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Harbinger Motors Inc. says it’s started production of its electric vehicles in Garden Grove and had already manufactured more than 100 of them for customers as of early this month.
Harbinger has become one of the major electric vehicle manufacturers in Orange County. The much larger Rivian Automotive has its headquarters in Irvine but production elsewhere.
The first customers for the new vehicles include Indiana-based Thor Industries, a maker of recreational vehicles, and Virginia-based EtheroTruck + Energy.
Harbinger, founded in 2021, emphasizes its American approach to manufacturing as President Donald Trump plans to encourage domestic production.
It makes stripped chassis—the supporting frame and motor of the vehicle—to be custom-outfitted into delivery vans and other medium-duty electric trucks.
Highlighting Production Milestone
“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,” Harbinger co-founder and CEO John Harris said in a statement on April 8.
The electric vehicle platform, also known as a stripped chassis, is the basic platform used by all four-wheel vehicles.
The Harbinger chassis includes all major vehicle systems, including the electric drivetrain, high voltage, battery system, steering and brakes.
It is designed specifically for medium-duty vehicles, such as walk-in vans, box trucks, recreational vehicles, delivery vans, emergency and disaster response vehicles.
“This built in America approach ensures higher quality, greater durability, and a safer alternative to retrofitted combustion-engine platforms, while also supporting domestic manufacturing and job creation,” the company says.
Once Harbinger assembles its electric stripped chassis, a dealer or customer works with a third party to match the chassis with a commercial or specialty body, which is the standard practice in the medium-duty industry.
4,690 Orders; $500M Value
The company also recently announced an order book of 4,690 vehicle orders, valued at approximately $500 million, and a $100 million Series B 1 funding round, which will help the company scale up beyond the start of production.
Thor Industries (NYSE: THO), which has a market cap around $4 billion, is one of the investors in Harbinger Motors.
The company had more than doubled its employee headcount to 300 as of February.
To support its continued growth, Harbinger aims to hire an additional 100 employees in 2025.
Last month the company signed a lease for almost 32,000 square feet of space in a warehouse building close to its current location in Garden Grove, according to CoStar industry data. n Reporter Parimal M. Rohit contributed to this report.