Harbinger Motors is heading into defense work with the U.S. unit of Germany’s largest arms maker.
The Garden Grove-based company has formed a partnership with American Rheinmetall to develop and field a family of unmanned, hybrid-electric ground transport vehicles.
Harbinger makes stripped chassis—the supporting frame and motor of the vehicle—to be custom-outfitted into delivery vans and other medium-duty electric-powered trucks, with military vehicles now on the way.
The companies said May 27 that the teaming pairs American Rheinmetall’s “vehicle integration, mission systems, and modular architecture development” with Harbinger’s “autonomous-ready hybrid vehicle platform.”
“By taking the driver out of the vehicle with advanced autonomy and teleoperation, we can help keep service men and women out of harm’s way,” said John Harris, co-founder and chief executive officer of Harbinger.
The companies said they are “committed to U.S. designs, engineering, and manufacturing at the speed of need to support” Pentagon priorities.
Tesla, VW Investor Ties
Harbinger’s funding reached $200 million as of early 2025. Its investors include companies with ties to Tesla Inc. and the Volkswagen Group.
“The platform leverages Harbinger’s proven electric chassis, and pairs it with a gas-powered range extender that recharges the battery, which is critical for the demanding environments of military missions,” a Harbinger spokesperson told the Business Journal.
The companies have already submitted a joint autonomous tactical wheeled vehicle in response to a U.S. Army program.
Asked whether Harbinger will be heading further into the defense sphere, the spokesperson said: “Harbinger will be making another announcement soon and can share more details at that time.”
Harbinger has approximately 500 employees.
Initial areas of collaboration include autonomous tactical wheeled vehicles, contested-logistics resupply, and next-generation robotic platforms aligned with U.S. Army programs.
Soldier-Trusted Robotics
“Soldiers need robotics they can trust, at a cost that lets them field them in the numbers required to win,” said Matthew Warnick, CEO of American Rheinmetall.
“Harbinger’s drive-by-wire, hybrid-electric platform is one of the most autonomy-ready commercial chassis ever built in the United States and combined with American Rheinmetall’s deep experience integrating mission systems for the Army, gives the [Department of Defense] an attritable, sovereign, and rapidly scalable option, engineered here, built here, and ready to fight.”
The companies expect to begin joint demonstrations this summer.
Harbinger’s technologies include all-electric and hybrid medium-duty vehicle platforms, battery and drivetrain systems and auxiliary power solutions.
The company moved to a 165,000-square-foot space in Garden Grove from Gardena in 2023.
