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The cratering of Tesla’s EV gross sales and its inventory, too, has already change into the stuff of legend, and it may worsen. As auto business observers have anticipated for years, competitors from different EV stakeholders has been on the rise. That features the medium-duty electrical truck subject, an space ripe for electrification which Tesla CEO Elon Musk has but to faucet, as an alternative lavishing consideration on the ill-fated “Cybertruck” and a long-delayed foray into the sphere of professional quality Class 8 vans.
A Harbinger Chassis Is Coming For Your Fossil Fuels
The newest information within the medium-duty electrical truck subject entails the California startup Harbinger, which launched in 2021. It already has the main corporations THOR Industries and ETHERO Truck + Vitality, amongst others, below its wing. The corporate introduced the official start of production at its Backyard Grove manufacturing unit on April 8, with the primary 100 chassis to roll off the meeting line.
That’s only for starters. As of April 8, Harbinger already had orders for 4,690 autos below its belt, totaling $500 million. That, together with a Collection B funding spherical, places the corporate on observe to scale up.
The Collection B funding spherical was no small potatoes. It closed in January to the tune of $1 million, co-led by Capricorn’s Expertise Influence Fund and the brand new European-anchored US enterprise capital fund Leitmotif, with important funding from Tiger International.
The Collection B spherical additionally demonstrated fairly a bit of religion in Harbinger’s potential to ship. Among the many returning buyers taking part in Collection B, Harbinger lists Tiger International, The Coca-Cola System Sustainability Fund, ArcTern Ventures, THOR Industries and its funding accomplice TechNexus, Ridgeline, Maniv Mobility, Ironspring Ventures, Schematic Ventures, and Overture Local weather.
What’s All The Fuss Over An Electrical Truck Chassis?
For those who’re questioning why everybody — together with Coca-Cola — is so excited over an electrical truck chassis, that’s a very good query. As described by Harbinger, the stripped chassis is a standard function of the medium-duty truck market. The chassis producer does their half, and the purchaser connects with a third-party specialist to adapt the remainder of the truck in accordance with their particular wants, which might range broadly.
“The chassis is designed specifically for medium-duty vehicles, such as walk-in vans, box trucks, recreational vehicles (RVs), delivery vans, emergency and disaster response vehicles and more,” Harbinger explains.
Harbinger additionally notes that its journey from launch to manufacturing unit operations was a fast 4-year dash, which signifies that the electrical truck business has a agency provide chain below its belt. The corporate lists the electrical drivetrain, high-voltage (HV) battery system, steering, and brakes among the many parts included within the chassis.
“Notably, Harbinger is the only truck manufacturer building electric drivetrain systems in-house,” Harbinger emphasizes. “The company’s vertically integrated manufacturing approach keeps production costs low for its superior quality EV product.”
Panasonic Enlisted For Electrical Truck Batteries
Within the newest information about Harbinger, on April 23, the corporate introduced that it has chosen Panasonic Vitality to be its official battery cell supplier.
Panasonic will contribute the newest iteration of its 2170 batteries to all of Harbinger’s fashions. “These high-performing battery cells boast an industry-leading energy density of above 800Wh/L (watt-hours per liter), ensuring superior energy solutions that enhance truck performance and efficiency,” Harbinger enthuses.
Harbinger additional notes that the preliminary provide of batteries might be manufactured in Japan, however the two corporations are engaged on US-based manufacturing by means of an enlargement of Panasonic’s current manufacturing unit in Kansas. “This opportunity would enable the addition of US-produced battery cells to Harbinger’s existing US-based production of battery packs, making the complete battery pack assembly the first in the commercial vehicle sector to be fully US-sourced,” Harbinger emphasizes.
“As of March 2025, Panasonic Energy had supplied approximately 19 billion lithium-ion EV batteries globally, equivalent to powering 3.7 million EVs, without any vehicle recalls due to battery-attributed issues, highlighting its reputation for high-quality, reliable battery cells,” Harbinger emphasizes once more for good measure.
No matter Occurred To The Tesla Semi Electrical Truck?
Harbinger is only one instance of the quick and livid exercise stirring within the medium-duty truck subject. Tesla makes vans, too, however not medium-duty vans. Musk teased the concept of a Tesla pickup truck years in the past, solely to ship the barely-a-truck, Edsel-level Tesla Cybertruck.
Musk additionally teased the concept of an autonomous electric van again in 2022. Since then, there’s been extra speak however no actual motion. If and when Tesla does produce a van, the model is now so poisonous that it’s troublesome to think about any main US industrial fleet proprietor tying its status to the person chargeable for the DOGE debacle.
In the meantime, Tesla has been laborious at work lastly bringing its Semi Class 8 electrical truck into full manufacturing. In any case, what automaker — or little one, for that matter — needs to mess around with boring outdated vans when an amazing large semi tractor is within the room?
Nicely, except for Harbinger and its prospects, there’s Rivian. And Fordin fact. GM, too. Mercedes-Benz. The checklist goes on.
When manufacturing does crank as much as full pace on the Semi later this 12 months, it’ll run headlong right into a brick wall of competitors.
Volvo Trucks is among the many legacy Class 8 truck makers going up towards Tesla within the electrical truck subject. Others embrace Daimler Truck North America, Accelera (the zero emission department of Cummins), and PACCAR, that are collectively producing LFP batteries for electrical vans.
Toyota has additionally despatched its TERN Class 8 electrical truck rolling down the roads of North America, and one other Japanese agency ZO Motors, can be eyeballing the North American marketplace for an entire vary of vans up to and including Class 8.
No matter Occurred To Gas Cell Electrical Vans?
One competitor that Tesla doesn’t have to fret about is Nikola. The beleaguered Class 8 gas cell electrical truck maker lastly declared chapter earlier this 12 months. Tesla competitor Lucid purchased a part of the stays at public sale earlier this month, seeking to develop its luxurious sedan and SUV plans.
That’s not the tip of competitors for the Tesla Semi from gas cell vans, although. Hyundai is amongst these nonetheless holding the torch. Final December, the automaker introduced that it had deployed 21 of its Class 8 XCIENT fuel cell trucks by means of the Glovis America truck fleet, which gives logistical assist to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia.
Maintain on to your hats….
Picture: The US startup Harbinger is bringing its stripped chassis enterprise mannequin to the electrical truck market within the US — and extra, together with electric vans, RVs, and emergency vehicles amongst others (courtesy of Harbinger).
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