be upfit into various vehicle types such as class A motorhomes, emergency vehicles, and cutaway cabs. Harbinger is working with body partner Sevna to upfit the chassis into cutaway cabs.

Harbinger's electric chassis is available in three different wheelbases, including 158 in., 178 in., and 208 in., and in four different gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs), ranging from class 4 through 6.

Other specifications include:

• 800V liquid cooled battery system, with capacity scalable in 35kWh increments up to a 200+ mile range, which serves 90% of truck use cases

• Designed for 20-year, 450,000-mile service life

• Segment-leading safety and driver assistance features

• One-hour DC fast charging capability

• Passenger vehicle-like handling and ride comfort

"Aligned with Grupo Bimbo's Purpose of Nourishing a Better World, Bimbo Bakeries USA has multiple carbon reduction strategies to meet their commitment of achieving Net-Zero emissions by 2050," Bimbo Bakeries USA Senior Director of Sustainability Christopher Wolfe said. "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."

Funding to Expand Manufacturing Capacity

The company also announced it closed an additional $13 million in Series A funds in Q4 of 2023 from venture and strategic investors, including additional funding from the Coca-Cola System Sustainability Fund, managed by Greycroft.

Previously, the company announced it had raised $60 million in Series A funds, bringing the new Series A total to $73 million and marking one of the largest Series A rounds for a hardware company.

Harbinger will use the additional funds to continue expanding its manufacturing capacity and launch its commercial start of production in Q4 of 2024. 

“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,” Harbinger CEO John Harris said. “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. Today, most manufacturers are adapting gasoline or diesel vehicles to electrification, rather than building a ground-up electric platform. This compromised approach leads to concerns with vehicle safety and durability as well as higher production costs, which is why we chose to start fresh with a clean sheet design.”

Part of Harbinger's strategy is to build a network to support the launch of its electric medium-duty trucks, including a nationwide network of service providers, charging and infrastructure development partners, and premier dealers.

The company's premier dealer network, which already serves 78% of the population in the U.S. and Canada and continues to expand, includes the following among others:

• Campbell Supply

• Doggett Equipment Services Group

• EBY Ford

• ETHERO Truck + Energy

• EV Choice

• GATR EV, a division of GATR Truck Center

• Hendrickson Fire

• Electric Commercial Vehicles (ECV), an affiliate of Smyrna Truck

• Safetek Specialty Vehicles (Canada)

"Demand outstrips supply for the entire medium-duty category as we have a multi-year backlog for electric, diesel and gasoline vehicles," Campbell Supply Owner Scott Campbell said. "Electric vehicles have a big place in the market and that segment is only going to continue to grow. Harbinger's electric trucks are a true industry changer. They offer superior acquisition and operating costs, enhanced safety features, and a driver-friendly design, all while delivering zero tailpipe emissions."

The company has already produced and delivered a limited number of pre-production vehicles to key customers, including the first customer delivery to THOR in March of this year. Harbinger will begin producing and delivering its first production vehicles starting at the end of 2024.