ANAHEIM, California—While hybrid powertrain technology has taken off in the automotive sector, it hasn’t found a place in trucking. But medium-duty truck chassis start-up Harbinger believes it can change that.
“Electrification isn’t a single solution, it’s a spectrum,” John Harris, co-founder and chief executive of Harbinger, said while on one of his chassis here at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.
Founded just four years ago, the company has introduced a new medium-duty plug-in hybrid vehicle featuring a gas-powered range extender that charges the battery, allowing for significantly longer range between charges.
See also: EV startup Harbinger CEO believes his trucks can beat out legacy OEMs
“You get the same electric performance, instant torque, smooth handling—but with the benefit of up to 500 miles of range to give you the confidence to go farther,” Harris said during an April 28 media presentation. “With this kind of range, we’re extending electrification to a whole new array of use cases—from delivery vehicles on multi-shift schedules to cross-country trips and middle-mile distribution.”
Harbinger’s series hybrid vehicle is currently available for customer pre-orders. It plans to begin deliveries to fleets in 2026.
“There are some fleets whose needs simply can’t be met with a purely electric vehicle—and we recognize that,” Harris said before ACT Expo. “Our hybrid is designed for use cases and routes that go beyond what an all-electric system typically supports. The series hybrid delivers the benefits of an electric drivetrain, along with the added confidence of a range extender when needed.”
About the Harbinger hybrid work truck
The plug-in hybrid platform features a low-emissions 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine, with a close-coupled 800V generator and a 50-gallon fuel tank.
The range extender engine is used to recharge the vehicle’s 140 or 175 kWh battery system, depending on customer selection. Harbinger’s electric powertrain delivers up to 1,140 lb.-ft. of torque and 440 hp. The platform’s 800V electrical architecture enables rapid charging at DC Fast Charger locations, achieving up to 80% charge in just one hour.
Harbinger’s platform, also known as a stripped chassis, was developed for medium-duty vehicles, including delivery vans, box trucks, recreational vehicles, and emergency and disaster response vehicles, as well as a wide range of additional applications. The chassis features all major vehicle systems, including the electric drivetrain, range-extending engine, high-voltage battery system, steering, brakes, and numerous additional key components and features.
Harbinger designs, engineers, and assembles the chassis and its components at its manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, California, which, according to its leaders, helps it avoid tariffs. Once assembled, Harbinger’s chassis is delivered to dealers or customers who work with a third party to upfit the chassis with a commercial or specialty body, as is standard in the medium-duty vehicle industry.
Harbinger partners with Panasonic on battery cells
Harbinger also named Panasonic Energy its official battery cell supplier and is integrating Panasonic’s lithium-ion battery cells as standard in its proprietary EV chassis.
Initially, Panasonic Energy will supply Harbinger with battery cells manufactured in Japan, which will be delivered to Harbinger's headquarters in Garden Grove. Shortly, the two companies look to localize cell sourcing by utilizing Panasonic Energy’s new facility in De Soto, Kansas.
